German Translation: Haiti Questions Answered
This is an interview with Philip, a friend of Misha, who was in Haiti in order to use a portion of the data collected by Random Acts of money for good causes. The interview in the original with some pictures you here.
questions and answers about Haiti
first So how you come out you to commit to the three orphanages in Haiti?
After the earthquake in January, my wife, a yoga teacher, now an international aid organization contacted to find out how they can help there. It came out that they can best help by the helpers yoga classes are to help them with the stress of dealing by the orphans in Haiti yoga classes exist and by seeking the care in tent cities housed people so that they both physically and mentally recover their health. She was then the May on-site, where it has worked in several tent camps and orphanages. It has there geamacht everything from cleanup to play with the orphans to large yoga classes and working with the Red Cross and the United Nations. While she was gone, she completed some of the orphanages and an NGO (non-governmental organization NGOs) should get more into the heart, thinking about starting a school in which Haitians how to build houses with better seismic Intergrität. When she returned, she told me that organizing such a trip for volunteers from the area in and around San Francisco should be traveling there again to help the orphanages and manage the construction of the school in the paths. We planned the trip for October and found 14 volunteers who were willing to go to Haiti for there to teach yoga to help in the orphanages and to collect the necessary funds to construct the school.
second Can you tell us something about the situation of the orphanages? If they are in cities or villages? If they are more likely in rural areas?
The orphanages are in a rural place called Gelg Jacmel, an artists' commune, about four hours south of Port-au-Prince. The place was formerly a tourist resort on the coast, but it is hard hit by the earthquake. There are several tent cities.
third In the condition of the orphanages right now?
One orphanage housed, cared for and taught about 82 children and one is in the process of building a dental clinic on the property. It is the only dental clinic in all of Jacmel (the other was destroyed by the earthquake), and the operators hope that the revenue can fund from the orphanage in part. The clinic is designed to benefit all Jacmel and set only Haitian. Some of the donations from Misha's Run have been used for material for this dental clinic, and we spent several days in order to help the Haitians in the process of laying the foundation. The hope is that it finished by the end of the year.
The other orphanage is not a real orphanage. There is a large outdoor area of a very wonderful woman named Bonite Afriane is passed. Every day she opens the door 225 children to provide them with a hot meal and to teach them. Many the children bring a walk of about an hour behind for the only meal they get all day. Then they run back to their tents, where some of them living without parents but with their siblings. Bonite has a strong support network in Brooklyn, NY, from which it gets sent clothes and medicine to enable it to sending you the children who come to dinner with her, both to provide clothing and medical care. It is often referred to as the Mother Teresa of Jacmel. We spent some days in this center and helped provide the children with food, played with them and helping to sort clothes and medicine. Part of the donations were used to Misha's Run to repair damage of the earthquake and to build a hotel, so the children do not have to eat their lunch in the blazing sun. The dining room is too small to handle all children, or one third of them remain outside, at incredibly high temperatures. The property, which is now complete, was a relief for dozens of children.
bonito desire is to build an orphanage on her property in order to accommodate some of the children who have no parents anymore. My wife and I just collect donations in order to plan for them a "green" orphanage and build, with a solar system, a water production plant, etc., which can accommodate up to 60 children. Misha is with We are working on this exciting project.
The third location for the money from Random Acts was the construction of a school which was established by an NGO (ACDI VOCA). This school for 40 young men and women who have been orphaned by the earthquake in richted, for four months is how to build houses with better seismic integrity. The money from Random Acts there has fulfilled a very good cause (and there is also the most of it flowed). These students learn there true skills on which to base a business. In fact, the students who started this semester already a job that awaits you when they complete their training in late January. And not only this, a better future for Haiti will build stable homes. The NGO had difficulties raise the money to buy equipment for the students and bring them to school because the containers were stuck in Port-au-Prince. Be weeks before such lofuhren asked her if we could maybe bring some additional tools in our suitcases for them to help out, because the students did not. We asked each of the volunteers an extra suitcase with diapers (for the orphanages) bring to bolster the saws, hammers, sinkers, hand tools, tape measures and other tools.
In effect, we applied with 375 kg of tools in 15 large suitcases. It was a riot to get them through customs and the view when they opened our bags and diapers in it we saw were. They thought we would smuggle supplies, but when they heard of our destination, they laughed and waved us through.
4th What is the current situation in Haiti?
