As you already know, our children/staff/families are all accounted for. We are regularly in touch with them. Slowly, life is returning to some semblance of routine. They come each day, gather as a community, eat, talk, dance play, make art. None are physically injured. The emotional impact has been huge and they are depressed even though they smile for the camera. Anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder are setting in.
Jen and Guy Pantaleon of Zanmi Lakay make an annual trip to Haiti to conduct photo workshops with ACFFC and also with a group in Cite Soleil. They decided not to cancel when the earthquake struck, headed in via the Dominican Republic and have been in Jacmel for the past few weeks. They have been absolutely amazing, organizing activities for the city of Jacmel, helping coordinate relief work with our team, as well as going forward with the workshop (more normalcy for the children). They brought the young men they sponsor in Jacmel who make music (hip hop) together with ACFFC as they have in the past, together also with the Cine Institute group. Yesterday, they held a Fete, to show the photographs taken by the group to family and friends, and tents were presented as well. Incredible! (Tents have a story - Jen called her sister who was able to purchase tents from the manufacturer at cost, arrange to ship them to the Dominican Republic, have them flown in. Read -'no large aid organizations involved'!)
See the NY Times Lens.blogspot feature on the work done by Jen and Guy and our ACFFC photojournalists. New dream = ZANMILAKAY PHOTO CENTER IN JACMEL! http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/behind-33/
We have received aid, 10,000+ pounds of food, airlifted in from the Dominican Republic, thanks to G.O. Ministries. We received a most recent shipment donation just yesterday. The children, staff, families will continue to eat without waiting in line for hours at tent cities. This is how it works. (Again - read, 'no help from the "big guys" who get the millions of dollars in donations!)
Schools will not be open in Jacmel for some time. We are bring in teachers to begin classes at the Foundatoin to add one more level of normalcy to a horrific abnormal situation.
And so it goes!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Update February 17
All is as best it can be. Our children and their families are holding up as well as they can.
Fortunately, the visit of Jen and Guy Pantaleon helped them to refocus, take photographs, be a part of the solemn march held in lieu of Kanaval.
And G.O. Ministries has been incredible, such generosity, and for this, we are able to feed our children with some level of normalcy (Mme Cothias et al cooking) and eating at their tables all together in lieu of lines in hot sun waiting for plate of food for hours. Our families come and gather, help with preparation of package for distribution as do their children. And with dignity, they are sharing in the work and the food for their families which, even on the street, they can prepare for themselves and eat with their own extended families. Things like this re respectful rather than dehumanizing and without G.O. Ministries, it would not be possible. We are forever grateful.
Please have a look at the new purse available online at http://www.clutchforcures.com/ and see the purse for Haiti ... follow links and you will see the visuals are the work of Bruno Rene, one of our ACFFC young men. We are so proud. And Kellee Peer, owner of this company, will be donating $20 to ACFFC for each purse sold, with $5 going to Bruno Rene (bank account to be set up in his name) ... with the purchase of any purse, you can designate donation to ACFFC, so please look at these beautiful and unique purses.
This morning everyone is at the Jacmel airstrip unloading 3500 lbs of food and water, shoes and clothing, etc. thanks again to G.O. Ministries.
I will be traveling to Haiti end of February for a week and hope to meet Jackie Perez of G.O. as well as finally meeting Paula Hypollite who works with the Cine Institute and leads a coopertive of coffee growers (will bring back coffee) - and there is a place in a tent on the street for me with Geraldine and Darline, two of our girls. I will be happy to be with them, at least for a few days.
Please keep on helping us and remember that the rebuild of Haiti, homes for our families, etc. will be a long time in coming.
Thankyou all. Judy
Fortunately, the visit of Jen and Guy Pantaleon helped them to refocus, take photographs, be a part of the solemn march held in lieu of Kanaval.
And G.O. Ministries has been incredible, such generosity, and for this, we are able to feed our children with some level of normalcy (Mme Cothias et al cooking) and eating at their tables all together in lieu of lines in hot sun waiting for plate of food for hours. Our families come and gather, help with preparation of package for distribution as do their children. And with dignity, they are sharing in the work and the food for their families which, even on the street, they can prepare for themselves and eat with their own extended families. Things like this re respectful rather than dehumanizing and without G.O. Ministries, it would not be possible. We are forever grateful.
