Haiti-Aid

Forever Haiti

Haiti is a part of who I am. I knew after I made my first trip in December of 2006 that I would never be the same; over 6 short days the people had forever changed my perspective on life. The 15 months I spent there from 2008 - 2009 proved to be the most emotionally draining, spiritually rewarding and personal growth period of my life. Don't believe me? Read just a few entries from my blog and you just might change your mind.

Like so many of you, my heart is aching for the Haitians. My hope is that Haiti-Aid.org will serve as a bit of hope in an other wise tragic situation; perhaps together we can create a miracle in the life of just one Haitian.

Interesting statistical recap on the Haiti Disaster Relief efforts

Thursday, February 18, 2010 by Karen Jung

I just received the following recap and thought it was a great perspective, as well as summary. Thought you all might enjoy the facts!

The Big Picture

212,000 people dead, the government reports
3 million of 9 million affected, 1 million now living in 492 makeshift shelter camps
250,000 houses destroyed

Food

UN World Food Program says it is providing food rations to an estimated 2 million Haitians, nearly a quarter of the population, through 16 distribution sites. Nearly 1.3 million have received a two week ration of rice in the past nine days
Price of imported rice is 25 percent higher and wheat flour over 65 percent higher than before the quake, causing difficulty for people considered "food secure," WFP says
Supplementary food programs launched for 53,000 children under 5 and for 16,000 pregnant women nursing mothers
Florida based Food for the Poor said it has acquired and delivered more than 7,100 tons of food, medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, building materials and other goods, and provided Haitians with more than 20 million meals of rice, beans, canned goods and water.

Health and Welfare

The Red Cross/ Red Crescent, as of Feb. 5, had distributed 15 million liters (4 million gallons) of drinking water, provided medical treatment for 13,000 people, provided cooking sets, blankets, jerry cans, mosquito nets, and hygiene kits to 37,054 families (185,270 people), tarps and rope to 17,000 households, tents to 925 households.
Doctors without Borders in its most recent report had 19 locations set up, treated 12,924 patients, performed 1,427 surgeries, had 353 foreign staff and 1,280 Haitian staff at work on the ground.

US Military

More than 13,000 US military personnel assigned to Haiti relief along with 17 ships and 120 aircraft
Has delivered 2.4 million bottles of water, 2.4 million rations, 9.1 million pounds of bulk food, 120,700 pounds of medical supplies as of Feb. 9.

Jobs

Haitian government has declared job creation one of its most important goals. Before the quake officials said two-thirds of Haitians did not have formal jobs.
UN Development Programs (UNDP) injecting $175,000 a day into economy with a cash for work program clearing streets of rubble and garbage, employing 34,885 workers as of Feb. 6
US Agency for International Development (USAID) employing 6000 people in cash for work programs, hopes to reach 20,000 soon

Clean Up Challenge

Edmond Mulet, acting head of the UN mission in Haiti, said 63 million tons of rubble need to be removed. "If you lined up the dump trucks, our shelter experts feel that there would be enough rubble to go from Port au Prince to Moscow. That's a lot of rubble," said Tim Callaghan of USAID.

Update on Haiti Disaster Relief Efforts

Thursday, February 18, 2010 by Karen Jung

The following is another post-dated updated from friends working and living in Haiti. Enjoy...if that is even the right word.

Januayr 25/26 Update

Finding food is a confusing, intertangled puzzle. There is food available for sale. There are market women on the street, although not nearly the number there was two weeks ago. There is food in at least two supermarkets. We’ve bought some. However, people have no jobs, and no money. Food distribution by the major agencies has been calm in some places, and riotous in others.

We’ve been trying to get some food for two encampments outside a local church, St. Simon/St. Jude. The pastor, Fr. Andrew, has been trying everywhere he can think of. The answer is always, “yes, as soon as we can.”, or “yes we’ll be there tomorrow.” The people in this community are getting desperate. When a volunteer leaves here, and goes to the UN Food Cluster meeting, we add this camp’s name. So, a form is filled out, that answers all of the required questions such as, the number of people, is there a secure place for distribution, can you provide transport, security, etc., and etc.? This gets turned into the UN Help desk. Still nothing.

The local community networks have proven more reliable. Schools, and other institutions buy food in bulk, and those that either own or operate such facilities still have their normal contacts. Tap into those, and it’s possible to find a solution, and food. Of course these storage facilities, transport means, and the like may have been damaged or lost all together, but it’s worth attempting to tap these resourse on the chance that the supplies may be intact, and that the proprietors of them may not be price gouging.

Updates from on the ground

Sunday, February 14, 2010 by Karen Jung

I realize it has been some time since I have shared any news from Haiti. It was a CRAZY time at work but now that things have settled down, I wanted to take the chance to share with you some updates I have received over the past few weeks.

Here is the first of many from the folks working at the Matthew 25 guest house; it is a few weeks old but still relevant to what is still going on relative to the Haiti disaster relief efforts.

Update from January 24th

The UN – - the organization on the ground directing the relief effort has arranged itself into what it calls “clusters”, and each cluster takes responsibility for a certain aspect of relief, such as Health, Housing, Food, Child Safety, Logistics. The relief comes in and is mainly given to the larger, non governmental organizations (NGOs). However, it’s the smaller, community organizations, pastors, priests, etc. who are in touch with their own communities who really know what is needed, and where.

