Aid to Haiti

Before the earthquake, the South East Regional Office of the American Friends Serivice Committee was working on a school kit project here

There were two boxes collected but we we reached an impasse at delivery since the traditional method for delivery had been through visiting Friends and there are few Friends visiting Haiti. I had wished for them to be shipped so that Friends who were making the contributions could also contribute the cost of the shipping.

The Lambi Fund in Haiti, here,  works in the rural areas of Haiti, and shares Quaker values. They, had, at the time, agreed to work with AFSC in receiving donations in Haiti and helping to distribute them.

Although the primary need is always for money, I know that Friends prefer to involve their Meetings and particularly their First Day Schools in direct contact with materials and the recipients.

At the time of our initial discussions, with Patrick Lucien of the Edem Foundation, there was a request from Friends that the children in Haiti correspond with the donors in the United States. While this might be a lovely exchange, I would hope that it is not placed as a requirement upon the recipients, given their circumstances.

I would request that SERO, AFSC and all Quaker Meetings might consider this project as a way to reach out to the people of Haiti.

Thirty six percent of the population of Haiti is under the age of 14, as opposed to 13% of the United States under that age.

Mesi d'avant.

And from the Home Team

And here we have the Peasant's Alliance

 which hangs out in the high mountains in the Central


We have a date over there in the future.. in Hinche...


Maybe even next year

Next Year in Hinche

The Hornet's Nest

 If we see the reaction of Wall Street to the passage of "tough" regulations, we can note that the foxes are still in charge of the hen house.

ALERT ALERT ALERT


The government of the Uniteed States of America is now firmly under corporate control.



Quickly now... what do we do?



"one if by land, and two if by sea....http://poetry.eserver.org/paul-revere.html
and I on the opposite shore will be"


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I moved offshore in 2004.

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Haitians in Las Terrenas Cathedral Project

Since it would be unseemly to raise even the first stone of a Cathedral while there are hungry people, and since we have probably 15 million hungry people here..... we have some work ahead of us....

\I went up to the Samana Penisula, in the northeast, which is the only predominantly Protestant area in the country and where the local population is of very dark complextion, as it was first populated by freed US slaves, then by slum dwellers from the Capital who were sent there to "go and fish".  As the French developed Las Terrenas, Haitians found it easy to find work there and were welcomed.

Since the earthquake, the northern border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti is essentially open... in that any Haitians who have a passport can cross during market days twice a week, pay the bus divers 3000 pesos, and the drivers will pay the guards, and the Haitians ride to Santiago. After Santiago, there are no more passport checks. This is opposed to the 6000 pesos that they would normally pay for a one year multiple entry visa.  The most industrious of the Haitians do indeed have their visas, even their Business Visas, and have opened up the trade routes from the border market to the streets of Las Terrenas, trading the shoes and perfume and clothes that come in there for the cash that they get in the DR.

The Dominicans are making room for them. I watched a group of men, 200 strong. motor bikes parked on the side of the new highway, machetes in hand, cutting through the virgin forest on the side of the road. When I stopped to ask what they were doing... and they said .. well.. nothing.. and I said "Vamos hacer un lakou?" which is the word for a Haitian community,,, and they all smiled and gave me thumbs up... So I gave them $100 for juice and the Obama fist bump to the head guy.

But the Haitian artists who are already there are really struggling. Tourism is down as more apartments and villas have been constructed. I spoke with my friend Charlie Simon  who said it was becoming hard to just eat. So I recommended that he move to Samana and start employing other artists to produce more art for the cruise ship passengers who .. when they arrive arrive in a horde.... with SMALL paintings.. wrapped, with the wood for the stretcher all cut and the nails in a little plastic pouch all ready for the home... like Ikea... to sell for .. say $20... so that at LEAST they can eat.


But for seed money, we need to bring them FRESH Canvas and more PAINT ... to get the paintings that they already have off the  side of the walls where they are just decaying in the sun and rain.... although they do so try to protect them..

After the orginal seed money.. they could go on on their own,,''

But should the Church.. or Churches.. or Covens... or Meetings... or Beings .. wish to be involved... they could by simply buying some of the paintings and reselling them,,,,..

I already shipped twenty to my nephew in St Croix.

One of the first things that is needed is an orphanage for all the Haitian chidren who are finding their way over to this side of the border.... They are being trafficked. There is no where for them to go. There is no international refugee center. There is no capacity in Haiti to care for them. There is nothing for them to do in the Dominican Republic except be exploited.

They are an increasing presence on the streets of the Dominican cities and the beach towns.


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School Kits for Haiti

Here is something that you can do to help Haiti. Why not ask your Meeting or School or Church to participate?

Alice Lovelace, director of the American Friends Service Committee, has helped to launch a project for school kits for Haiti. The content list below was composed in concert with Pat Lucien, who is supporting a small school in Ile A Vache, an island off the south coast of Haiti which was first populated by freed US slaves.

Contact Alice or Patrick for delivery instructions.

Contents to be placed in one gallon resealable bags.
Student Kits

A recorder or harmonica
colored pencils
pencil sharpeners
notebooks with UNLINED paper
game of jacks w/ ball
playing cards
blunt cutting scissors
small nail clippers with the nail cleaner
toothbrush & toothpaste
small rubber bands for girl’s hair
hair Comb (pick)
hair Brush

Parents Kits

sewing needles
Coats and Clarke embroidery thread
needle threader
small embroidery scissors
reading glasses 2.0 MAG
small nail clippers with nail cleaner
a small penknife

Teacher Kits

colored chalk
stapler and staples
pencils & a sharpener
lined notebooks
a ledger book