Below is a message I received from Jean-Jacques Gabriel, a Haitian-American. He gave me permission to share his sentiments with you- it is reflective of the spirit of the Haitian people.
Greetings,
Like many of you, I was crushed to hear news about the earthquake in Haiti. I was born in Haiti, spent the first 5 years of my life there and have sustained a connection to family and homeland. For 4 days, we went without news of my grandmother and other family members. The wealth of thoughts and prayers throughout this time helped buoy spirits during the hard process of waiting for word. When we finally got news of my 80-year old grandmother and one close cousin, we expected her to support our wishes to come to Miami immediately. She instead decided to stay and support others. She said her house was still standing, and opened it to homeless friends, feeding them what she could. I was brought to tears hearing this, but unlike the many tears I’ve shed watching footage, or listening to stories, these were tears of an immensely open heart in awe of the strength and beauty of Haitian people. Lespoua fe viv : Hope makes life.
I want to recommend some organizations that have a history of grassroots work in Haiti, empowering Haitians to change their lives:
http://www.shelterbox.org/ sends aid boxes with water purifiers, tents, blankets, some food, and other emergency materials, even including a small child friendly package.
http://yele.org/ is Wyclef Jean’s organization, one of the most trusted by Haitians, rooted in culturally rich community empowerment.
http://www.atd-fourthworld.org/Haiti-message-from-the.html is an organization with a history of work in Haiti rooted in having Haitians direct their education and development.
http://www.standwithhaiti.org Haiti Partners in Health is Paul Farmer’s organization with 20 years experience providing healthcare to Haitians.
http://bassinzim-edf.org/ is a seed-saving organization helping to empower local farmers in rural Haiti to feed themselves. Chin-k grangou pas joue : A hungry dog doesn’t play. These are just 5 among many NGOs working in Haiti.
As you try to select the best destination for your contribution to recovery efforts, I want to offer two short videos and their critical look at Haiti’s past, and the current militarization of aid efforts. It is sad to see that, just as with Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, there is slowness to react with open hearts to help hurt people, and a rush to protect property and aid organizations.
My prayers are now asking that out of the great destruction from the earthquake, Haitians will be able to create lives of freedom and beauty, unhindered by imperialism.
I thank you all,
Jean-Jacques
Very nice site!