Please have a look at the new purse available online at http://www.clutchforcures.com/ and see the purse for Haiti ... follow links and you will see the visuals are the work of Bruno Rene, one of our ACFFC young men. We are so proud. And Kellee Peer, owner of this company, will be donating $20 to ACFFC for each purse sold, with $5 going to Bruno Rene (bank account to be set up in his name) ... with the purchase of any purse, you can designate donation to ACFFC, so please look at these beautiful and unique purses.
This morning everyone is at the Jacmel airstrip unloading 3500 lbs of food and water, shoes and clothing, etc. thanks again to G.O. Ministries.
I will be traveling to Haiti end of February for a week and hope to meet Jackie Perez of G.O. as well as finally meeting Paula Hypollite who works with the Cine Institute and leads a coopertive of coffee growers (will bring back coffee) - and there is a place in a tent on the street for me with Geraldine and Darline, two of our girls. I will be happy to be with them, at least for a few days.
Please keep on helping us and remember that the rebuild of Haiti, homes for our families, etc. will be a long time in coming.
Thankyou all. Judy
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Updates to all that is happening ...
Update February 11, 2010 Our children/staff/families are all accounted for. We are regularly in touch with them. Slowly, life is returning to some semblance of routine. They come each day, gather as a community, eat, talk, dance play, make art. None are physically injured. The emotional impact has been huge and they are depressed even though they smile for the camera. Anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder are setting in.
Jen and Guy Pantaleon of Zanmi Lakay make an annual trip to Haiti to conduct photo workshops with ACFFC and also with a group in Cite Soleil. They decided not to cancel when the earthquake struck, headed in via the Dominican Republic and have been in Jacmel for the past few weeks. They have been absolutely amazing, organizing activities for the city of Jacmel, helping coordinate relief work with our team, as well as going forward with the workshop (more normalcy for the children). They brought the young men they sponsor in Jacmel who make music (hip hop) together with ACFFC as they have in the past, together also with the Cine Institute group. Yesterday, they held a Fete, to show the photographs taken by the group to family and friends, and tents were presented as well. Incredible! (Tents have a story - Jen called her sister who was able to purchase tents from the manufacturer at cost, arrange to ship them to the Dominican Republic, have them flown in. Read -'no large aid organizations involved'!)
We have finally received aid, 8,000 pounds of food, airlifted in from the Dominican Republic, thanks to G.O. Ministries (see below). We received a most recent shipment donation just this past Monday (February 8). The children, staff, families will continue to eat without waiting in line for hours at tent cities. This is how it works. (Again - read, 'no help from the "big guys" who get the millions of dollars in donations!)
Schools will not be open in Jacmel for some time. We are bring in teachers to begin classes at the Foundatoin to add one more level of normalcy to a horrific abnormal situation.
WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET NOW AND FOR A VERY LONG TIME TO COME!
UPDATE - February 2 2010
Everything seems to happen because of connections via twitter, facebook, emails, etc. I was directed to the amazing people at GO Ministries who said they would help us and actually did! They sent a plane from the DR with 2500 lbs of food and supplies, we were able to coordinate, unload, etc. And then we received a call that a second plane was to land and as they could not reach designated recipients, could we manage to unload/use/share another 2500 lbs of food and supplies. Yes and back everyone went ... We will have photos but internet not working the last few days in Jacmel.Astounding, amazing and we are so grateful - These folks are incredible. http://www.go-ministries.org/
UPDATE - February 1 2010 - our friends Jen and Guy Pantaleon of www.zanmilakay.org who partner with us all the time are now in Jacmel with our children. For a full report, please go to ACFFC blog or to http://www.zanmilakayblog.org/ to read and also to view images. Very difficult, sad, powerful.
January 20 2010
Another earthquake today ... everyone is frightened yet still ok. We are grateful. Still no significant aid into Jacmel. We have several days food left so we are keeping our fingers crossed. Please click on link to blog and/or Facebook Cause page for continuous updates. Mesi anpil.