The major NGOs don’t have much of this information, and in addition are hampered by the particular parameters of their organization’s mission statements and purposes. For example, its been reported that Catholic Relief Services cannot travel anywhere to deliver anything unless they have a military escort. That takes time to arrange on the ground, and leaves people hungry.

Smaller efforts like the Beyond Borders/Konbit, Soil, and, in fact we at Matthew 25 (this just names a few), along with those individuals who just show up to help are not hampered by the same restrictions. We are free to travel about the city. gathering information from hundreds of “have not” camps and communities, and passing it on to the appropriate “haves”, and then begging for release of supplies.

The international presence here is amazing. One night someone brought in an infant that appeared to have meningitis. It was night time, and Jim, a nurse, the baby and her mother piled into the van and Pat drove them to the Israeli Hospital. Trouble was, the location had been listed in three different places. One of them had been our soccer field. The only thing they were fairly certain of was that it was set up on a soccer field near the airport. Fortunately, Pat knows quite a bit about getting around in the city – - at least the major trunk roads. They went to three locations, including a relief facility set up by the Jordanians. However, they only spoke Arabic. The third try, a Dominican physician that had set up his own clinic hopped in the van and showed them the way. We’ve since brought about a dozen people. It is an amazing tent facility spread out over a large field. They said they had everything but, “We have no coffee.” So of course, when Pat and I went back to pick up a girl having a broken leg treated we brought them five pounds. We try to get “social credit” wherever we can.

Haiti Disaster Relief: Another Update from Dr. Chris and how he is helping Haiti

Thursday, February 4, 2010 by Karen Jung

DAY 2

somewhat an extension of day 1 as sleep was not exactly sleep. aftershocks are somewhat intrusive to say the least. or maybe it's the thoughts of having another aftershock that's unsettling. i've not decided what the motto should be:   'god will protect you' or 'god gave you a brain - use it stupid and don't sleep indoors.' but maybe it's peer pressure or lack of a sleeping bag or roaming rabid dogs and tarantulas or stupidity, but we all sleep indoors. the second tremor of the night was a bit like a two alarm firehouse drill - everyone startled awake, sat up in their bunks and debated whether to run for the door or pretend it was ending any second - there was enough delay in our decision that it was made for us.

clinic started with a bang. many injured still pouring in - we reduced a midshaft femur fracture inon an eight year old now 16 days after the quake. i had to rebreak it to reestablish the length and straighten it. his dad carried him home - an hour away.

a beautiful 16 year old girl found was found in the rubble of the local catholic church. she suffered a crush injuries to her arms from the concussive effect of the falling rock and its total weight over two days. the resultant inflammation swelled her arms and cut blood to her distal arm causing a permanent median and ulnar nerve damage in her right arm and only partial in her left. she eagerly learned about the importance of physical therapy.

a priest and nun were buried as well and pulled out alive.

beyond the patients the most enjoyable part of the day was the military. here in this little remote seaside town of grand goave nonetheless. lt. jeff , here on security detail gave me his stateside cell number to call him should we 'need anything'. he said he'll treat it like a '911' call and despite spending nights offshore on their ship, he would have an armed team to us within 15 minutes. that simple bit of knowledge was more comforting than any of us cared to admit.

alfredo, an surgical tech back in the states was originally from cuba. he actually rafted his way to the US fearing a 20 year prison reprisal for 'crimes againt the government'.   he helpted me splint several broken extremities, change dressings, bandatge wounds, pray with patients. another haitian -american marine had a conversation with one of my colleagues that went something like this: son, your family still lives in PAP? yes sir. have you heard from them? i've heard from my aunt and niece. (this of course means his mother is dead).........    son are you ok? good to go sir!

the military here is eenthusiastic, energetic, tireless, selfless. they are unbelievable - a true Godsend. they assimilate into the surroundings like their camouflage working side by side with us seeing patients, doing dressing changes, bringing supplies

the haitians seem to be adjusting the the new haiti - don't know if there will ever be a return to the old. approximately 2500 people have had their homes destroyed. no money to rebuild. they're sleeping in this medical/mission compound in a field , which prior to the quake was surrounded by a concrete wall to keep them out and the inside orderly. now they live in 'tents' made of sheets - not very weather worthy. the rainy season starts in 2-3 weeks. the military brought in plastic sheeting making some of the homeowners envious of others.

the long term new haiti plan: build quasi permanent housing for the tent dwellers including a 'sewage system' - the military is helping here as well. currently the inside of the tent is for living, just outside the flap door is for pooping and peeing... and for playing and rolling about and fixing food - we use a lot of betadine here.

the military brought in 5000 mre's to feed the masses - not exactly fishes and loaves but...?? have i mentioned we like the military. shame on anyone for ever directing a negative comment their way. i worked sided by side with a lt. who would drop anything to come protect us.. he spent 8 months in afganistan, 30 days home, then deployed here. the interpreter/medic/smiler/helper/facilitator sargent spent time in irag, earned the navy cross and is now here. i think it's one of the navy's highest honors.

