Helping Hands in Haiti
(continued from "A New Life")
The Earthquake
• A 7.0 magnitude earthquake.
• More than 200,000 killed, 300,000 injured and 1 million left homeless.
• An estimated 250,000 homes and 30,000 commercial buildings severely damaged.
• 4,000 inmates escaped from a Port-au-Prince prison.
• Six months later, hundreds of thousands of people continue to subsist in makeshift shelters.
The Homecoming
The Pramuks were deluged with media coverage after returning to Cincinnati in late January with the two Haitian orphans they were in the process of adopting. Although they were already a year into the process, the U.S. government granted humanitarian parole to several hundred Haitian children whose adoptions were in pipeline at the time of Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake.
The Recovery
The American Red Cross generated a lot of awareness about Haiti when it raised $7 million in 24 hours by allowing people to donate $10 via text messages. It’s not alone in its efforts, though. For His Glory Adoption Outreach, the Texas-based Christian ministry that finances the orphanage where Sophia and Henry lived in Port-au-Prince, is still at work in Haiti, for example.
Catholic Relief Services
• Catholic Relief Services began working in Haiti in 1954 to provide humanitarian relief after a major hurricane. In addition to emergency response, CRS provides long-term development assistance to spur economic growth through agriculture, natural resource management and microfinance support for small businesses as well as programs in education and health.
Doctors Without Borders
• Several months after the earthquake, this international medical humanitarian organization continues to adapt to meet changing, but still major, medical needs in Haiti.
Partners in Health
• The largest health care provider in rural Haiti was able to provide limited emergency care from its 10 hospitals and clinics, all of which were outside the capital and undamaged.
UNICEF
• The UNICEF organization believes that Haiti’s recovery begins with children. Its vaccination campaigns have prevented disease outbreaks. UNICEF has implemented feeding programs to alleviate chronic malnutrition and built temporary schools.
World Vision
• Since many Haitians living in Port-au-Prince have no way of earning income, World Vision is working to create income-generating opportunities and provide small loans and vocational training to lift families out of poverty in addition to its other aid programs.
Habitat for Humanity International
• Habitat for Humanity’s approach of relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction has been put to work in Haiti through emergency shelter kits, cleanup crews, and the beginnings of constructing long-term housing for Haitians.
Matthew 25: Ministries
• Matthew 25: Ministries seeks monetary donations, nonperishable foods, personal care products, first aid supplies and clothing as well as volunteers to process accepted donations to send out. The medical relief team sent to Haiti in February treated more than 1,000 patients.
Oxfam
• This organization has reached 400,000 people in Haiti and aims to reach out to at least 600,000 total. One project in particular is to prepare new resettlements for Haitians and decongest current crowded camps to provide dependable shelter amidst Haiti’s rainy season.
Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
• By working with and supporting the efforts of reputable nongovernmental and nonprofit organizations, the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund aims to foster economic opportunity, improve the long-term quality of life and assist Haitians as they rebuild their lives.
United Nations World Food Programme
• This program, developed by the United Nations, is the world’s largest humanitarian organization specifically addressing hunger through several Food for Work programs that are conducive to community building and long-term economic development.
Childcare Worldwide
• Childcare Worldwide has provided multiple shipments of rice, water, cooking oil and baby food as well as household items and continue to operate their successful School Feeding Program to provide school children with proper nutrition.
Heifer International
• Heifer International aims to enable families to sustain themselves through agricultural training and resources for farming and animal raising. Working with more than 16,000 families and farmer associations, this organization continues to help families help themselves.
World Concern
• In the initial phase of the earthquake aftermath, World Concern delivered food, water or tarps to over 100,000 people, preserving life. Now, the organization moves into its other phases of opportunity and rebuilding homes and communities for long-term sustainability.
MercyCorps
• MercyCorps has done extensive work in improving camp conditions, providing access to latrines and clean water, while working towards jumpstarting the economy and preparing Haitians for the rainy season while supporting Fonkoze, Haiti’s largest microfinance institution.
International Rescue Committee
• IRC has been reuniting families and keeping children safe while caring for displaced Haitians. Realizing how vulnerable women and children are in this disaster, IRC aims to supply immediate aid while implementing cash for work programs.
