India Prepaid Blackberry

French Translation: Haiti Questions Answered

Answers to Questions on Haiti

Philip, a friend of Misha, with 14 volunteers went to Haiti last October to bring them assistance and funds harvested by Random Acts. He tells us here how was the trip, and how your money was spent generously.

1. How did you get involved with three orphanages in Haiti?
When the earthquake struck Haiti in January, my wife is a teacher of yoga immediately contacted an international aid organization to see how she could help. She felt better able to help by teaching yoga to rescuers to help manage stress, and the teacher to the Haitians, orphaned and homeless, to help their body and mind heal. She was finally on site in May and has worked with many slums and orphanages. She has done everything to move rubble to play with the orphans, teach yoga to work with the Red Cross and the United Nations. When she was there, she has taken a liking to a few orphanages and NGOs who thought up a school to teach Haitians how to build houses with means anti-seismic . Upon her return, she told me wanting to organize a volunteer trips to San Francisco and back there to help the orphanages and the creation of this school. We organized the trip for October with 14 volunteers mobilized to teach yoga, do volunteer work in orphanages and help raise funds to begin construction of the school.

2. Can you tell us where the orphanages? Are they in villages or cities? Are they rural?
Orphanages are in the rural town of Jacmel, a community of artists around 4am south of Port-au-Prince. It was a coastal tourist area but has been severely affected by the earthquake. There are many slums there.

3. What is the current status of each orphanage?
One orphanage provides shelter, food and education to 82 children, and is currently building a dental clinic on his property. This is the only dental clinic in Jacmel (the other was destroyed by the earthquake), and they hope that some of the revenue generated will help finance the orphanage. The clinic will employ a whole and that of Jacmel Haiti. Some funds from the race went Misha the clinic, and we had several days to help Haitians digging foundations and pouring concrete. They hope to finish by the end of the year.
The other orphanage is not yet quite an orphanage. It's a big building run by an amazing woman named Bonito Afrian. Each day it opens its doors to 225 children, giving them a lunch and educates. Many of these children walk for almost an hour for the only meal they have during the day, then they walk another hour to return to their tent where some of them have no parents but only brothers and sisters. Skipjack has an extensive network of donations in Brooklyn, NY, who sent him clothes and medicines to help clothe and care for children when they come for their meals. Some funds from the race Misha was used to repair damage and build a covered shelter for the children not to eat under a blinding sun. Her dining room is too small for all children, third of them are outside in very hot temperatures. The shelter, now closed, is a real support to dozens of children. Bonito is the wish to build an orphanage on his property in order to accommodate some children who have no parents. My wife and I get up for funds to design and build an orphanage "green" with solar panels, a system of water recycling, etc.. which could accommodate up to 60 children. Misha will work with us on this exciting project.
The last investment of money for Random Acts is the construction of a school, started by an NGO (CIDA VOCA). The school, which serves 40 young men and women orphaned in the quake, teaches them for 4 months to build homes for quake-resistant standards. The Random Acts of money has been incredibly well used there (and that's where most has been spent). These étudaints develop skills they can reuse. In fact, students which began this semester and already have jobs waiting for them when they will graduate in January. In addition, they build a better future in Haiti with Better Homes.
The NGOs had difficulty raising money to buy tools for students, or bring them to school because Conteners are blocked at Port- au-Prince. Two weeks before we left, they asked us if we could take a few more tools in our suitcases for help because some students have none. As a result, we each had a suitcase filled with more layers (for orphanages) of screwdrivers, hammers, pipes, scotch, and other tools. We finally carry 750 pounds (340kg) of tools in 15 large suitcases. It was amazing to go through customs and to have their head when they opened our bags and found layers and screws. They thought we were doing the smuggling, but when they saw our destination, they smiled and let us pass.