January 19 2010 - People keep asking what to do to help.
1- Please donate as much as you can. We need funds desperately!
2- CAM and Western Union will be open in the next few days and we can send money to buy food from CAM which is a wholesaler. They will try to deliver in Jacmel.
3- People from the countryside are coming in with vegetables, etc. and we need cash to buy.
4- The children are all pulling together as a family
5- ACFFC is becoming a central coordinating agency in Jacmel.
6- We are trying to find a way to Jacmel via the Dominican Republic to bring in supplies and hope to be able to do so asap.
I spoke with several of the children just now as well as Georges Metellus - they were able to get through - and they are all heroes and thank you for everything you are doing for them.
January 13 2010- Many of you have contacted us regarding the situation in Jacmel and the well being of our ACFFC family. The answer is, we have not yet had any word. We do know that much of Jacmel has been destroyed. We also know that our children are a true community and I have to assume and wish and hope that they are ok and if they are, I know that they are out there doing what they can, as the did post hurricanes. They became mini-rescue teams. We do have a month's supply of food (assuming our building is standing) and water as well. All we can do is wait which is very difficult. I know that our needs will be great and I ask that you please contribute whatever you can, knowing that we will hold funds until we know how to best use them for rescue efforts. Our children, our staff, their families and all of Jacmel need your help. We make every dollar stretch as if $2 or $3 so please do what you can. I will post as I have information. Blessings. Judy Hoffman
Jen and Guy Pantaleon of Zanmi Lakay make an annual trip to Haiti to conduct photo workshops with ACFFC and also with a group in Cite Soleil. They decided not to cancel when the earthquake struck, headed in via the Dominican Republic and have been in Jacmel for the past few weeks. They have been absolutely amazing, organizing activities for the city of Jacmel, helping coordinate relief work with our team, as well as going forward with the workshop (more normalcy for the children). They brought the young men they sponsor in Jacmel who make music (hip hop) together with ACFFC as they have in the past, together also with the Cine Institute group. Yesterday, they held a Fete, to show the photographs taken by the group to family and friends, and tents were presented as well. Incredible! (Tents have a story - Jen called her sister who was able to purchase tents from the manufacturer at cost, arrange to ship them to the Dominican Republic, have them flown in. Read -'no large aid organizations involved'!)
We have finally received aid, 8,000 pounds of food, airlifted in from the Dominican Republic, thanks to G.O. Ministries (see below). We received a most recent shipment donation just this past Monday (February 8). The children, staff, families will continue to eat without waiting in line for hours at tent cities. This is how it works. (Again - read, 'no help from the "big guys" who get the millions of dollars in donations!)
Schools will not be open in Jacmel for some time. We are bring in teachers to begin classes at the Foundatoin to add one more level of normalcy to a horrific abnormal situation.
WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET NOW AND FOR A VERY LONG TIME TO COME!
UPDATE - February 2 2010
Everything seems to happen because of connections via twitter, facebook, emails, etc. I was directed to the amazing people at GO Ministries who said they would help us and actually did! They sent a plane from the DR with 2500 lbs of food and supplies, we were able to coordinate, unload, etc. And then we received a call that a second plane was to land and as they could not reach designated recipients, could we manage to unload/use/share another 2500 lbs of food and supplies. Yes and back everyone went ... We will have photos but internet not working the last few days in Jacmel.Astounding, amazing and we are so grateful - These folks are incredible. http://www.go-ministries.org/
UPDATE - February 1 2010 - our friends Jen and Guy Pantaleon of www.zanmilakay.org who partner with us all the time are now in Jacmel with our children. For a full report, please go to ACFFC blog or to http://www.zanmilakayblog.org/ to read and also to view images. Very difficult, sad, powerful.
January 20 2010
Another earthquake today ... everyone is frightened yet still ok. We are grateful. Still no significant aid into Jacmel. We have several days food left so we are keeping our fingers crossed. Please click on link to blog and/or Facebook Cause page for continuous updates. Mesi anpil.
January 19 2010 - People keep asking what to do to help.
1- Please donate as much as you can. We need funds desperately!
2- CAM and Western Union will be open in the next few days and we can send money to buy food from CAM which is a wholesaler. They will try to deliver in Jacmel.