DAY 3 pregnant haitians

more injuries and wound checks and we're getting a bit tired. last night 2 docs left us heading back to the states - unfortunately one got sick, probably dengue fever. he was exhausted, dehydrated and febrile. dengue's not a fun one to get. it's always interesting starting iv's on your own - the tone changes.

we delievered a baby today - happy, healthy. APGARS of 'we didn't care' - thank God not a lawyer to be found here, nothing against lawyers really :)

a second mother came in completely dilated, ready to push - had a c-section last time as her pelvis was too small to deliever. unreal. i went outside for a minute, ran into more military officers and was introduced to a dr. mike. what's your specialty mike?   i do maternal-fetal medicine OB. mike, i want you to meet someone...   interesting how that came about. we hadn't called them.. she got evacutated to the ship for a c-section

i just checked mom number three. her twins will be ready to enter the world soon.

cjh

On the ground update: A doctor's perspective

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 by Karen Jung

Before I worked as a clinic adminstrator in Haiti, I participated in two medical mission trips

with friends and colleagues from my church. One of those individuals - Dr. Chris - headed down to Haiti soon after the earthquake to help with the Haiti disaster relief efforts. He has been sharing intermittent updates thought give yet another perspective of life now 3 weeks after the quake hit. The following excerpt give Chris' first impressions of post-quake Haiti.

beyond the us naval ship comfort and other navy ships anchored in the bay, flying in, port au prince looked it's
typical self - a collage of mishappen concrete structures in all phases of completion. it wasn't until we landed that things looked a bit different.

haitian flags at half staff. news crews scurring about with military helicopters buzzing to and from the airstrip. we arrived late due to multiple delays and other unforeseen scenarios causing us to leave pap at dusk. usually a big no no. actually always a bad idea as the hijacking thugs come out at night.

it wasn't but a couple miles before we ran into the typical haitian road block with baricades, fires and bon fires. the bus was turned around quickly in the narrow streets. as we left the area fortunately the un troops were making their way to the area with their lights flashing.

further along thre were rows and rows of temporary encampments lining the already narrow streets, a lean-to style tents constructed of poles/traps/plastic/sheets and lashings. no one was living indoors. the typical smiling energetic wheeling and dealing haitian was replaced with throngs of resless peoples aimlessly walking about.

as we approach carfou, the epicenter of the quake, there was a errie haunting glow in the night from from bonfires lining the roadsides and the lights of the oncoming traffic through which we could see the clouds of smoking lazily climbing out of the alley like 'highway.'   we had to zig zag back and forth around housing rubble to move forward. it was as if cluttered table tops had been upended and the debris slid off piling up along side the building fronts. buildings lining the road were uprooted and appeared like the skeletonized remains of the twin towers leaning inward shadowing the road.

the stench (that seems like an irreverrant word, but it was so noxious) from the rotting flesh first reached us here. we would expereince that intense nauseating smell twice more enroute to grand guave.

i was impressed with our bluebird bus. most especially the US steel making its axles. i can't believe it continued to withstand all the abuse from the road.   there were just a
few areas where it was obvious the earthquake had affected the roads. sharp edged splintered concrete and asphalt jutted up 1-2 feet in areas. after an incredibly long day
we finally arrived to our destination, grand guave, about 25 miles from the epicenter of the 7.1 magnitude quake as i found out, and 8 miles from the second, 6 magnitude.

as we pulled in 2500 haitians were living in temporary housing here as well, sheet city and all singing and dancing. it was a peculiar but inspiring site after all we had just seen. rounds on patients began when we got off the bus. more on that later. cjh

If you are still looking for a way to donate to Haiti, in a way that will help with the medical needs sure to persist for many years to come, consider the Visitation Hospital Foundation. They operate a full functioning clinic in Haiti, with plans to expand to a full surgurical center. Your dollars will go to buy medicines, pay for lab tests and provide healthcare to over 200,000 patients annually.

Left Speechless

Saturday, January 30, 2010 by Karen Jung

My Haitian friend Jean Marie - who lives in Port au Prince - posted the following as his status on Facebook.

I do not have time to be mad or to get angry...... I just look around, too many people are desperate and fight to survive.....It is very scary and heart broken to see the faces of the children hopeless, hungry and God knows, are wounded they are in their soul, spirit, moral and character. I feel powerless and heart broken.......it's a bad dream.

What kind of comment do you leave for this one? His words are a great reminder that helping Haiti with monetary donations will never be enough to repair the psychological damage. Can't hurt though, can it?

If you are still looking for a meaningful way to donate to Haiti, consider Beyond Borders. They are Florida based organization who have long been committed to helping Haiti rise above the crappy hand the country has been dealt. Most important, they will be there long after everyone else leaves.

Helping Haiti: One Volunteer at a Time!

Thursday, January 28, 2010 by Karen Jung

I just received another update from my friend Nancy, who lives full time in Haiti. She is stationed at the Matthew 25 guest house/turned clinic in Port au Prince. As Haiti begins to fade from the media outlets, Nancy's note was a much needed reminder that it is way too early to stop thinking about Haiti and how you can help.

Hi all, So much is going on. I thank you for all your donations, prayers, offers to help, etc. Sorry, but I cannot answer each of you individually. I have been working at Matthew 25 in Port au Prince. It's now a "hospital" as well as guest house. We have many tents in back housing medical personnel, journalists, etc. In the yard next door, there are approximately 2200 people, plus our inpatients, amputees, etc. I will try to respond to the most-asked questions.

