Massive Earthquake in Haiti Greetings to all supporters and friends of Mission to Haiti Canada; this newsletter comes to you shortly after a catastrophic earthquake has struck the island nation of Haiti with the resulting devastation of the capital city Port- au-Prince. On January 12 th at around 5pm local time, an earthquake magnitude 7.0 occurred causing the already poverty stricken island to sink into a nightmarish situation as most of the buildings in the city of 3 million people collapsed or were irreparably damaged causing huge loss of property, access to shelter food and water, and causing numerous severe injuries and killing upwards of 150,000 people to date. This disaster has resulted in an outpouring of international aid to the nation, but getting the aid and medical attention to the people in need continues to be insufficient to due logistical problems and the undeveloped infrastructure in Haiti. The main port was completely destroyed and most roads are so clogged with debris from fallen buildings that getting aid supplies from the airport into the city is difficult so the distribution of the goods that have arrived continue to be slow. At the time of this writing many Haitians have survived with minimal food and water and are enduring a significant humanitarian crisis. People cannot return to the few homes that did survive the quake as strong aftershocks (smaller earthquakes) are continuing to occur up to a few times per day as the earth finds its new equilibrium. In the best situations many have resorted to living in the streets under makeshift linen tents to protect them from the hot sun. Others are wandering around aimlessly not knowing what to do next as they have lost what little they had, often including their families. This is a heart wrenching event and we as Mission to Haiti Canada along with you our supporters are actively identifying ways to provide immediate and long-term help to the Haitians in this time of crisis. As you continue through this newsletter and on our website, you will discover what we have been doing in this regard and how we see our organization moving forward in light of this catastrophe. Please pray for the people of Haiti and those who are seeking to help them in many different ways. NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1 - 2010 MISSION TO HAITI CANADA PAGE 1
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Massive Earthquake in HaitiGreetings to all supporters and friends of Mission to Haiti Canada; this newsletter comes to you shortly after a catastrophic earthquake has struck the island nation of Haiti with the resulting devastation of the capital city Port-au-Prince. On January 12th at around 5pm local time, an earthquake magnitude 7.0 occurred causing the already poverty stricken island to sink into a nightmarish situation as most of the buildings in the city of 3 million people collapsed or were irreparably damaged causing huge loss of property, access to shelter food and water, and causing numerous severe injuries and killing upwards of 150,000 people to date.
This disaster has resulted in an outpouring of international aid to the nation, but getting the aid and medical attention to the people in need continues to be insufficient to due logistical problems and the undeveloped infrastructure in Haiti. The main port was completely destroyed and most roads are so clogged with debris from fallen buildings that getting aid supplies from the airport into the city is difficult so the distribution of the goods that have arrived continue to be slow. At the time of this writing many Haitians have survived with minimal food and water and are enduring a significant humanitarian crisis. People cannot return to the few homes that did survive the quake as strong aftershocks (smaller earthquakes) are continuing to occur up to a few times per day as the earth finds its new equilibrium. In the best situations many have resorted to
living in the streets under makeshift linen tents to protect them from the hot sun. Others are wandering around aimlessly not knowing what to do next as they have lost what little they had, often including their families.
This is a heart wrenching event and we as Mission to Haiti Canada along with you our supporters are actively identifying ways to provide immediate and long-term help to the Haitians in this time of crisis. As you continue through this newsletter and on our website, you will discover what we have been doing in this regard and how we see our organization moving forward in light of this catastrophe. Please pray for the people of Haiti and those who are seeking to help them in many different ways.
NEWSLETTERNEWSLETTERISSUE 1 - 2010
MISSION TO HAITI CANADA PAGE 1
The Campus in MessaillerMany of you have been inquiring about the safety of pastor Charles and his family and about your friends in Haiti such as Bisson and Lionnel. As of this communication they are safe and uninjured; however, Pastor Octavius (Charles’ accountant) received minor injuries and his son received a severely injured hand when their house collapsed around them. They have since been driven to Santo Domingo (Domincan Republic) and flown to the United States to receive appropriate medical attention; their family has also joined them and will be a source of strength and comfort to them. We thank God that within our core ministry the Haitians were spared loss of life. Please pray for a full and speedy recovery for Octavius and his son, and strength for his family as they walk through this difficult time together.
