A NEW BEGINNING FOR EARTHQUAKE-STRICKEN HAITI
About 120 countries met Wednesday at the United Nations in New York to hear Haiti's request for around $4.0 billion in aid to help it recover from January's devastating earthquake that killed more than 230,000 people and left more than one million homeless. The blueprint presented by the Haitian government to achieve that goal was supported by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon who opened the fundraising conference on Haiti.
"Our goal is not just to rebuild, it is to build back better," said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, adding that the cost of rebuilding Haiti is estimated at $11.5 billion over the next decade.
Haitian President René Préval thanked the nations who have already contributed to relief efforts since the quake, and paid tribute to the actions of Haitians, both at home and abroad.
"Let us dream of a new Haiti whose fate lives in a new project", said Préval.
The U.S. government pledged $1.15 billion at the international conference on rebuilding earthquake-shattered Haiti, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warning that "what happens there has repercussions far beyond its borders."
At long last the conference seemed likely to meet that goal, with the European Union announcing a $1.6 billion commitment and Brazil pledging $172 million.
HIGHLIGHTS IN PROJECTS
-Ongoing Food relief activity
Over the past two weeks, 7471 food kits have been distributed to ICPs as an ongoing food relief effort. As a result, 100% of significantly affected ICPs (a total of 38) have received food kits twice for their children and families, and their staffs; and all 100% of moderately affected ICPs (a total of 31) have received food kits once. The office is managing to serve the moderately affected ICPs a second food kit as well, to fully benefit the disaster families in need of immediate food relief.
Children from the quake-prone areas who migrated to the countryside are also taken into consideration regarding the food relief intervention. Note that such children, especially the ones who moved to areas where there are Compassion projects participate in ‘’club associate’’, a strategy that allows them to receive all Compassion benefits related to the sponsorship and the developmental activities linked with it. To date, a number of 1052 have been found in this situation.
Each food kit which contains ingredients like: 20 pounds of rice; 10 pounds of beans; half a gallon of cooking oil; 12 pounds of oatmeal; 12 pounds of pasta, and 64 ounces of peanut butter, can sustain a family of five for two weeks with one meal a day.
-Milk distribution and other items
In thirteen (13) CSPs, powdered milk was distributed to mothers/caregivers with children aged up to 24 months. Six (6) boxes of milk were given to each caregiver to nourish their infants in this time of daily sustenance issue.
Other items that include flashlights and batteries were also given to parents to use in the evening as most of the areas of Port-au-Prince fail to have electricity. Thus, 747 flashlights and 1494 batteries (at a ratio of 2 batteries per flashlight) were distributed.
- Tarp distribution and other building materials
Among the 38 ICPs (22 west and 16 rural) selected to benefit from temporary and transitional shelter activity, only three (3) have received a total of 391 tarps for children’s families, and twenty-three (23) could distribute vouchers to about 3119 parents to claim materials such as corrugated metal sheets (those in rural), wood frame and nails to start making their shelters. As more tarps are expected to come, more families will be benefiting until reaching out to the targeted number which is about 6,000 who desperately need to cope with rainy season.
- CSP Camp
After conducting successful multi-day camps for both CDSP children and LDP students aiming to help address the psychological, physical, nutritional and cognitive needs of our registered children, our office has been holding a two-day camp for CSP mother-child units. A group of six (6) CSPs located in rural areas held camp last week (March 25-26) and a group of seven (7) in urban areas are ending the activity today. 95% mother-child units have attended this activity.
Camp activities focus on four areas:
-Occupational therapy, including art and games for children, and games and competitions for caregivers
-Cognitive therapy for caregivers, including earthquake and natural disaster education
-Individual therapy for caregivers by psychologists
-Immunization for children and their caregivers against typhoid, meningitis, tetanus and hepatitis B
CSP projects were grouped by 2 or 3, depending on their geographical position to make the event look more enjoyable and uncommon. Caregivers could have fellowship by comforting one another through testimonies, having fun and eating together.