What can we do to help?
Monetary donations are most important at present unless you have already purchased tickets to come. We ordered food yesterday for 30 orphans for 30 days from Haiti Relief. The cost was $629 US. There are so many other needs such as medicines, tents, rebuilding/fixing houses, etc. If you would like to assist the Haiti disaster relief efforts I am working on , donations should be sent to Jane Zander, N8898 Devine Rd, Portage WI 53901 asap because some people are coming in the near future who can bring cash. Banks are up and running but will only give out a small sum and the lines are long. We have a group that wants to come help.

What can we do?
First, you must check on flights. I heard yesterday that all American flights are on hold until Feb 20. I don’t know what affect that will have on flights booked before the earthquake. If you do find a flight, make sure you know where you are staying and if they have room for you. Previous reservations may no longer hold true as the building may not be safe or may not even be there. Carpenters will be needed but remember that most houses were constructed of cement and they are severely cracked and may not be repairable. If your trip is confirmed, bring a tent and money for food. Guest houses are overwhelmed. Food is available but expensive.

Are there jobs available?
Now the focus is follow up care and how to set up tent cities, etc. Many people are living under sheets. The rainy season will come. We need to get them to permanent tent cities. Most workers are being sent to outlying areas because the Port residents have been advised to leave the city. Consider working in the area you are accustomed to visiting if you have been here before. Many are leaving the city traumatized and injured.

How are you personally and your school, kids, etc?
Everyone was affected in one way or another. Many of our staff lost family members but we are all well. But the earthquake did not hit St Marc. Geologists from the US are saying there’s a 90% chance, in the next month, that Haiti will have another 5.0 or greater earthquake. We have had approx 55 aftershocks in the past 2 weeks over 5.0. Haitians are living in their yards for fear of entering into their houses, and rightfully so. We, too, at Matthew 25 are sleeping in tents in the back yard as the house has been damaged. We plan to open the school at St Marc next week, God willing.

How's the city?
Chaotic! Lots of medical personnel, meetings, etc., etc. Some food riots when there isn’t enough food to be distributed and many must go away hungry. All in all, it’s calm though, all things considered. The Haitians are a most-resilient people. We go for a little walk in the a.m.’s before work starts and it's rare to not be greeted by a smiling resident with a happy BON JOU! May God give them the continued strength to get through another day.

To support Nancy and her ministery, you can make a donation directly to Touchstone Ministeries.

An Awkward/Difficult Conversation

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 by Karen Jung

Tonight I was finally able to connect with a good friend of mine from Haiti - Kosciuszko. To this point, I had assumed he was OK because I had not heard otherwise. Though I was erring on the side of optimism, you can imagine how excited I was to see he was on Facebook chat. We talked for about 30 minutes online, some in Kreyol and some in English.

As happy I was to talk to Kosciuszko, it was a very difficult conversation. I was afraid to ask all that was in my heart and was almost certain that the value of whatever words I had to offer would fall woefully short in easing the living nightmare that my friend is experiencing. What was most awkward was finding some way to help - some way to make a difference. I am not so sure I handled it too well!

In case any of you are curious about the details, here are some snippets...

Karen
hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8:46pmKosciuszko
hi

8:46pmKaren
ki jan ou ye? {How are you}

8:46pmKosciuszko
Byen {Good}
e ou menm? {And you}

8:46pmKaren
y tout fami ou? {And your family}
byen {Good}
mwen te okipe pou ou {I have been worried about you}

8:47pmKosciuszko
oui tout moun byen {Yes. Everyone is good}

8:47pmKaren
sa bon {That’s good}
ki jan benji? eske li bon? {How is Benji? Is he good}

8:47pmKosciuszko
gras a dye mwen byen {Praise to God I am good}
li byen tou {He is good too}

8:47pmKaren
mersi bondye {Thank you God}
ki kote ou ye? Potopwens? Petite Riviere? {Where are you? Port au Prince? Petite Riviere?}

8:48pmKosciuszko
sa fe ke m kontan pou mwen pale avew {This makes my heart happy to talk with you}
potoprens {Port au Prince}

8:48pmKaren
eske ou remen kreyol mwen??? :-) {Do you like my Kreyol?}

8:48pmKosciuszko
Wi. Ou pale byen {Yes. You speak well}

**********************************************

8:52pmKaren
have you been busy, working with the injured?
mwen pa ka di sa an kreyol :-) {I cannot say that in Kreyol}

8:53pmKosciuszko
wi chak jou {Yes. Every day.}

8:54pmKaren
m'ap priye pou ayiti chak jou. mwen pa ka kwe ki te pase. mwen konen la vid se dificil avon pwoblem sa yo {I am praying for Haiti each day. I cannot believe what happened. I know life is difficult before these problems}

9:13pmKosciuszko
where you are

9:13pmKaren
i am at home. where are you? with your family ?

9:15pmKosciuszko
in the street. near to my house

9:15pmKaren
are you able to sleep in your house or is it not safe?

9:16pmKosciuszko
not safe

9:16pmKaren
are you able to get food or water?