As you may or may not be aware of, this year’s January short term mission trip was cancelled as a result of the earthquake because all commercial flights into Haiti have been indefinitely suspended. The campus in Messailler which would normally house the team sustained only minor damage as a result of the quake; some windows were broken and to date is the only damage we are aware of. The campus itself has become a refugee centre with over 100 people having arrived from the destroyed city; sick and injured people continue to arrive daily hoping to receive some form of help. The orphanage which had been housing 12 children is now full, fulfilling the needs of 40 children! Access to electrical power at the campus is a big issue as diesel fuel for the generator is hard to come by at the present time and its cost has increased substantially. This presents significant challenges for the campus in regards to communication, safety, sanitation, and the provision of certain types of medical care.
Developing PartnershipsAs a result of the earthquake several new partnerships have formed to provide assistance and aid through Mission to Haiti Canada.
STIMMA (short term international medical missions abroad) from Waterloo have partnered with us through the Radio Station 91.5 The Beat to promote and collect aid for delivering monetary funds and drugs through the Shoppers Drug Mart on Bridgeport Drive in Kitchener. We were able to take an additional five totes of medication (250 lbs) last week to assist the Haitians as a result of their contributions. www.stimma.org
Compassion for the Poor (affiliated with Pat Francis Ministries) has come along side of Mission to Haiti Canada to extend their fundraising efforts to provide monetary aid and prayer for providing medical supplies, food and fuel for the people of Haiti at this time. www.patfrancis.orgOur ongoing association with many churches throughout the Woodstock and Blyth areas continue to be a source of strength and solace through times like these. Many of the Churches have held special collections, fundraising dinners, etc in order to help us address the growing needs that have resulted from this dilemma. Also, many businesses that have supported Mission to Haiti Canada in the past have rallied around our organization to provide funds for the assistance that is being provided. We are very thankful for these developing partnerships and the continuing support of our community as we look to provide help to our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Praise God for the gifts you continue to entrust us with to distribute on your behalf. Mission to Haiti Canada continues in its efforts to collect monetary donations and drug donations in order to assist the Haitians. Your funds received before February 12, 2010 will be eligible for a government fund matching grant which means that every dollar raised for Mission to Haiti Canada will receive a matching dollar from the Government of Canada through CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency). If you are thinking about giving then your assistance prior to this date would provide a significant additional benefit.
Sponsorship ProgramAt this time our sponsorship program is still in full swing. We continue to collect monies for our sponsored children and the need has increased with the recent earthquake. Bisson has received photo books listing all of our sponsored children and he along with the principals of the schools will start immediately to find out what has happened to many of our children in the torn areas of Haiti. This is an extensive process since many families have left the area due to the unsafe conditions as a result of the ongoing tremors. For the past fourteen days following the earthquake, the aftershocks have not stopped. It is not know which families or children have lost their lives in this earthquake but this assessment is an important one.
At this time, we have received pictures showing damage of the school for Christa College or SAEDT. The extent of re-
building or repair is not definite at this time. MTH Canada is going to send an assessment team in the next few months to review this situation as soon as movements through the city can be made safely. Since the schools are not operational at this time the funds received for the students will be collected to help get the schools re-open. At this time we are not sure what this entails, but we will certainly keep everyone informed of this status. The schools in Cabaret and Faveau have not been damaged by the earthquake to our knowledge. We will continue to update you via mailings and our website but getting accurate information and acting upon it with responsibility will likely take at least 2-3 months.
On January 25, 2010 Jack Streef, Bill and Margie DeJong and Glenn Reinders travelled to the Dominican Republic to deliver medical and monetary relief to the Mission Camp as well as to our sponsored children. There are no commercial flights into Haiti so this is the only way to get close to Haiti and supplies and persons must drive from there to Haiti. They brought with them 12 fifty pound totes of medical supplies and monies that are to be used to help the communities we serve in purchasing food, fuel, and other medical supplies. The airline staff and customs agents were very accommodating as these items were transported and we are very thankful for this. In addition to the aid that was brought, two large cargo trucks full of supplies including 5 ten person tents, 165 gallons of diesel fuel, 55 gallons of gasoline, 10 propane tanks, and literally tons of donated and purchased food were delivered to the camp by an escorted convoy from Santo Domingo. This assessment team was able to meet with Bisson in Santo Domingo and gather some first-hand information as to the current situation and immediate needs. MTH Canada also provided him with a specific list of items requiring assessment so we can organize and prioritize our short term and long term plans in addressing the needs of the Haitian people.
