While the large rescue organizations are focusing where they need to most, in the Port Au Prince area, please do not forget the population that is isolated on the island of Lagonave and especially our communities in the mountains far from any rescue missions.
If you would like to organize a fundraiser, or donate personally please see our donation page. Designate the funds to “Matenwa earthquake relief”. We will use the money to assure that families will not go hungry during these next weeks/months and homes get repaired out here. Thank you for all your humanitarian efforts. The people in Matènwa truly feel your support and concern. I had been communicating your emails to them yesterday. Unfortunately communications have been cut off since this morning but I will keep you informed when I hear from them again. Read my previous post from this morning, “To all our supporters”.
Humbly,
Chris
Hello
I m director of a Frecnh Red Cross chapter. I lived ” months in Source a Philippe whith Joe and Shirley EGERTON and Amy BOWEN. I know about the fact that La Gonave is isolated and forgotten of the resuce operations, as usual…
I already told to the director of the international programms of the FRC to consider about the island if possible or tell to others NGO’s about La Gonave.
Could you send me a report about the situation on the island? Peoples hurted? Destructions?Homeless people? Area affected? Needs…
I will try to do my best to sensibilize the NGO’s that i know about La Gonave.
Antoine
I am a friend of Nancy Casey (and of Abner and Afelene, who I am holding in my heart, as I am everyone at Matenwa) and have already posted information about MCLC and how to help on the new message board Holistic Globe put up to help people network about giving to organizations to help Haiti through this crisis. My post there that includes options for donating through Beyond Borders or through Courageous Women via the VP Foundation. You can see the post here: http://holisticglobe.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/1920578-helping-haiti-list-your-resources?next=#secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=15418 I am working on a notice for my own website to hopefully get you a little more support that way, and my husband will be able to add that to my front page later tonight. We’ve already sent what we can right now via VP/FC, but I wish it could be more. Hang tough and take the best care you can. Many thoughts and prayers are with you.
thank you so much. It makes me hopeful when I hear that others are spreading the word that we are out here too and will need help rebuilding.
My page is up now: http://write-em-cowgirls.com/Help-Matenwa-Lagonave-Haiti.php There are links to the Beyond Borders and VP donation sites, “learn more” links to MCLC and Famn Kouraj, and a link to a twenty minute radio interview of Nancy Casey talking about the situation in Haiti and on Lagonav and at Matenwa. I’ve put the word out to three different writing circles of mine, and there’s a special banner on every page to send regulars to the new page. Hopefully it will get you something. Keep applying those problem solving skills you teach the kids as you’ve been doing so well so far, and Nancy and I and other friends of Matenwa will do what we can to keep some extra resources coming in for a while. You are all behaving so admirably, and I hope you can all feel how many people are holding you in their hearts. If there were a planetary “Ray of Light” award, I would vote for MCLC to win it.
From what I am gathering from your updates and following the video links, etc. I am also impressed with your partner network of projects, small NGOs, etc., and how you are all trying to work together to solve the new problems and challenges of this situation. Good work everyone.
Haiti is in a lot of hearts right now. I happen to know (because a friend of mine was leading workshops there and helped set the whole thing up) that Pete Seeger and Tom Chapin played a concert for Haiti at a Sisters of Maryknoll retreat center in New York state on Sunday evening. 600 people attended and donated more than 19K dollars for Haiti, and I am sure there are many fundraisers like that going on all over the place, and it will all add up. We just need to make sure that some of that aid makes it to Lagonav. I wish the response to this terrible crisis could have been quicker, but a lot of people care and are trying to find ways to help. I hope people over there know that.