Prayer requests:
1. Pray for the reconstruction plan of Haiti to be a reality
2. Pray for all disaster families who are still struggling to return to their normal life
3. Pray for our strategic plans to be carried out effectively on the field
4. Pray for resilience, courage and vision for the leadership of the office, to accompany the impacted ICPs in meeting their needs and the needs of the children we exist for
"Our goal is not just to rebuild, it is to build back better," said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, adding that the cost of rebuilding Haiti is estimated at $11.5 billion over the next decade.
Haitian President René Préval thanked the nations who have already contributed to relief efforts since the quake, and paid tribute to the actions of Haitians, both at home and abroad.
"Let us dream of a new Haiti whose fate lives in a new project", said Préval.
The U.S. government pledged $1.15 billion at the international conference on rebuilding earthquake-shattered Haiti, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warning that "what happens there has repercussions far beyond its borders."
At long last the conference seemed likely to meet that goal, with the European Union announcing a $1.6 billion commitment and Brazil pledging $172 million.
HIGHLIGHTS IN PROJECTS
-Ongoing Food relief activity
Over the past two weeks, 7471 food kits have been distributed to ICPs as an ongoing food relief effort. As a result, 100% of significantly affected ICPs (a total of 38) have received food kits twice for their children and families, and their staffs; and all 100% of moderately affected ICPs (a total of 31) have received food kits once. The office is managing to serve the moderately affected ICPs a second food kit as well, to fully benefit the disaster families in need of immediate food relief.
Children from the quake-prone areas who migrated to the countryside are also taken into consideration regarding the food relief intervention. Note that such children, especially the ones who moved to areas where there are Compassion projects participate in ‘’club associate’’, a strategy that allows them to receive all Compassion benefits related to the sponsorship and the developmental activities linked with it. To date, a number of 1052 have been found in this situation.
Each food kit which contains ingredients like: 20 pounds of rice; 10 pounds of beans; half a gallon of cooking oil; 12 pounds of oatmeal; 12 pounds of pasta, and 64 ounces of peanut butter, can sustain a family of five for two weeks with one meal a day.
-Milk distribution and other items
In thirteen (13) CSPs, powdered milk was distributed to mothers/caregivers with children aged up to 24 months. Six (6) boxes of milk were given to each caregiver to nourish their infants in this time of daily sustenance issue.
Other items that include flashlights and batteries were also given to parents to use in the evening as most of the areas of Port-au-Prince fail to have electricity. Thus, 747 flashlights and 1494 batteries (at a ratio of 2 batteries per flashlight) were distributed.
- Tarp distribution and other building materials
Among the 38 ICPs (22 west and 16 rural) selected to benefit from temporary and transitional shelter activity, only three (3) have received a total of 391 tarps for children’s families, and twenty-three (23) could distribute vouchers to about 3119 parents to claim materials such as corrugated metal sheets (those in rural), wood frame and nails to start making their shelters. As more tarps are expected to come, more families will be benefiting until reaching out to the targeted number which is about 6,000 who desperately need to cope with rainy season.
- CSP Camp
After conducting successful multi-day camps for both CDSP children and LDP students aiming to help address the psychological, physical, nutritional and cognitive needs of our registered children, our office has been holding a two-day camp for CSP mother-child units. A group of six (6) CSPs located in rural areas held camp last week (March 25-26) and a group of seven (7) in urban areas are ending the activity today. 95% mother-child units have attended this activity.
Camp activities focus on four areas:
-Occupational therapy, including art and games for children, and games and competitions for caregivers
-Cognitive therapy for caregivers, including earthquake and natural disaster education
-Individual therapy for caregivers by psychologists
-Immunization for children and their caregivers against typhoid, meningitis, tetanus and hepatitis B
CSP projects were grouped by 2 or 3, depending on their geographical position to make the event look more enjoyable and uncommon. Caregivers could have fellowship by comforting one another through testimonies, having fun and eating together.
Prayer requests:
1. Pray for the reconstruction plan of Haiti to be a reality
2. Pray for all disaster families who are still struggling to return to their normal life
3. Pray for our strategic plans to be carried out effectively on the field
4. Pray for resilience, courage and vision for the leadership of the office, to accompany the impacted ICPs in meeting their needs and the needs of the children we exist for
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