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Assessment of the NeedThe following initial assessment has been developed as a focus for Mission to Haiti Canada to move forward:
Short Term NeedsMonetary donations will be needed to facilitate the purchase of food the prices of which have increased drastically due to limited supplies. Bisson will distribute purchased food consisting of beans and rice to our sponsored families. Just a reminder to try to have your donations submitted prior to February 12, 2010 to take advantage of the government fund matching program.
Medication is to be collected and packed into totes to be brought down to Haiti by volunteers over the next several months. Please consider donating medications such as Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and vitamins, or consider volunteering your time to pick up and deliver the supplies. We are currently working on the logistics of this as people make themselves available for this item. If you know of anyone that has crutches that are no longer being used, these would be very valuable to aid the many people that are becoming amputees as the result of quake related injuries.Tarps are required as numerous people have lost their homes and are currently living outside with little or no protection from the elements. Tarps can be used to make shelter and protect their belongings especially for when the next rainfall arrives.
Assessment teams are to be organized to look at the damage sustained by the schools we sponsor. Teams will be set up that will assess damage and in discussion with school principals will report on what it will take to return to a state where the children can safely attend school.
Sponsorship children update is being done by Bisson. He has a book containing the photos and personal information of each sponsor child. He will attempt to locate each one and assess the current level of health of the child and their family members, and whether the child’s house has been damaged. In the event of a damaged house, this item will be added to the long term needs list. Short term construction teams will be required to partner with the Haitians in rebuilding their homes. We are looking to identify persons interested in volunteering for construction teams that would go to Haiti for 7 day trips;
we would need a minimum of two teams before we could schedule an initial team so that we could ensure completion of a project.
Long Term NeedsRebuild or repair schools following a review of the findings from an assessment team. Assessment teams will submit to the board a report including the extent of damages (with photos or video documentation where appropriate), recommendations for restoration along with proposed budget and timelines.
House building is to be offered to our sponsored families in the event their house was destroyed in the quake or has become inhabitable. We will offer to build 12 by 20 foot home with a porch to provide basic needs and shelter. It has been designed so they will be able to add to it in the future should they have the means. In lieu of building a new house we could offer them up to $2,500 to aid in needed repairs.
Food relief to continue until displaced families can begin to sustain themselves again.
Short term missions teams consisting of medical, construction and sponsorship programs are to continue and will be scheduled primarily in January and March of each year. Intermediate teams will be developed contingent on the ongoing assessment of needs over the coming months.
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Board ChangesAs announced in early December the Board of Mission to Haiti Canada has undergone changes due to the retirement of Mr. William DeJong.
We first and foremost wish to formally thank Mr. William DeJong for his passion, vision and leadership activities in the formation and growth of Mission to Haiti Canada. Anyone associated with MTH Canada will likely have met Bill and know his drive to serve the Haitians through a variety of avenues. In addition to his presence on the MTH Board, Bill also serves on the Presbyterian Mission in Haiti Board as well with a special focus on the construction projects being undertaken in Haiti. It is difficult to put into words the intensity and legacy that Bill has left in Haiti. We are all grateful for the gifts that he has shared with us and the people of Haiti. Bill will continue to serve as a consultant to the Board and will continue making Mission trips quarterly to Haiti to monitor the sponsorship program. We truly thank him for his efforts in the past as well as continuing in a reduced role in the future.
At this time we would also like to thank Michelle DeJong-Sol for her efforts in doing the accounting work for Mission to Haiti Canada for the past several years. Michelle has moved from MTH Canada to maintaining her role as a mother with the delivery of her daughter Ciara.
The Board has spent time from November 2009 to present date organizing the related shift in personnel and are pleased to announce the new board appointments:
In ClosingSo much is in flux around the people of Haiti and their daily struggle has become even more severe. We pray that they may come to know the comfort of the Lord if they don’t already. We ask that you would continue to pray for them and all the people including MTH Canada that are seeking to help in many different ways.
Thank you for your continued support and be sure to visit our website (www.mthcanada.org) where we have added a blog to keep you updated on recent happenings in Haiti and within our organization as we continue to sort through the logistics in this relief effort and utilize all our resources in a stewardly fashion.
Upcoming EventsOur 8th Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser this year will be held on June 19, 2010 at Burford Golf Links. For more information please visit our website, contact Jack Streef ([email protected]), or Glenn Reinders ([email protected])