3- People from the countryside are coming in with vegetables, etc. and we need cash to buy.
4- The children are all pulling together as a family
5- ACFFC is becoming a central coordinating agency in Jacmel.
6- We are trying to find a way to Jacmel via the Dominican Republic to bring in supplies and hope to be able to do so asap.
I spoke with several of the children just now as well as Georges Metellus - they were able to get through - and they are all heroes and thank you for everything you are doing for them.
January 13 2010- Many of you have contacted us regarding the situation in Jacmel and the well being of our ACFFC family. The answer is, we have not yet had any word. We do know that much of Jacmel has been destroyed. We also know that our children are a true community and I have to assume and wish and hope that they are ok and if they are, I know that they are out there doing what they can, as the did post hurricanes. They became mini-rescue teams. We do have a month's supply of food (assuming our building is standing) and water as well. All we can do is wait which is very difficult. I know that our needs will be great and I ask that you please contribute whatever you can, knowing that we will hold funds until we know how to best use them for rescue efforts. Our children, our staff, their families and all of Jacmel need your help. We make every dollar stretch as if $2 or $3 so please do what you can. I will post as I have information. Blessings. Judy Hoffman
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Finally - aid to ACFFC - from GO Ministries
Everything seems to happen because of connections via twitter, facebook, emails, etc.
I was directed to the amazing people at GO Ministries who said they would help us and actually did!
They sent a plane from the DR with 2500 lbs of food and supplies, we were able to coordinate, unload, etc. And then we received a call that a second plane was to land and as they could not reach designated recipients, could we manage to unload/use/share another 2500 lbs of food and supplies. Yes and back everyone went ... We will have photos but internet not working the last few days in Jacmel.
Astounding, amazing and we are so grateful - These folks are incredible.
http://www.go-ministries.org/
Note, the large organizations may be on the ground but who knows where? Doctors Without Borders doing a great job. Some of the others, ????
I was directed to the amazing people at GO Ministries who said they would help us and actually did!
They sent a plane from the DR with 2500 lbs of food and supplies, we were able to coordinate, unload, etc. And then we received a call that a second plane was to land and as they could not reach designated recipients, could we manage to unload/use/share another 2500 lbs of food and supplies. Yes and back everyone went ... We will have photos but internet not working the last few days in Jacmel.
Astounding, amazing and we are so grateful - These folks are incredible.
http://www.go-ministries.org/
Note, the large organizations may be on the ground but who knows where? Doctors Without Borders doing a great job. Some of the others, ????
Monday, February 1, 2010
Jen and Guy Pantaneon of zanmilakay - friends of ACFFC are with our children in Jacmel
Please go to http://www.zanmilakayblog.org/ to view images.
Haiti Update #2-Saturday 30 January 2010
Posted in Newsletter on January 31st, 2010 by Jen – Comments Off
Not sure where to begin or where I left off. Internet access comes and goes, but we are lucky to have it at all. There is no electricity that we found in PauP, but there are generators and some internet access. All bathing is cold bucket showers. Safe food for us nonHaitians is scarce, so are glad we brought probars (and Susie’s trail mix!). But I still got pretty sick a couple nights ago eating at a good place (I won’t name names), but I’m ok now. We also haven’t seen any TV news since we came here so have no idea what the world out there is seeing.
Port-au-Prince is no longer the same. Champs Mars is now a tent city and you can smell the bad sanitation when you go by. We have been able to see much more of the rest of the city and the more we see the worse it is. We met a friend who is a policeman and his entire station collapsed with many police in it, and along with the prison break and taking care of families he has much stress. The sound of helicopters has become a normal thing. All sorts of military and NGOs have organized tent cities-you can tell those from the organic ones by the kind of tents being used. Coleman tents are everywhere. Some of the areas are strewn with blankets, sheets, corrugated metal all used as shelters held up with skinny wood or metal poles. I can’t tell you how utterly sad it is to see how so many people have to live, but I guess most of you have seen photos from the news. One other note-all over the city you see signs made of cardboard, some spray painted, and some elaborate that say “We need help” or “SOS” or “Mort” or some form of need that they are not getting. These signs are everywhere.