9:17pmKosciuszko
it s difficult

9:17pmKaren
are you seeing the people that came to help? is aid getting to your neighborhood?

9:18pmKosciuszko
some times food, water but it is not enough for so much people

9:19pmKaren
are people getting mad and fighting or are they calm?

9:21pmKosciuszko
where i am they are calm

9:25pmKaren
can you buy food or water on the streets? are all the markets ruined near you?
sorry i have so many questions

9:26pmKosciuszko
no , it s normal. don t be

9:26pmKaren
is there anything i can do to help? can i send you some money? would that help?
everyone here wants to help

9:28pmKosciuszko
i m embarrased

9:28pmKaren
i don't want to embarrass you. i was afraid i would do that by offering
i am sorry

9:30pmKosciuszko
i know. thank you a lot for your support

9:32pmKaren
how about i just keep praying for haiti and you can forget i offered anything else.

9:34pmKosciuszko
i didn t want to hurt you.
we need help truly

9:35pmKaren
you did not. i feel bad that i offered. i should have known better.
we dumb americans think money fixes everything

9:36pmKosciuszko
ok

9:38pmKosciuszko
you still have opportnuity to get staff from organizations?

9:38pmKaren
yes
we have people that could fly to haiti tomorrow.
do you know of a hospital or clinic in PaP where they need help?

9:46pmKosciuszko
actually almost all the hospitals have medical help from other countries

9:46pmKaren
ok
we thought we might go to the countryside

9:47pmKosciuszko
but we still need a lot of help. a lot of clinics and hospitals are broken

9:49pmKaren
are you going to the tents to help people or are you working in clinic?

9:52pmKosciuszko
most people don’t have tent. N
not (working) in clinic but where they are

9:53pmKaren
do you have enough supplies? can you find more in PaP?
do most people have a tarp or nothing?

9:53pmKosciuszko
i don t have (supplies)
some nothing
a lot of people lost all they have

9:55pmKaren
can i ask you a question that is serious?
i don't want to hurt you

9:56pmKosciuszko
ok

9:57pmKaren
i know that many, many, many people died when the buildings fell
are you seeing lots of people who are still dying because of infections and disease
are these people getting help?

9:59pmKosciuszko
i m not sure but it s possible

10:00pmKaren
i have to get going. be safe my friend.
i will call you when i come to haiti.

10:00pmKosciuszko
ok
i will let you know the situation here
you are a good person

10:01pmKaren
thank you zanmi mwen! {Thank you my friend}
ou se bon moun tou! {You are a good person}

10:02pmKosciuszko
mesi anpil {Thank you very much}

10:02pmKaren
bon nuit! {Good night}

10:02pmKosciuszko
mwen pat konnen kijan {I don’t know how}

10:02pmKaren
ki jan ki sa? {You don’t know what?}

10:03pmKosciuszko
si mwen te aksepte lajan ou a mwen tap separe li ba anpil moun ki gen bezwen {If I accept you money and I separate it with many people who need it}

10:04pmKaren
if you accept my money and you give it to many people who need it...
mwen pa gen pwoblem avek sa {I don’t have a problem with that}

10:04pmKosciuszko
ok
avek tout kem {With all my heart}

10:07pmKaren
you know that i am here to help so don't be afraid to ask...but so i don't embarrass you I will not offer
dako? {Agreed?}

10:07pmKosciuszko
i m sorry
koman sa ka fet? {How can it happen?}

10:10pmKaren
i heard some western unions were open. do you know where one is?

10:10pmKosciuszko
yes
no tax is purchase to haiti

10:13pmKaren
i can go tomorrow and send you money...but you cannot say you are sorry.

10:14pmKosciuszko
ok that works

10:15pmKaren
i will send you a note to let you know i have sent it, so you don't go stand in line

10:15pmKosciuszko
thanks

10:16pmKaren
you are welcome friend

10:16pmKosciuszko
to much kisses for you
:)

10:17pmKaren
now i am embarrassed

Helping Haiti: Health Empowering Haiti (HEH)

Monday, January 25, 2010 by Karen Jung

Health Empowering Humanity (HEH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose focus is on empowering people by facilitating access to health through community-based programs of clinical services, education, and development.

I first met one of HEH’s founders – Monica Dyer – while I was living in Haiti. Once the earthquake hit, Monica quickly went into action and has been on the ground in Port au Prince for well over a week now. Her focus has been on coordination and alignment of needs with available resources. She has been keeping those of us in the States aware of her activities through Facebook status updates; I thought you might enjoy the journey of one person on the ground, through this chaotic time.

1/14 @ 5:11 p.m.

Personal update: In Panama airport, hoping to get on standy-by flights to Miami this afternoon and to the Dominican Republic tonight. There will buy medical supplies, the densest foods i can find, cell phone and complete arrangements for getting to work in Port au Prince.

1/14 @ 10:34 p.m.

I made it to the Dominican Republic. I am in Santiago about to head out to Santo Domingo... hope to have a set plan to get into Haiti tomorrow.

1/15 @ 10:36 a.m.

In Santo Domingo, heading out to buy supplies. Looks like border crossing will be tomorrow. Please send any word of safe places to set up camp in/near PAP if you have info. Much love to all and my infinite thanks for all the support.

