Members of the Board met on Feb. 15 to discuss developments, progress and plans for continued support and relief of the parishes, schools, and nutrition clinics under the direction of Pere Val and Carmel. During a phone conference,the Valdemas reported that all of the students and professors are alive, but the schools will be closed for another month. It was noted that all of the buildings in PV’s parishes have survived the earthquake, with the exception of the church in Gorman. Our two water/sanitation projects are intact and providing life sustaining safe water.
Several members of the Board have been directly involved in efforts to collect medical supplies and crutches to be delivered to Haiti. Contacts have been made to deliver via both private planes and humanitarian airlifts.
Since the earthquake, CHAP has raised over $35,000, which will be forwarded to Pere Val in installments. The CHAP Scholarship Program has raised sufficient funds to send $6,000.00 per month to pay for teachers salaries at the schools for the remainder of the school year. Letters have been sent to all of the benefactors of the Scholarship Fund, to request their continued support in this crisis to sustain the educational system.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Water Missions Update
Organizations that we are in discussion with include:
World Vision, Convoy of Hope (Hope for Haiti), Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, Samaritans Purse, Baptist Haiti Mission/Global Outreach, World Relief, Americares, Adventist University of Haiti, YWAM, Food For The Poor, Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic, Engineering Ministries International, World Relief, Canadian DART, Salvation Army, USAID, Cure International, Good Samaritan Haitian Alliance Church, Operation Mobilization, Tabernacle of Glorie Church, Blue Ridge for Christ.
Day 12 (January 24th)
Living Water Treatment Systems in Haiti Count: 12 – 9 installed (in response to the earthquake). Each units costs approximately $8,000 and provides sustainable water for 3,000.
A second LWTS was brought online at the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Port au Prince International. Projects Director, Andre Mergenthaler, is settling in after a long bus ride from Santo Domingo Dick Johnson (WMI volunteer still in the DR) is still stationed in Santo Domingo assisting with customs clearance and transportation of the equipment being airlifted into Santo Domingo. The equipment coming in consists of a water system due to arrive today and the solar pumps due to arrive Wednesday (they were originally due to arrive yesterday).
We are looking to move equipment to a new partner organization for storage purposes. The new partner is a Mennonite group known as Blue Ridge for Christ and they have a centrally located secure compound that we will be moving goods to starting tomorrow. Please pray that this relationship continues to develop. This is a great group that we have been in communication with for a long time.
We are still exploring options for moving equipment into Haiti. As you can see we are running short on available systems and need to see something happen fast. We will be meeting Monday morning to see how we can fast track additional equipment into Haiti.
The truck and trailer were not unloaded due to congestion and we are still waiting to receive the goods as of 9PM Sunday evening. The 10 LWTSs that were due to arrive today have been delayed. These systems were being moved via navy vessel and were supposed to be positioned at GITMO and then airlifted into Haiti.
The current requests for water systems are as follows:
Samaritans Purse – 12
Operation Blessing – 20
Food for the Poor – 21
Convoy of Hope – 20
Adventist University of Haiti – 3
World Relief – 1-5
Operation Mobilization – 6
Morning Glory Church – 1
God's Little Angels (orphanage) – 1
Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic – 1 (for a staging station at the bordertown of Jimani)
Family Health Ministries (Leogane and Blanchard Clinics) - 1
Grace Childrens Hospital (Carrefour) - 2
George C. Greene IV, PE
VP International Programs
Water Missions International
Direct Dial: 843-266-4965
Phone: 843-769-7395 ext. 205
Fax: 843-763-6082
ggreeneiv@watermissions.org
www.watermissions.org
Update from Rebecca Lovelace
Episcopal Bishop Tommy (TJ) Johnston has just returned from a critical assessment visit to Haiti. He met with Pere Val, the Haitian Bishop and toured many sites of devastation. On Sunday, Kathy Benson, Bill Greene, Jeanne Fourrier and I met with TJ, and representatives of the group that does mission work on La Gonave, where Pere Val worked for 14 years. TJ spent almost a week in Croix des Bouquets, staying part of the time in the courtyard at St. Simeon Church, and a few nights at Pere Val’s home. The first night he decided to sleep inside was the night of the big 6.1 aftershock, which woke him from a dead sleep. He caught us up on the big picture, and the smaller picture.
The big – “macro” picture – is the immediate food and shelter relief that needs to be done for all the newly homeless people in PAP. That is best done by groups such as Unicef, Red Cross, Salvation Army, Episcopal Relief and Development. ,etc. If people want to feed and shelter these, then have them give to one of these groups. The smaller “micro” picture is helping our existing Haiti programs, and working through Pere Val and Carmel. This work will still be going on long after some of the big groups have pulled out, and long after Anderson Cooper goes home.