We visited an area in upper Paco thanks to a doctor that lives at Jacques compound. From the street you can see all of the big houses and schools that have collapsed, but when you walk back behind those houses, there are people living in tents and rebuilding shacks to live in. Along the ravines, the little houses have all collapsed. These people in the neighborhood are organizing themselves and have received no help. We came upon a young boy looking at the damage through a pair of old binoculars. His name was Andy. He told us he was alive because he stayed home sick from St. Gerard school the day of the earthquake, it had collapsed and all his friends were dead. A doctor living on that street has opened a clinic in a tent and we gave him bags of medical supplies. We also met some folks at SOIL and between them and Jean Ristil they are facilitating the delivery of water trucks and we hope to have one delivered in upper Paco. We will visit the clinic again when we return to PauP.
We went to Lafanmi Selavi twice. The only part still standing is the original house in front, and that was already completely looted in 2004 and had no roof. The rest of the buildings have completely collapsed including the multi story concrete structure that was to be a hospital (before the coup of 04). Both Fritz and Reginald lost their girlfriends in the earthquake, but all other kids seem to be fine…although traumatized like everyone else here. We delivered Care Bags, candles, solar/windup radio flashlights, some toys for the younger kids, and funds for food and will deliver more food when we get back to PauP. Some of the older boys are now working in the rubble breaking up the big stones to help clean up. At least they have water so clothes are being washed and everyone can bathe. There is a pipe that comes out at one end of the yard flowing with water…that is something.
A note to the people sponsoring children in our Education Fund-all of the children are okay, but none are attending school right now because most of the schools are gone. There will be more children to sponsor in the future as we have already received requests for help.
We visited Jean Ristil in Cite Soleil two days ago. He was driving his moto with a friend on the back holding his crutches. He was in good spirits but tired. His cyber café had closed because of cracks in the building so he set up his generator and cables across the street on a sidewalk and was letting anyone use phones and internet and power up for any donation going to generator fuel. He said others were charging a lot of money for the same service. Many streets in Cite Soleil are blocked and strewn with sheets and blankets with small walkways on either side. They are in desperate need of clean water as always-difficult to see how they are washing, drinking, bathing in the water they have. Children are everywhere because there is no school and Jean was anxious to have something for them to do. We made plans for a project and have all of their photos from last June ready on the computer for a little show as well.
On our way out of town yesterday (Friday), we stopped by the Cite Soleil hospital where our friend Dr. Max is working to drop off bags of medical supplies. MSF is now helping to run that hospital and there was much activity when we were there. The second story of Max’s house collapsed, and because he is working at the hospital and running another clinic he sent his wife and three kids to the countryside. We also gave him a much needed laptop (that was donated to us and fixed up by Guy) making a weary doctor very happy.
We drove through the Bel-Air neighborhood and it is completely devastated. Last year we visited a Catholic school there and now it is gone. The view down to the waterfront is littered with fallen rubble and the sea is filled with ships. We then drove along Grand Rue, the Iron Market, many streets that were shown in the first days after the quake on CNN and most of the buildings are just gone. Not sure if anyone has heard of the ‘zones’ from the news, but many neighborhoods are considered Red Zones and no help has gotten to them because of so called violence. In these areas, Haitians can be seen with picks and shovels and very few big machinery trying to chop up rubble and clearing the streets. The damage is colossal. Much tears as we made our way along these streets.
Through Carrefour you can see the damage if you look up into the streets that connect to the main road. There were many trucks and Taptaps and Ti Machan along the way though. We had to take the access road which was never finished so it is bumpy and dusty. Gas stations are open, and we filled up our tank for $80 U.S….just glad to have gas. After Carrefour we came upon some craziness as groups of German guys were running along the road jumping in and out of white vans, cars and trucks began to turn around, and everything was chaos. We learned that a group of men had stopped a truck and were looting it. Then a UN truck filled with soldiers and guns drove up and seemed to quell the mayhem. We then saw two Haitians try to jump into the UN truck freaking out the soldiers who screamed at the surprise and pushed them out-comical but scary.
