On Friday, I finally was able to get updates from two of our allies in Haiti, Haiti Survie and Friends of Haiti who are working on the ground in the relief effort. Posted again from our earlier update from Haiti are some photos of the environmental education and sustainable development activities they organized on October 24th – it will be these groups who will be some of the best prepared to rebuild Haiti sustainably. Now is the time when news of the disaster and rebuilding effort starts to drift off the front pages and away from the forefront of people’s minds, which is why we wanted to remind and call upon our wider 350 family to pull together in this time in solidarity with our Haitian partners. We now have the donation information for two of those organizations, as well as brief updates from the field about how these small, community-oriented groups are helping in the relief effort. Please donate if you can, and forward on to others who may be able to help:
Friends of Haiti: http://friendsofhaiti-gb.com/friendsofhaiti/make+a+donation/default.asp
Friends of Haiti typically works to distribute clean-burning stoves and educate about health and sustainability, though also sponsors medical missions with US doctors every year. "On the night of the earthquake Matthew 25 [their mission house] was one of few places in Haiti with electricity provided by their backup generator. They cooked up big pots of soup, lit up their soccer field and served as a treatment and triage center. Three Haitian doctors and the staff and six guests provided support throughout the night." When I called the contact who had submitted their photos on October 24th, they were overwhelmed with gratitude for the offering of help from the 350 community. As a small organization, these funds will get right to the people who need them most to set up new medical clinics, and work towards sustainable redevelopment.
Haiti Survie/Friends of the Earth Haiti: http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/haiti-earthquake
In the aftermath of the earthquake their work is focussing on the immediate relief effort. Working alongside other local non governmental organisations they are running two mobile clinics which are being supported by around 40 medics – 12 of whom are Haitian exiles who have returned from the United States to offer their support. The team’s focus is on the most vulnerable people who have been affected by the earthquake. In addition Friends of the Earth Haiti intend to distribute more than 100,000 litres of drinking water which is being delivered by a partner organisation based in the neighbouring Dominican Republic.
Aldrin Calixte of Haiti Survie, who I got to meet up with in Copenhagen, was thankful and already looking ahead in his last email: "Thank you so much for your support and solidarity with us. Regarding 350.org, what is the next step?"