4. What is the current situation in Haiti?
Port-au-Prince, madness! There is rubble everywhere and the unemployment rate is very high. And with very few people going to school, the future will be problematic. That said, the most amazing thing that my wife and I have noticed is how people are full of love, hope and gratitude. If we do not know, we have no idea they are in the midst of a national disaster (earthquake, flood, cholera). It is the most beautiful and spiritual culture that I've ever seen.

5. Misha told the story of the man who helped you buy the materials from Home Depot, the fact that he was Haitian and had lost his family. Is what you could tell us about that? It is there other stories you'd like to share?
Yes, it was great. We gathered the tools for school construction and daughter of the union told us that one vendor was Haitian and had lost her sister and other family members during the se ism. He was immediately tried to talk to him. It was impressed to hear how money race Misha would be spent. I went to see him recently to show photos of our trip and the tears are mounted to read more of them.

6. How was the trip? Have you had problems at customs?
Voyager in Port-au-Prince has been a nightmare. Many caps, floods, smoke. And of course our passage through customs that I have said.

7. How did the community react?
The community has really supported and has been very welcoming. Support was especially strong for the construction of the school. They held a ceremony for us the opening day of school, where the Mayor of Jacmel welcomed us and thanked them for helping. We met all the students who were also very grateful.

8. What is the greatest challenge that your team had to face?
was sometimes difficult to see so many children without parents. You walk into an orphanage and they literally running on you to be kissed (4 or 5 at a time) because they severely lack of affection. A manager spends his day at the petting. Saying goodbye to her children was difficult. The good news is that we see them again soon.

9. Cholera Has it affected your travel?
Cholera broke out a few days before our departure, when the floods hit towns. We paid attention to carefully monitor the health of everyone.

10. Is someone sick?
Everyone remained in perfect health.

11. Where is your group stayed there during your stay?
were housed at 2 hotels on the water in Jacmel who were not expensive but very nice. They had a very good food and the staff were really friendly. It was really nice to return to a comfortable hotel after spending the day in the heat playing with the kids build the dental clinic or visit the construction of e school.

12. What provisions were considered as the most important?
Orphanages needed diapers and medicines, the school needed tools.

13. What do children prefer?
They loved to be worn and we play with them. "Jacks" was a very popular game and draw prayer flags and coloring.

14. What was the biggest surprise during the trip?
Two things: how Haitians are grateful, optimistic and full of love, and how easy it is have a positive impact in the world by giving a little of our time and our money. It's incredibly good to do good.

15. What is your fondest memory of this experience?
For me, CAA was to see the 40 orphan students begin their first course. It was a new future that was outlined for them.

16. Do you have any other anecdotes you'd like to share?
I have a nice share. At the end of the trip, we still had $ 1 250 for Random Acts to spend, and keep going for our next trip when a great opportunity presented itself.
We had a meeting at the school building, we had the tools and other equipment to the Mayor of Jacmel and councilors. They thanked us and we started talking about the operational side and trying to figure out how they would do so that students come to school and return home. Many students are living in orphanages or in tents without families. Either they walking long distances, or they were hitchhiking to school. This means that attendance is not guaranteed. The money that students have, they spend on food. The Mayor was very concerned that students do not attend classes regularly. The discussion became pessimistic about the future of the school.
I whispered to one of the recommended "how much it would cost to install a school bus, the students would not pay if they come to school? "Basically, they arrive by bus, the school would pay for the bus and the driver. He thought for a moment and then told me $ 1 500. I then told him to tell the council not to worry, Random Acts would cover the transport of the first promotion. He could not believe what I just said. When he told the Council, they stopped talking and applauded.
We talked about details later, and my wife and I have added our own money to $ 1 250 to reach $ 1 600. Students come to school and all their transportation is paid.

17. When will the next trip?
Our next trip will end in June We go to Haiti to build the orphanage "green" Bonito Afrian. We use an incredible technology that will allow us to build the orphanage in about a week. At the same time, we teach the orphans a new way to build, and we will help create a new industry of green building. As I mentioned plus tôt, d'une façon impliqué Misha sera très unique ... Restez connecté!