We are in a unique position because of our long-term relationship with Pere V and Carmel – two proven, effective local Haitian leaders who know how to get things done. TJ said Carmel continues to run her nutrition clinics, and of course, has added children to the program. As a result over our recent donations, she has scaled up the program to handle more than 600 children. She has 2 doctors working with her, and is tireless. Pere Val is still in the process of assessing damage to his properties . The biggest loss was the church at Gorman. I guess the good news there is we had not built a school there; the existing classes were being conducted outside, so there was no school to collapse. A real priority will be to get the schools back in session again – that will probably be at least 2 months away. The government has to give the green light for the re-opening of schools. Meanwhile, the teachers will need to be paid, and there is no tuition coming in, and won’t be coming in for the foreseeable future.
For those of you who have been to Haiti, some individual updates: Jimmy, our driver on the last few Chap trips, lost everything; Bienvenue, the superintendent of Pere Val’s 6 schools, also lost everything; 8 of the people who work with Carmel in the Nutrition Program, are also homeless. There are about 60 people sleeping at the St. Simeon property now. Through a minor miracle, the generator was repaired Friday, and now the well is pumping good clean water. Also, the Rotary well at Gorman is putting out good water, and is providing water for that entire community.
You may have read in the newspaper that the Haitian government is placing a large refugee tent city in Croix des Bouquet. But, as of yet, we don’t know exactly where, but probably near the Nutrition Center, because that is the only area with open land. So, Carmel could be getting lots of new cases for the Nutrition Program.
Going forward: Chap will definitely need to continue sending money for our 2 major on-going programs – nutrition and schools. Carmel thinks they can start accepting mission teams by mid February (but I think this is a bit unrealistic). Any team that goes in the near future would have to sleep at St. Simeon; the Visa Lodge, being one of the few hotels still standing, is overrun with all the people down there. We will explore with Pere Val a construction team for the summer, that would help build something at Gorman and camp out there. Thanks to Rotary, there’s a well and a nice new two-seater bathroom that survived the quake.
What do we need?
1. Prayer – for all the folks there, especially Pere Val and Carmel, as they deal w/this huge tragedy. They need our prayers more than ever.
2. Money – to help us help them. Checks can be made payable to CHAP; PO Box 70132; Myrtle Beach 29572. Mark them earthquake relief; they will be a tax deduction for your 2009 income tax return, if you want to use it for 2009. Or tell folks they can give through Pay Pal on our web site, www.chaphaiti.org – click on the donate button.
3. Consider going on a mission trip, once we get the green light from Pere Val and Carmel. If you’re serious about it, consider getting your shots up to date, and making sure your passport is current. I will try to call Pere Val tonight, with Pierrot’s help, and will update you later.
Rebecca Lovelace
Past-President
CHAP
The big – “macro” picture – is the immediate food and shelter relief that needs to be done for all the newly homeless people in PAP. That is best done by groups such as Unicef, Red Cross, Salvation Army, Episcopal Relief and Development. ,etc. If people want to feed and shelter these, then have them give to one of these groups. The smaller “micro” picture is helping our existing Haiti programs, and working through Pere Val and Carmel. This work will still be going on long after some of the big groups have pulled out, and long after Anderson Cooper goes home.
We are in a unique position because of our long-term relationship with Pere V and Carmel – two proven, effective local Haitian leaders who know how to get things done. TJ said Carmel continues to run her nutrition clinics, and of course, has added children to the program. As a result over our recent donations, she has scaled up the program to handle more than 600 children. She has 2 doctors working with her, and is tireless. Pere Val is still in the process of assessing damage to his properties . The biggest loss was the church at Gorman. I guess the good news there is we had not built a school there; the existing classes were being conducted outside, so there was no school to collapse. A real priority will be to get the schools back in session again – that will probably be at least 2 months away. The government has to give the green light for the re-opening of schools. Meanwhile, the teachers will need to be paid, and there is no tuition coming in, and won’t be coming in for the foreseeable future.
For those of you who have been to Haiti, some individual updates: Jimmy, our driver on the last few Chap trips, lost everything; Bienvenue, the superintendent of Pere Val’s 6 schools, also lost everything; 8 of the people who work with Carmel in the Nutrition Program, are also homeless. There are about 60 people sleeping at the St. Simeon property now. Through a minor miracle, the generator was repaired Friday, and now the well is pumping good clean water. Also, the Rotary well at Gorman is putting out good water, and is providing water for that entire community.