Next was Leogane. It is difficult to explain the complete devastation in this town-the hometown of RARA. It is very flat, and on a good day full of bicycles and bustling. House after house after house completely collapsed. I am not ashamed to say I had tears running down my face the entire way. There were areas of the road with huge cracks, and we even saw soldiers taking photos of the shifts in the concrete. On the outside of town, soldiers had landed and set up tents, and we can only hope that help was on the way for this city.
This side of the mountain road heading to Jacmel was the worst. The retaining walls held, but the land and rockslides made the road just one lane in many places. Very nice Canadian soldiers were on the mountainside helping move boulders and directing the traffic of motos, cars, and trucks. The road will need much work-in more than a couple of spots the cracks and shifting made driving a bit dodgy, but in the worst spot a group of Haitians were hanging out warning cars and made us feel pretty safe. We even saw some huge semis in the road, and water trucks, along with Taptaps full of fresh produce grown in the mountains so people are getting through and commerce is moving.
Down in Jacmel, most of the artists we know have lost their houses and studios. Walls are gone and masks are crushed and streets are filled with rubble although much has been cleaned. Some streets are blocked because of people sleeping in tents. There is a system of symbols and they are spray painted on the structures-a black check or circle with a dot in the middle means okay, a red check or circle with a dot means you can’t go in and the building is destroyed, and a yellow or gold symbol means you can go in to get your stuff.
The highlight of today was seeing the over 60 children at ACFFC, the amazing organization we collaborate with in Jacmel. We were smothered in hugs and the children were asking us when we were going to begin a Photo Workshop. Everyone is afraid to go into the building for long, but food was being cooked, children were making art, playing soccer, using the computers all outside, and just being together. With the schools closed, it was good to see that these kids, along with the directors, teachers, and local artist mentors were working on making good use of their time and keeping busy. We will begin a program with them tomorrow encompassing photos, video, interviews, and their art as a way for them to work through their trauma and produce a stand alone project integrating the community. They are very anxious to get going and we worked through dinner tonight with staff on the details. We will of course be bringing much of their art home with us.
Thanks to everyone for all the messages and the love and the support. Honestly I’m not sure I’m cut out for disaster relief, but we are so glad we are here and are rejuvenated by how we are received by the people and knowing that all of you are there for us. We are so jazzed by the ideas and projects being presented by all of you to help Haiti in the future…there is much to do.
Update from Haiti #1
Posted in Newsletter on January 27th, 2010 by Jen – Comments Off
We made it to Haiti yesterday via flight from Miami to Santo Domingo, a cheap hotel run by an old guy from Vancouver, Canada, then took a 6 hour bus ride the next day to PauP. We were picked up by our friend Dr. Max, and the drive from Tabarre (the parking lot where we were dropped off that was full of soldiers) to Paco (neighborhood where we are staying) was devastating. We didn’t see much, but so many buildings are gone and we encountered ‘the smell’ 3 times. A place we stayed a few years ago is completely gone. We camped out in our tent in the parking lot of our place here with all the other residents. Surreal. This afteroon we will visit the kids at the old Lafanmi Selavi building and also a clinic at a tent city where we have already donated medical supplies to one of the doctors. We brought over 220 lbs. of supplies and it wasn’t enough. Tent cities are everywhere. But we are making people happy with the solar/windup radio flashlights. There is no electricity. Haitians are crowding the markets, yet many streets are completely empty. We took a taxi this morning to get our rental car and he only had one fare besides us. No school at all. We will check in again when we can and post photos.
Haiti Update #2-Saturday 30 January 2010
Posted in Newsletter on January 31st, 2010 by Jen – Comments Off
Not sure where to begin or where I left off. Internet access comes and goes, but we are lucky to have it at all. There is no electricity that we found in PauP, but there are generators and some internet access. All bathing is cold bucket showers. Safe food for us nonHaitians is scarce, so are glad we brought probars (and Susie’s trail mix!). But I still got pretty sick a couple nights ago eating at a good place (I won’t name names), but I’m ok now. We also haven’t seen any TV news since we came here so have no idea what the world out there is seeing.
