Urgent Appeal For The People Of Haiti (Updated January 22, 2010)
Haiti is ten days in to this mess and very little has improved. Many people are on the ground trying their best to ease these peoples suffering, but the policy makers are largely stifling the efforts. We can only hope that their eyes are opened to the fact that human life is infinitely more important than an arbitrary bottom line. That's all I'll say about that right now!
There are many people taking action in the aid efforts and are doing what they can right now with whatever they have at their disposal. SOPUDEP School Director Réa Dol is taking action to help her community with little to no international aid.
Just two days ago, at day eight, starvation in SOPUDEP's area (as I'm sure is the same in the rest of the city) started to take a real tole. The generosity of a local grocer is now ensuring at least some are staving off hunger. Réa, because she has bought from him for the duration of the school's food program has developed a good working relationship with this vendor and he has given food to Réa on credit. 150 to 250 are being fed right now, but countless others could be included with some cash.
We are working on paying down that credit so she can continue to expand her food program. Right now we can only send down $500 a day through Western Union, but once the limit is lifted and the banks are open we hope that with your support we can expand the food program. This is just the beginning of this crisis!!!
Réa is also appealing to raise money to send families to the countryside to stay with their families where they can have better support. Medication and outdoor survival supplies are on the short list of things to get in the coming weeks.
We do know some numbers now! Twenty one students and two teachers have been confirmed dead and many more are still missing. The school and Réa home have been converted into a shelter and a makeshift hospital.
It is devastating in Haiti and it will be so long until it recovers, but our hopes lie in local organizations such as SOPUDEP because of their immediate and creative efforts to help their community. These are the organizations that deserve the bulk of our aid money. Once the dust clears, international media has grown bored and found the newest terrorist or virus threat to keep us on edge, and the the wave of international aid is all but a dream, it will once again be up to Haitian's to rebuild their country. Yes, the crush of foreign control will be as big as ever! But if we support local initiatives and allow Haitian's to be in charge of their own affairs, they might be able to create a groundswell and a strong counter balance to the powers that have kept them in a vulgar state of repression for over 300 years.
Your support makes all the difference to the people of Haiti!!! If you are going down to Port-au-Prince and want to take something for the shelter at the school and Réa's home the list follows.
Thank-you
Ryan Sawatzky, President
The Sawatzky Family Foundation
PO Box 626, 25 Peter Street North
Orillia, Ontario, Canada
L3V-6K5
sawatzkyfamilyfoundation@gmail.com
Réa needs medicine supplies for:
-Infection
-Pain
-Cough for children
-Cough for adult
-Diarrhea
-Diabetic
-Blood pressure
-Fever
-Headache
-Malaria fever
- Pump for Asma
- Flu
Outdoor living supplies:
-Blankets
-Tarps for shelter
-Shoes
-Clothes
-Sheets