You may have read in the newspaper that the Haitian government is placing a large refugee tent city in Croix des Bouquet. But, as of yet, we don’t know exactly where, but probably near the Nutrition Center, because that is the only area with open land. So, Carmel could be getting lots of new cases for the Nutrition Program.
Going forward: Chap will definitely need to continue sending money for our 2 major on-going programs – nutrition and schools. Carmel thinks they can start accepting mission teams by mid February (but I think this is a bit unrealistic). Any team that goes in the near future would have to sleep at St. Simeon; the Visa Lodge, being one of the few hotels still standing, is overrun with all the people down there. We will explore with Pere Val a construction team for the summer, that would help build something at Gorman and camp out there. Thanks to Rotary, there’s a well and a nice new two-seater bathroom that survived the quake.
What do we need?
1. Prayer – for all the folks there, especially Pere Val and Carmel, as they deal w/this huge tragedy. They need our prayers more than ever.
2. Money – to help us help them. Checks can be made payable to CHAP; PO Box 70132; Myrtle Beach 29572. Mark them earthquake relief; they will be a tax deduction for your 2009 income tax return, if you want to use it for 2009. Or tell folks they can give through Pay Pal on our web site, www.chaphaiti.org – click on the donate button.
3. Consider going on a mission trip, once we get the green light from Pere Val and Carmel. If you’re serious about it, consider getting your shots up to date, and making sure your passport is current. I will try to call Pere Val tonight, with Pierrot’s help, and will update you later.
Rebecca Lovelace
Past-President
CHAP
Dr. Bill Greene's Update
On Tuesday, January 12, Haiti was rocked with one of the most destructive earthquakes in modern times. We have all been inundated with information on the news media. Countless supporters of our efforts have inquired about the children, the schools and our projects.
We have received fragmented information which I will share with everyone. Pere Val and Carmel and their immediate family are safe. Carmel was nearly crushed when a building collapsed in an aftershock. She was rescued by one of her children. To the best of our knowledge, none of the children or the teachers was injured at school, although not everyone is accounted for. The lower grades were out of school were not in class when the earthquake struck. Regretably, upper grades in other locations were in class; countless students and teachers were crushed to death.
The church and school at Croix des Bouquets suffered minimal damage. The church in Gorman was destroyed. The classroom there was outdoors with woven walls and roof. To the best of our knowledge, churches and schools at Fonds Pariesian and Thomasseau are intact. Crochu suffered significant damage. The Catholic Cathedral was demolished and the Catholic Bishop died in the earthquake.
Thankfully our 2 new water/sanitation projects at C de B and Gorman were unharmed. They are providing invaluable water in those communities. Re-opening the schools is a top priority, but this cannot take place for at least 2 months. In the U.S. as a result of the economic downturn, many generous benefactors have had difficulty making payments for the children’s scholarships. But, this is more critical than ever. Scholarship payments will go to provide salaries for classroom teachers to permit the schools to re-open. So, if at all possible, we ask that commitments continue to fund education.
Bill Greene
We have received fragmented information which I will share with everyone. Pere Val and Carmel and their immediate family are safe. Carmel was nearly crushed when a building collapsed in an aftershock. She was rescued by one of her children. To the best of our knowledge, none of the children or the teachers was injured at school, although not everyone is accounted for. The lower grades were out of school were not in class when the earthquake struck. Regretably, upper grades in other locations were in class; countless students and teachers were crushed to death.
The church and school at Croix des Bouquets suffered minimal damage. The church in Gorman was destroyed. The classroom there was outdoors with woven walls and roof. To the best of our knowledge, churches and schools at Fonds Pariesian and Thomasseau are intact. Crochu suffered significant damage. The Catholic Cathedral was demolished and the Catholic Bishop died in the earthquake.
Thankfully our 2 new water/sanitation projects at C de B and Gorman were unharmed. They are providing invaluable water in those communities. Re-opening the schools is a top priority, but this cannot take place for at least 2 months. In the U.S. as a result of the economic downturn, many generous benefactors have had difficulty making payments for the children’s scholarships. But, this is more critical than ever. Scholarship payments will go to provide salaries for classroom teachers to permit the schools to re-open. So, if at all possible, we ask that commitments continue to fund education.
Bill Greene
Bishop's Letter January 23
23 January 2010
Mr. Robert W. Radtke
President
Episcopal Relief and Development
815 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Dear Mr. Radtke:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
I am writing to you from the tent city we have set up behind the rubble of College Ste. Pierre, our marvelous senior secondary school that is no more. As you know, we have gathered approximately 3,000 people here alone. Across the land, the Diocese of Haiti has set up at least 21 refugee camps, caring for more than 23,000 people.
