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If you would like to designate your gift to Haiti, you can do so at Project 38 - Emergency Disaster Relief / Global
or call us at 1-800-842-2243
Update on Haiti Food Crisis
By: Melinda Miles (www.konpay.org)
September 23, 2008,
Thank you for your generosity in response to the crisis in the Jacmel region in the aftermath of recent hurricanes and tropical storms. After surveying the destruction in our region and getting reports from Haitian National Coalition for the Environment (KNAA) members in the Southeast Department, KONPAY announced its emergency hurricane relief fund with a goal of raising $30,000 for the first phase of urgent aid.
We passed through $4,000 to Agronomist Isaac Cherestal and CAPAS for relief work in the Les Cayes region, and $500 to Partners In Health for work in Gonaives and temporary refugees from the city. KONPAY also advised Alternative Gifts International to donate $9,000 of its Emergency Direct Assistance to Partners In Health. In addition, Global Village has pledged funds to rebuild the tree nursery for KONPAY’s Youth for the Development of Cyvadier (JDS) project.
In anticipation of incoming funds from AGI, and with funds already in-hand from Rights Action, I was able to carry the first $5,000 in emergency assistance into the country with me on September 14. This money was immediately spent on urgently needed food. KONPAY purchased locally produced corn and had it milled in Cayes-Jacmel. We then distributed the cornmeal with beans and cooking oil in the villages of Cap-Rouge, Cyvadier, Au Ban, Raymond les Bains, Meyer and the cities of Jacmel and Cayes-Jacmel. Each family received approximately enough food for three to five days.
There was one other distribution of food in the region. USAID food aid was distributed by CROSE, a regional organization for the environment. Families who were included in the distribution received enough food for one week. I have contacted Congressional staffers that I know to request contacts with USAID or other organizations that might be able to get more food to the region immediately because people do not have anything at all to eat. If you know of anyone who can help, please contact me or Elise Hansen in our MA office (elise@konpay.org, (978) 283-0068).
We are now in the second phase of emergency assistance. KONPAY staff are visiting local schools to assess damage and assist with tuition to ensure that children of families affected by the storms are able to attend when school opens one month late on October 6. Most students need to have basic school materials replaced before school opens as well.
We will keep you updated as the work continues and hope to share more photos soon. The entire Jacmel region has been without electricity since the first storm more than a month ago, and flooding is still blocking roads throughout the department and the country. We will share information with you as we have it. To learn more about our vision for reconstruction in the Southeast Department after the 2008 storm season, visit our website: http://konpay.org/en/rebuildingjacmel
By: Rev. Oris Guillaume, Chairman (http://www.haiticheri.org)
September 6, 2008,
...There seems to be plenty of food in the commercial warehouses in Haiti, so we are sending money down to purchase the food and give it away. Even though the food is expensive, it is still more cost effective to purchase the food there rather than fly it in. Our Microfinance director is purchasing rice, beans, cooking oil, spaghetti, tomato paste, corn meal, and sugar in the country.
Here are some testimonies from our friends living there:
Rev. Pastor Wesley wrote:
We need lots of prayer to protect the poor in Haiti as many have already lost their lives and thousands more have lost everything they owned due to the storms. The rain and tropical climate also serve to multiply parasites and harmful insects/worms, etc. that can be deadly. The water, which is already at the very bottom of the International Water Index, is further contaminated. The list goes on and on.
Rev. Pastor Codo Cimeus wrote:
Concerning our church, the yard is flooded. Waters got into the chapel through the window and the door way since we have no door and windows to keep the rain fall water out. Inspite of our poverty, as a church like the macedonian saints we will try to collect some items to send to our brothers and sisters in Gonaives who have lost every thing they had.Thank you so much for your support, love and compassion. You are a great encouragement to us. We will never forget you and your family.
May God bless Haiti and the people there...and may something good come from this disaster. And may God bless your wonderful ministry!"
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