In Port-au-Prince, a state of emergency. Everywhere is rubble and the unemployment rate is incredibly high. In addition, only very few people visit schools. This is a problem that concerns the future of Haiti. Besides, the most notable was that my wife and I have seen that people so full of Love, hope and gratitude. If you did not know better, you would never believe that they are in the midst of a national disaster (earthquake, flood, cholera ...). It is the liveliest in such a wonderful way culture that I have ever experienced.
5th Misha gave us the story of the man who has helped you at Home Depot on purchase of equipment that he is Haitian and has lost his family. Would you tell us more about it? Are there other stories from the preparation of your trip that you would like to share with us?
Yes, that was incredible. We have the equipment for the construction of schools in Home Depot together, and said the girl at the register, any of its forklift drivers would be Haitian and had lost his sister and other family members in the earthquake. We'll be right with him and talked to him. He was overwhelmed to hear what we were doing and what we would use the money from Misha's Run. I have visited him recently to take pictures of our trip to Haiti to show and he had many of the images in tears.
6th has worked as the journey itself? Were there problems at customs? to go through
Port-au-Prince has a bit of a nightmare. Lots of traffic, flooding, waste gases. And then of course there was the History at customs, of which I have already told.
7th How has the community responded ?
The community has welcomed us with open arms and great assistance. In particular, the enormous support for the construction of the school was. There was actually a school on the opening day of the accentuation of ceremony for us, at which the Mayor of Jacmel welcomed us and thanked us for our help in establishing the school. We have taken all the students. They were also extremely grateful.
8th What was the biggest challenge that your team has seen the opposite?
It was sometimes difficult, so many children without parents to see. You go to an orphanage and they literally run on to an embrace (four or five at a time) because they lack the physical closeness. The operator of an orphanage can nunmal day only a certain number of children a hug. to leave these children was extremely difficult. But fortunately, we will indeed see each other again soon.
9th As the outbreak of cholera has affected your journey?
The cholera broke a few days before our departure, when the flood hit the city. We have all taken sorgfällig on our health.
10th If someone got sick from your group?
We are all still very healthy.
11th Where did you stay during your trip?
We stayed in two hotels on the water in Jacmel, which were very cheap but very nice. They had great food and the staff was incredibly friendly. It was pleasant in a comfortable hotel to return, if you had spent all day playing with children, to build a dental clinic or to visit a school for building construction.
12th What was the most urgent needs ?
The orphanages need diapers and medicine. The school needed equipment.
13th liked what the kids the most?
Children want it to be held in the arm and if you played with them. "Jack" was a very popular game and the tinkering (and paint) by prayer flags.
14th What was the biggest surprise on your journey?
two things: how incredibly grateful and loving the people of Haiti are and how easy it is to effect a difference in this world by a bit of what gives his time and money. It is to do a good wahnsinngi feeling good.
15th What is the fondest memory you will take away from this experience.
for me was the smiles on the faces of 40 orphans as their first lesson had. It was as you would see on their way to the future.
16th Have not you any personal anecdotes that you want to share with us?
I have a funny story for you. Towards the end of our trip, we had approximately $ 1,250 dollars from the money left over from Random Acts and I wanted to keep for the next trip, but then has a great application possibilities.
We were at a meeting for the school and showed the Mayor of Jacmel, and other council members the tools and other equipment. They have thanked us and then have begun to discuss how they all Students to school and would bring back. Many of the students live either in orphanages or without families in the tent cities. You have to travel long distances to school either on foot or hitch-hiking. This means that it is not sure if they get there. All the money that the students, they need food. The Mayor was very concerned that students do not regularly come to class would be able to. The discussion was in a downward spiral that took the future of the school in question.
I quietly asked one of the city council members: "How much would it cost a transport system to be on the legs, where each Student the ride pays gets when he appears for the class? "In principle, if a student comes by bus, would the school pay for the bus ride. He thought for a moment about it and then said to be so to the $ 1,500. So asked I him to tell the Council that they should not worry and that Random Acts would take care of the travel costs of the first group of students. He could not believe. When he told the Council, they stopped talking and applauded simply only.
We took care of the details and later my wife and I did add our own funds to the $ 1,250 that we reached $ 1,600. The students now come to the school and the Travel is paid.
17th When are you planning the next trip?
Our next trip is planned for late June. We will travel to Haiti at a "green" orphanage for Bonita Afriane build. We will use an excellent technology that allows us to build the orphanage in a week. At the same time we teach the orphans a new way of building trade and help there, a new industry for environmentally friendly construction to create. Like I said, Misha will be involved here in a very special way. Stay tuned!
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