New update

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!