1/16 @ 1:36 a.m.

Spent today making plans for transportation and buying supplies. Heading to Haiti in a few hours with a team of Haitian med students studying in DR and their families, including some DR Red Cross people. Tomorrow night, we will stay with their family members, potentially in Carrefour.

1/18 @ 2:03 p.m.

i am safe and in port au prince number here is 509 3918 3113. the mood is somber, not chaotic, and there is NOT enough help. please do what you can from where you are to help.

1/20 @ 7:03 a.m. (from Monica’s friend)

There was another 6.1 aftershock this morning at 5:04 CST. I spoke to Monica and she is fine but wanted details on where it was centered and damage reports, of which there are none yet. She said it shook her bed and woke her up. She wanted me to post this to let everyone know she's good.

1/22 @ 7:41 p.m.

in port au prince. mad at earthquakes. wish they'd stop. really tired but doing what i can where i can and thankful for all of the beauty and hope that remains in HAITI.

1/24 @ 10:08 p.m.

the frantic pace is slowing a bit. the needs are still immense. most worried about the capacity of the rural areas to absorb those internally displaced people. we're starting to think in terms of how to avert another food crisis. the food situation is urgent in rural areas as well as port au prince, ag inputs are destroyed and people have to eat their seeds to get by right now. coalition building...

What’s not shown here are the massive updates Monica and her team are sending daily, detailing the greatest areas of need, where there is no aid being provided by the larger agencies. These reports are absolutely critical in assisting other grass roots organizations to get their resources those otherwise looked over.

To help Monica and HEH’s Haiti disaster relief efforts, you can make a tax deductible donation to Health Empowering Haiti by sending a check to:

Health Empowering Humanity
P.O. Box 300551
Houston, TX 77230

Please put Haiti-Aid.org in the memo line.

You can also make an online donation on their site.

Helping Haiti: Touch Ministries

Sunday, January 24, 2010 by Karen Jung

The number of Americans living in Haiti range anywhere from 45,000 to 50,000; many of them are individuals who have commit ed their lives to working side by side with the Haitians to receive education, health care and empowerment. While living in country, I had the privilege of meeting a handful of these people and with each encounter I was humbled by how much these peoples had truly embraced their calling to help the Haitians. One such person is Nancy from Wisconsin. About 6 years ago she sold all her possessions and made a permanent move to Haiti. I received an update from her just after the quake, informing everyone that she was OK. Since then Nancy has shared periodic updates; the following is an excerpt from her latest.

I wanted to share this particular one for two reasons. First, it is a moving account of the devastation outside of Port au Prince. Second, and perhaps more importantly, there is some great commentary at the end that speaks to the very heart of why Haiti-Aid.org was created.

I know Nancy personally and she is 100% committed to helping Haiti - long before the earthquake and long after. If you are looking for a personal way to donate to Haiti to aid in the disaster relief, know that donations made to her, through Touch Ministries, will get directly to the Haitians.

Dear friends,

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. The outpouring of love and support is so encouraging—email, telephone, Facebook, etc.

Yesterday was like a blur. I found a chauffeur who was taking a group of sisters to Port au Prince and offered to take me along (so I could get back to our ministry in St Marc.) On the way down the mountain, there were countless homes toppled, but, in remote areas, most are still constructed from sticks, palm branches and some have metal roofs so the destruction wasn’t evident to the eye...Words cannot describe the destruction once we arrived in Leogane. I just kept repeating, “Oh my God!’ All things in perspective, the what-was-normal rivers of trash and smells of urine heating in the sun would now be pleasing to my senses. My heart went out to the Haitians in the truck with me. If this broke my heart, I could only imagine how they were feeling. There simply are no adjectives large enough to describe the damage. I can only compare it to the feelings I had as we watched the Twin Towers crumble to the ground, multiplied by a thousand. These feelings multiplied as we entered Port au Prince and passed the remains of the National Palace, the Cathedral, etc., pancaked to the ground. In only one week, tent cities had grown out of nowhere and thousands upon thousands now inhabited them. I pondered things such as where they were relieving themselves, bathing, throwing their waste, etc., along with a myriad of other questions such as: how do millions of people who already lived hand-to-mouth begin again? How do they pull themselves up by the bootstraps when there isn’t even a boot to be had? How will the millions and millions of dollars in donations be distributed so everyone gets a piece of the pie? And just when it seemed it couldn’t get worse, it did. We passed the area where they are dumping bodies in mass graves. Fortunately, the sun had set moments earlier so I didn’t have to witness such a heartrending site. And, as we traveled, my housemates shared endless stories of the week behind them.

Now back in St. Marc, we are pondering how we can best use the donations that are beginning to come into the ministry. Nearly every Haitian we know has lost a family members/homes/etc. How do we determine the most needy when everyone is in utter despair?

If you have a minute please donate to the Haitians. They need it more than people in the developed world ever will. I advise you to be careful, though, to whom you donate. Millions of dollars were donated to the hurricane relief fund in Gonaives just a few years ago and rarely, if ever, did the money find its way to the little man on the street. I am not trying you to manipulate you into sending money our way. Simply, I am recommending that you be prudent in your choices. If you choose to donate to Touch Ministries, we will send you a report of how the money was used.