Port-au-Prince is no longer the same. Champs Mars is now a tent city and you can smell the bad sanitation when you go by. We have been able to see much more of the rest of the city and the more we see the worse it is. We met a friend who is a policeman and his entire station collapsed with many police in it, and along with the prison break and taking care of families he has much stress. The sound of helicopters has become a normal thing. All sorts of military and NGOs have organized tent cities-you can tell those from the organic ones by the kind of tents being used. Coleman tents are everywhere. Some of the areas are strewn with blankets, sheets, corrugated metal all used as shelters held up with skinny wood or metal poles. I can’t tell you how utterly sad it is to see how so many people have to live, but I guess most of you have seen photos from the news. One other note-all over the city you see signs made of cardboard, some spray painted, and some elaborate that say “We need help” or “SOS” or “Mort” or some form of need that they are not getting. These signs are everywhere.
We visited an area in upper Paco thanks to a doctor that lives at Jacques compound. From the street you can see all of the big houses and schools that have collapsed, but when you walk back behind those houses, there are people living in tents and rebuilding shacks to live in. Along the ravines, the little houses have all collapsed. These people in the neighborhood are organizing themselves and have received no help. We came upon a young boy looking at the damage through a pair of old binoculars. His name was Andy. He told us he was alive because he stayed home sick from St. Gerard school the day of the earthquake, it had collapsed and all his friends were dead. A doctor living on that street has opened a clinic in a tent and we gave him bags of medical supplies. We also met some folks at SOIL and between them and Jean Ristil they are facilitating the delivery of water trucks and we hope to have one delivered in upper Paco. We will visit the clinic again when we return to PauP.
We went to Lafanmi Selavi twice. The only part still standing is the original house in front, and that was already completely looted in 2004 and had no roof. The rest of the buildings have completely collapsed including the multi story concrete structure that was to be a hospital (before the coup of 04). Both Fritz and Reginald lost their girlfriends in the earthquake, but all other kids seem to be fine…although traumatized like everyone else here. We delivered Care Bags, candles, solar/windup radio flashlights, some toys for the younger kids, and funds for food and will deliver more food when we get back to PauP. Some of the older boys are now working in the rubble breaking up the big stones to help clean up. At least they have water so clothes are being washed and everyone can bathe. There is a pipe that comes out at one end of the yard flowing with water…that is something.
A note to the people sponsoring children in our Education Fund-all of the children are okay, but none are attending school right now because most of the schools are gone. There will be more children to sponsor in the future as we have already received requests for help.
We visited Jean Ristil in Cite Soleil two days ago. He was driving his moto with a friend on the back holding his crutches. He was in good spirits but tired. His cyber café had closed because of cracks in the building so he set up his generator and cables across the street on a sidewalk and was letting anyone use phones and internet and power up for any donation going to generator fuel. He said others were charging a lot of money for the same service. Many streets in Cite Soleil are blocked and strewn with sheets and blankets with small walkways on either side. They are in desperate need of clean water as always-difficult to see how they are washing, drinking, bathing in the water they have. Children are everywhere because there is no school and Jean was anxious to have something for them to do. We made plans for a project and have all of their photos from last June ready on the computer for a little show as well.
On our way out of town yesterday (Friday), we stopped by the Cite Soleil hospital where our friend Dr. Max is working to drop off bags of medical supplies. MSF is now helping to run that hospital and there was much activity when we were there. The second story of Max’s house collapsed, and because he is working at the hospital and running another clinic he sent his wife and three kids to the countryside. We also gave him a much needed laptop (that was donated to us and fixed up by Guy) making a weary doctor very happy.
We drove through the Bel-Air neighborhood and it is completely devastated. Last year we visited a Catholic school there and now it is gone. The view down to the waterfront is littered with fallen rubble and the sea is filled with ships. We then drove along Grand Rue, the Iron Market, many streets that were shown in the first days after the quake on CNN and most of the buildings are just gone. Not sure if anyone has heard of the ‘zones’ from the news, but many neighborhoods are considered Red Zones and no help has gotten to them because of so called violence. In these areas, Haitians can be seen with picks and shovels and very few big machinery trying to chop up rubble and clearing the streets. The damage is colossal. Much tears as we made our way along these streets.