In this letter, I wish to make clear to the Diocese of Haiti, to Episcopal Relief and Development and to all of our partners that Episcopal Relief and Development is the official agency of the Diocese of Haiti and that we are partners working hand-in-hand in Haiti’s relief and recovery efforts.
I also am announcing in this letter that I am appointing The Rev. Lauren R. Stanley, Appointed Missionary of The Episcopal Church, to work directly with ERD on my behalf. I am asking all partners in The Episcopal Church to communicate directly with Rev. Stanley, so as to keep communications with the Diocese of Haiti open. Rev. Stanley is to communicate and work with ERD on my behalf.
In addition, I am asking that all of our partners in the Presbyterian Church USA work directly with ERD, with Rev. Stanley as the central communications person. PCUSA has worked with us for many years, and we are deeply grateful for their compassion and their commitment to the people of Haiti.
We in the Diocese of Haiti have a vision and a plan for this relief and recovery effort. We know the situation on the ground, we are directing emergency relief to those who need it most, and we already are making plans and moving forward to help our people. Since the earthquake struck, we have been and will continue to work closely with your two representatives here, Ms. Katie Mears and Ms. Kirsten Muth. I have complete confidence in you and your agency.
Finally, I wish to make it plain: I know that many of our partners wish to come to Haiti right now to help. Please tell them that unless they are certified professionals in relief and recovery, they must wait. We will need them in the months and years to come, but at this point, it is too dangerous and too much of a burden for our people to have mission teams here.
Please tell our partners, the people of The Episcopal Church, the people of the United States and indeed the people of the world that we in Haiti are immensely grateful for their prayers, their support and their generosity. This is a desperate time in Haiti; we have lost so much. But we still have the most important asset, the people of God, and we are working continuously to take care of them.
I hope that this letter will help all of us work together to help God’s beloved people in Haiti. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. If others have questions or concerns, please ask them to contact you or to work directly with Rev. Stanley.
Faithfully,
Mgr. Jean Zaché Duracin
Evêque d'Haïti
Mr. Robert W. Radtke
President
Episcopal Relief and Development
815 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Dear Mr. Radtke:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
I am writing to you from the tent city we have set up behind the rubble of College Ste. Pierre, our marvelous senior secondary school that is no more. As you know, we have gathered approximately 3,000 people here alone. Across the land, the Diocese of Haiti has set up at least 21 refugee camps, caring for more than 23,000 people.
In this letter, I wish to make clear to the Diocese of Haiti, to Episcopal Relief and Development and to all of our partners that Episcopal Relief and Development is the official agency of the Diocese of Haiti and that we are partners working hand-in-hand in Haiti’s relief and recovery efforts.
I also am announcing in this letter that I am appointing The Rev. Lauren R. Stanley, Appointed Missionary of The Episcopal Church, to work directly with ERD on my behalf. I am asking all partners in The Episcopal Church to communicate directly with Rev. Stanley, so as to keep communications with the Diocese of Haiti open. Rev. Stanley is to communicate and work with ERD on my behalf.
In addition, I am asking that all of our partners in the Presbyterian Church USA work directly with ERD, with Rev. Stanley as the central communications person. PCUSA has worked with us for many years, and we are deeply grateful for their compassion and their commitment to the people of Haiti.
We in the Diocese of Haiti have a vision and a plan for this relief and recovery effort. We know the situation on the ground, we are directing emergency relief to those who need it most, and we already are making plans and moving forward to help our people. Since the earthquake struck, we have been and will continue to work closely with your two representatives here, Ms. Katie Mears and Ms. Kirsten Muth. I have complete confidence in you and your agency.
Finally, I wish to make it plain: I know that many of our partners wish to come to Haiti right now to help. Please tell them that unless they are certified professionals in relief and recovery, they must wait. We will need them in the months and years to come, but at this point, it is too dangerous and too much of a burden for our people to have mission teams here.
Please tell our partners, the people of The Episcopal Church, the people of the United States and indeed the people of the world that we in Haiti are immensely grateful for their prayers, their support and their generosity. This is a desperate time in Haiti; we have lost so much. But we still have the most important asset, the people of God, and we are working continuously to take care of them.
I hope that this letter will help all of us work together to help God’s beloved people in Haiti. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. If others have questions or concerns, please ask them to contact you or to work directly with Rev. Stanley.
Faithfully,
Mgr. Jean Zaché Duracin
Evêque d'Haïti
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