Dignity

Friday, January 22, 2010 by Karen Jung

I know I am not alone when I say I am overwhelmed by the images coming out of Haiti. My heart aches for the faces pressed against fences or standing in mobs with hands outstretched, just waiting for something to eat, anything to drink. The far off looks on the faces of children covered in concrete dust, surrounded by rubble, are something we should never have to see in this world of massive wealth. These are certainly unfathomable conditions presented so poignantly; but for me, the most challenging photos are those of the dead, lying in the street covered, at best, by a sheet or shredded piece of tarp.

Image after image, body after body, I find myself asking a question that was all too familiar during my time in Haiti – Can these people not even have dignity in dying? It sucks that they don’t have enough food to feed their family or money to send their kids to school. But, seriously, can’t they at least die in peace, surrounded by loved ones? Though this was sometimes the case in my experiences, it certainly wasn’t always. Case in point is a woman I met at a hospital in Mirogoane – a town about an hour from my village.

You can read about my complete experience with this woman in my blog, but long story short, I met her while visiting a patient from our clinic. She was laying on the filthy tile floor, surrounded by a puddle of her own urine, her body exposed for all too see. It turns out she was dying from AIDs and she had been dumped at the hospital, left alone to die with no one to care for her in her final days. I begged the family members of other patients to help her – buy her drinks (with money I provided), change her sheets, anything… No one wanted to help; she was not their responsibility.

It was in my moment of exasperation, when no one would help, that I reached one of my many emotional brinks in Haiti. I had had enough. I was angry at this woman’s family for abandoning her. I was furious at the individuals in the Haiti who refused to help. I was enraged at a government that had so little regard for its people.

Seeing those images of dead strewn throughout the streets and thinking of the woman I met so many months ago bring me back to the same question – Will the people of Haiti ever realize the dignity we all deserve out of nothing we have done but simply because we were created? Did their chances just decrease to irrecoverable levels?

Luckily, there are organizations in Haiti whose sole purpose is to bring healthcare to every Haitian, including the woman you see above. One such place is the clinic where I worked, funded and managed by the the Visitation Hospital Foundation. Supporting their efforts is a great opportunity for you to donate to Haiti and know that your dollars will make a difference.

Seriously...another quake hits Haiti this morning...

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 by Karen Jung

Just saw breaking news on CNN that a preliminary 6.0 magnitude quake hit at 6:03 a.m. this morning. Not many details available just yet. It was 35 miles northwest of Port au Prince; for reference the major earthquake last week was southwest of the city.

By the way, if you are familiar with Haiti and are looking for a way to visualize where things are happening, check out this interactive map from The New York Times.

I will post as I learn more from the folks in Haiti. By the way, I would've tweeted, but Twitter was over capacity!

Medical Update from Haiti

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 by Karen Jung

Last night I met with some individuals with whom I had previously travelled to Haiti. We began putting together a plan to send a medical team down in February to assist in the Haiti disaster relief efforts. Actually, a team was already slated to go; however, we now are trying to come up with a game plan that takes into consideration the logistical nightmares introduced by the earthquake. How do we get a flight in? How can we arrange for security to get out of the airport? Is there fuel to get us around? Can we find a medical facility to operate out of.? Lots, lots, lots to figure out but we will make it happen; we are determined to.

To give you a sense of what awaits us, read the following update I received from an Indiana doctor who landed in Haiti on Saturday. Be warned, like so many of my updates, the details are graphic...

Not a whole lot of time to write elegantly. We finally arrived at the US embassy in Haiti via helo from the Dominican Republic yesterday about 1 P. Port-au-Prince does looked bombed in many areas, and the smell is overpowering at times. Doug and I (a dentist and my medical mission buddy) arrived at our work at 4P and went to work until after midnight. I slept in the clinic so I could check on the most critical patients through the night, then we started again about 6 a. The compound normally has 40-50 people in it - now it is about 3000, all sleeping in the open - everyone is afraid to go to there homes because of continued violent aftershocks. Injuries are in the hundreds just here and are catastrophic. I've lost count of how many femurs I've reduced and splinted with cardboard. I've seen numerous traumatic amputations ranging from 6 month olds to old men. Today I reduced a proximal humerus (I think - no xrays), a radius/ulna fracture on the other other arm, an ankle fracture, and two fingers - and that was just IN ONE WOMAN. The crush injuries are devastating - most of the severe ones are in renal failure already because of the dehydration while they were trapped. I was ready to amputate a gangrenous foot from an open tib fib fracture yesterday on an 16 year old but the mother preferred to wait. Multiple paraplegics (a death sentence in Haiti). My only (other than Doug and a few Haitians) usual good help here (a Haitian nurse we've trained over the past several years) is incapacitated with painful but not particularly severe injuries. I still have some propofol but I've run out of IV antibiotics and any pain killers. I'm in desperate need of narcotics, IV saline and casting material (did you know you can make splints out of palm tree bark and duct tape?). We have no cell service now, and the satellite phone I rented is spotty at best. I have limited satellite email service so I can't send pics now - they'd be rated R for graphic violence anyway.

Can't think of a single place in the world I'd rather be right now.

