Dear Friends of Sionfonds for Haiti,
My trip to Haiti was much better and much worse than I had imagined it would be.
Sometimes Haiti seemed just the same, and then just behind the trucks, cars and people that are always moving, always on their way somewhere, in unbelievable traffic jams, crowded and polluted streets, is the devastation that cannot be ignored.
Buildings crumbled, into piles of rubble or pan-caked one floor onto another, buildings untouched since the earthquake still holding anyone who was there when it fell. Cleared lots where schools once were, where hundreds of children died. There were far too many of those. I will not forget how often my friends said, “that was a school” or how they had to tell me “ This street was they lined with dead bodies”, “there was no place to put them all”, “it will take a long time to forget that”.
In the markets the crumbled or ripped apart buildings looked almost like the backdrop of a theater. The market stalls and tables laid out with their merchandise as always, but behind them buildings crumbled, piles of rubble everywhere, more concrete rubble than seemed possible form the buildings that once stood there. But life goes on even when we think it won’t or we can’t carry the sorrow of so many dead. Mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers get up everyday and keep working, scraping together whatever they can to provide for those that are left. Even in Haiti where 230,000 people died only 3 months ago, life goes on.
However the laughter that I love so much about Haiti was gone. There is no longer the feeling that things are bad but at least we can laugh, everyone is in mourning, hearts broken, joy is gone. Except for the children at the orphanage who were still just children, wanting to play and sit in my lap. It was very good to see my friends and coworkers in Haiti. We accomplished most of what we hoped to do on our trip. Finalizing measurements for the solar power at the new orphanage, meeting with a local Rotary International group, and other international ngo’s in Haiti that we hope to work with on large agricultural and housing projects in the near future. I did not go to our schools but did meet with all of our field directors and received reports on general conditions and the most pressing needs of the communities we serve. Updates on sponsored children will come to sponsors in May.
All over Haiti getting schools back in session, and getting people to work was at the top of the list of priorities. I was happy to see 50 or 60 men working at the new orphanage in Criox des Bouquet, knowing that all those men would be able to contribute to their families. There were many other positive signs among all the destruction. There are many large groups of people being paid, by several different organizations including the Haitian department of sanitation to sweep up and clear out the streets of Haiti. There are large machines demolishing buildings, and clearing streets and water ways working all over the city, although it is hard to believe that the job will ever be completed.
I did not go into any tent cities on my trip, although they were everywhere. Every imaginable kind of tent from the top of the line Shelter Boxes sent by Rotary International to tarps wrapped around poles. The good news was that the tent cities, I saw appeared to have replaced sheets for shelter with tarps (accept one near Leogaine) portable toilets and temporary pit toilets, were visible in most large camps although not nearly enough. I did see wood and other construction materials being distributed for more long-term temporary shelters too. It rained so hard one night I questioned weather the tents would be standing the next morning and it is only the very beginning of the rainy season. Sionfonds is continuing to send tents to Haiti but our focus is on providing more permanent solutions.
It is always my goal to express to our donors how directly you are helping the people of Haiti when you donate to Sionfonds for Haiti. Your donations have already been put to work in Haiti and we will continue to get your donations there as quickly and productively as possible. We dedicate ourselves to supporting Haitian families through education, nutrition, job creation, medical care, agricultural projects and whatever else we can do to promote self-reliance and self-determination for Haitian families, we can do this only with your help. We appreciate your heartfelt contributions during the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, and now we must ask you to recommit yourselves to our cause as we shift from emergency relief to long-term sustainable recovery projects to assist rural Haitian families.
It feels like we have moved mountains since the earthquake, we have been working night and day and yet there is still more to do and many long-term projects we are just beginning. In the days just after the earthquake we were able to send funds to Haiti to help with immediate needs of the communities we serve, Foyer de Sion orphanage and our staff. We were able to assist in getting a solar powered pump and the well dug at Foyer De Sion’s new building and a full solar array to power the building, all from generous green businesses committed to helping Haiti’s orphan’s. As soon as was possible we began sending food and supplies, to Haiti we have participated in sending over 100,000 pounds of food to Haiti.
Our school in Cavaillon has remained opened, the other two are scheduled to re-open this week. Our school in Masson will be held in a tent until repairs can be made to the school. Understandably despite the new school building having only minor damage parents are reluctant allow their children into any school that is not 100% repaired and complete. All three schools will feed lunch to our students everyday. That is over 500 children getting at least one nutritious meal a day, because of your donations, a dream come true for Sionfonds and the hungry children we will be feeding.
All of our school populations and the surrounding communities have grown, as people have migrated away from Port au Prince. One of Sionfonds goals has always been to provide opportunity in rural communities so that families did not migrate to the slums of Port au Prince seeking opportunity they would not find there. Now we are faced with the challenge of creating jobs, resources, and educational opportunity to help displaced families in our rural communities. To start we will be enlarging our schools and employing more teachers and staff to prepare the meals for the children. One new project is to fundraise to buy a Villager Sun ovens to cook school meals, which also has the potential to bake bread to generate income. The website for these ovens is http://www.sunoven.com/international/villager-sun-ovens.php
Another project is to create sewing programs at all three schools and produce something that we can bring back to the states to sell. Already we have begun making dolls and bracelets that will be for sale in May.
We need your help to make these projects work and to formulate others, if you feel drawn to help make these or other projects a reality please contact us. Connecting good ideas and resources here to Haiti is our goal, we welcome your participation
In two weeks I will lead a medical team to Haiti. We will spend a week giving free medical and dental care to the rural communities of Cayes Jacmel, Lavanuea, Cavaillon, and Masson. We will set up clinic in our schools in areas where no other medical care is available even at this time when there are more medical professionals in Haiti than ever before. Our medical team will consist of 15 U.S. and Canadian residents as well as Haitian Doctors nurses translators and support staff. Again we will be employing people in Haiti who then will have the means to support their family. We need your help to do this. Please send your donations to Sionfonds for Haiti designated for the medical expedition to the address below or on our website.
All of our Doctors and medical staff pay their own way, buy the necessary medications and work themselves to exhaustion while in Haiti, please support their efforts by donating today, every bit helps.
Also in the weeks to come we will be auctioning off several pieces of art donated by well known artists to help raise funds for our work in Haiti. We will notify everyone when the auction begins.
Thank you all for your continued support. You make all the difference, without you none of this amazing life saving work could be done.
If you would like to see photos from my trip visit
http://gallery.me.com/annieblackstone#100008
With love and Gratitude
Annie Blackstone
Sionfonds for Haiti
U.S director
P.O. Box 79
Canyon Ca. 94516
Pictured above Mrs. Parrett (ELL teacher, left), Stevenson, and Mrs. Amy Delaney (French Teacher, right). The check amount was the total until someone donated more.
