Joy and Flavor in Batey Cuchilla!

Culinary Competition Strengthens Community

Posted March 5, 2026

As we reported in October’s Newsletter, ministry Manager Ricardo Beltré and his Barahona team have begun offering wellness seminars in the communities they serve. The seminars provide information on health, nutrition, and environmental stewardship.

To add an element of fun to this educational program, Ricardo worked with community leaders in Batey Cuchilla to hold a cooking competition. Five women from the community enthusiastically volunteered to participate in the event. The participants were instructed to create a balanced meal, using MannaPack-Rice as a primary ingredient. Ricardo provided each of the women a MannaPack cookbook, which was developed by Feed My Starving Children (fmsc.org) in conjunction with trained chefs.

The MannaPack product is rice-based and is fortified with vitamins, minerals, and protein. The food is donated by Feed My Starving Children and represents about half of the food distributed through our program. Though the food itself is donated, we do incur shipping costs to send the food to the Dominican Republic.

On the day of the competition, the excitement was contagious. Participants woke up as early as 5 AM, to prepare for the start at 10:30 AM. Jesica, the Cuchilla community leader, told Ricardo, “I have never seen so much enthusiasm and emotion in every participant. The community has come together to witness this competition. It’s more than a competition; it’s entertainment that has united the community to socialize and have a joyful moment. There’s hardly ever anything fun in this community. This is something great that unites us more as a community and motivates us.”

The event was opened with prayer and a bible teaching. Wilton Gómez shared a message of hope based on the biblical text from John 16:33: “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

Afterward, the contestants took turns sharing their meals with the panel of judges, comprised of Ricardo, Wilton, and Francisco, a local Pastor in Batey Cuchilla. The judges were pleasantly surprised by the care, detail, and passion dedicated to every prepared dish.

Ricardo expressed that the judging was difficult because each of the contestants presented a winning meal.

Cuchilla resident Corina won First Place with her meal of MannaPack Mangú (Mangú is a traditional Dominican dish), fried egg, chicken in cream sauce, and orange juice. She was awarded a new cookware set of five pots and pans. Second Place was awarded to Karina for her meal of Moro of MannaPack Rice with black beans (Moro is another traditional Dominican dish), fried chicken, and green salad. Karina received a new pedestal fan.

All five participants received a gift bag of essential grocery items to restock their kitchens.
The activity was a great blessing. Through the competition, our ministry team was able to witness the genuine joy, love, and unity of the Cuchilla community. Every smile reflected the unconditional love of Jesus!

We remain committed to serving and building up these communities where God has placed us, sharing His love and hope to each person along the way.

More photos from the event!

Click on any photo to enlarge & scroll.