Updates from the Haiti countryside

Tuesday, January 19, 2010 by Karen Jung

As I reported previously, the village where I was stationed in Petite Riviere was relatively unaffected - physically - by the earthquake. I have received another updated from the folks at the clinic where I was adminstrator.

Everybody is actually well at the Clinic. I mean the staff although some of them are still in panic since at any time we feel a little vibration of the earth. The clinic has resisted to the earthquake that's why we don't register any damage here only some items like that brake down at the staff house...Many people in Petite Riviere are victim but not physically and there are schools and houses that collapse yesterday. No people died thanks to God contrarily to Port-au-Prince where the situation is very sand and painful...All the Staff of the Clinic stayed out in front of the Staff House all night long and until this morning aroung 6AM we had the last strong vibration of the earth again...

Think about time when making a donation

Monday, January 18, 2010 by Stories of Haiti

I saw this story in the Wall Street Journal this weekend that relates to texting donations. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704381604575005412610261000.html?mod=WSJ_Tech_LEFTTopNews The problem comes down to cash flow and urgency. There is no question that your text donations will get to the agencies who can help long term, but the issue is that the phone companies don't free those funds until you pay your bill. Meaning a text you make today might not show up as cash to the agency for up to two months. For my part, I'm actively seeking out areas where my small donations can have the most immediate impact. Can you Karen, or anyone else, help steer me in the right direction?

Name: Chris Baggott
Company: Compendium
City: Indianapolis
State: IN

Updates from my village - Petite Riviere

Sunday, January 17, 2010 by Karen Jung

While in Haiti, I lived and worked in a village of about 26,000 people (over a 60 square mile radius) - Petite Riviere. 2 days after the earthquake, I received the following update from the local priest...

At Petite Riviere, we have a death. His name Carmilus. Many houses are devastated. The Cholette school and Chuch are devastated also. The Petite Riviere College Moderne is devastated. The visitation hospital, the college C I C, the parish, church, the rectory and others are very safe and sound. The Manolo inn hotel is smally touched. All the people are very good but we stay in the street day and night and not in the houses because the earth shake. Almost each one hour. God is with us. Pray to him with us.

Though Petite Riviere did not suffer the mass physical destruction that we see on television, I know the emotional suffering is as strong as those in the center of the quake. It is not uncommon for family members to leave the countryside, heading to Port au Prince looking for work. It is the fate of these family members that is undoubtedly weighing heavy on the hearts of my closest friends I lived side by side with for 15 months.

My friends are OK!

Saturday, January 16, 2010 by Karen Jung

As you can imagine, communications with those in Haiti is spotty at best. I have tried - unsuccessfully - to reach friends and colleagues by phone. However, email updates have been trickling into my inbox since early Wednesday morning. The first update I received was from the Matthew 25 House in the heart of Port au Prince. Here is an excerpt of the situation there:

"We are all OK physically at the house. We were home when it hit. The house stood up well, does not appear to be any serious structural damage downstairs, but upstairs is pretty bad, unusable as a matter of fact.

Matt 25 cooked up 4 big pots of soup for the people coming for treatment, and served as a triage and treatment center. We were able to climb over the fallen bookcases and shelves and retrieve a lot of meds and supplies we had in our depot. Sr Mary, Vivian and our 6 guests performed superbly in treating many injured. Eventually, 3 Haitian doctors showed up, I think when they heard we had supplies.

Worked till about two in the morning. We were also one of the few houses to have power with our inverters and batteries, so we set up 3 o4 4 lights on the soccer field to help with the treatment. The hospitals are either badly damaged or destroyed, and have stopped taking patients as they are overwhelmed.

Pray for our sisters and brothers."

As you think about how you can assist in the Haiti disaster relief efforts, keep the hardworking people at Matthew 25 in mind. You can direct earthquake donations to them and do your part in helping Haiti by clicking on the Donate Now button.

Why Haiti-Aid.org?

Friday, January 15, 2010 by Karen Jung

Haiti is a special place and not just because of its recent thrust into the international spotlight. Anyone who has been there will tell you it is a place and a people that never leave your heart. One never forgets the immediate impact you receive as you leave the airport, riding through pot-hole laden streets, crowded with people and littered with trash. You find yourself quickly asking if people can really live like this? The unimaginable poverty though is not what makes Haiti special. It is the people. It is their spirit. It is their resiliency. It is their unwavering faith. It is their hope. My heart is breaking now more than ever for these people.

I had the great fortune of living and working in Haiti from February 2008 through April 2009 and like many of you, I am deeply moved over the devastating earthquake that struck. The images are haunting and the stories heart wrenching. And like so many of you, I want to do something; I need to do something to help my brothers and sisters.

Working with a colleague of mine and under the leadership of my employer, I have launched Haiti-Aid.org to provide an outlet for you to donate to Haiti. Unlike so many of the initiatives you hear on the radio or see online, I want to make this opportunity a personal one. Over the coming weeks, we will share personal stories from Haiti. Some will be about my experiences; others will be updates from friends and colleagues of mine working through the aftermath. Through our tales, my hope is you will come to love and admire the people of Haiti as much as I have.

I have a personal relationship with each of the charities listed on the Donate Now page. They are good people doing amazing work. I know every dollar that goes to them will make a difference for weeks, months and years to come!