Through Carrefour you can see the damage if you look up into the streets that connect to the main road. There were many trucks and Taptaps and Ti Machan along the way though. We had to take the access road which was never finished so it is bumpy and dusty. Gas stations are open, and we filled up our tank for $80 U.S….just glad to have gas. After Carrefour we came upon some craziness as groups of German guys were running along the road jumping in and out of white vans, cars and trucks began to turn around, and everything was chaos. We learned that a group of men had stopped a truck and were looting it. Then a UN truck filled with soldiers and guns drove up and seemed to quell the mayhem. We then saw two Haitians try to jump into the UN truck freaking out the soldiers who screamed at the surprise and pushed them out-comical but scary.
Next was Leogane. It is difficult to explain the complete devastation in this town-the hometown of RARA. It is very flat, and on a good day full of bicycles and bustling. House after house after house completely collapsed. I am not ashamed to say I had tears running down my face the entire way. There were areas of the road with huge cracks, and we even saw soldiers taking photos of the shifts in the concrete. On the outside of town, soldiers had landed and set up tents, and we can only hope that help was on the way for this city.
This side of the mountain road heading to Jacmel was the worst. The retaining walls held, but the land and rockslides made the road just one lane in many places. Very nice Canadian soldiers were on the mountainside helping move boulders and directing the traffic of motos, cars, and trucks. The road will need much work-in more than a couple of spots the cracks and shifting made driving a bit dodgy, but in the worst spot a group of Haitians were hanging out warning cars and made us feel pretty safe. We even saw some huge semis in the road, and water trucks, along with Taptaps full of fresh produce grown in the mountains so people are getting through and commerce is moving.
Down in Jacmel, most of the artists we know have lost their houses and studios. Walls are gone and masks are crushed and streets are filled with rubble although much has been cleaned. Some streets are blocked because of people sleeping in tents. There is a system of symbols and they are spray painted on the structures-a black check or circle with a dot in the middle means okay, a red check or circle with a dot means you can’t go in and the building is destroyed, and a yellow or gold symbol means you can go in to get your stuff.
The highlight of today was seeing the over 60 children at ACFFC, the amazing organization we collaborate with in Jacmel. We were smothered in hugs and the children were asking us when we were going to begin a Photo Workshop. Everyone is afraid to go into the building for long, but food was being cooked, children were making art, playing soccer, using the computers all outside, and just being together. With the schools closed, it was good to see that these kids, along with the directors, teachers, and local artist mentors were working on making good use of their time and keeping busy. We will begin a program with them tomorrow encompassing photos, video, interviews, and their art as a way for them to work through their trauma and produce a stand alone project integrating the community. They are very anxious to get going and we worked through dinner tonight with staff on the details. We will of course be bringing much of their art home with us.
Thanks to everyone for all the messages and the love and the support. Honestly I’m not sure I’m cut out for disaster relief, but we are so glad we are here and are rejuvenated by how we are received by the people and knowing that all of you are there for us. We are so jazzed by the ideas and projects being presented by all of you to help Haiti in the future…there is much to do.
Update from Haiti #1
Posted in Newsletter on January 27th, 2010 by Jen – Comments Off
We made it to Haiti yesterday via flight from Miami to Santo Domingo, a cheap hotel run by an old guy from Vancouver, Canada, then took a 6 hour bus ride the next day to PauP. We were picked up by our friend Dr. Max, and the drive from Tabarre (the parking lot where we were dropped off that was full of soldiers) to Paco (neighborhood where we are staying) was devastating. We didn’t see much, but so many buildings are gone and we encountered ‘the smell’ 3 times. A place we stayed a few years ago is completely gone. We camped out in our tent in the parking lot of our place here with all the other residents. Surreal. This afteroon we will visit the kids at the old Lafanmi Selavi building and also a clinic at a tent city where we have already donated medical supplies to one of the doctors. We brought over 220 lbs. of supplies and it wasn’t enough. Tent cities are everywhere. But we are making people happy with the solar/windup radio flashlights. There is no electricity. Haitians are crowding the markets, yet many streets are completely empty. We took a taxi this morning to get our rental car and he only had one fare besides us. No school at all. We will check in again when we can and post photos.
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