Saturday, January 30, 2010

Hello Colleagues,


Flavia Cherry from St. Lucia is now in Haiti. Sharing some emails from her:

2010-01-30
"I have been here in Haiti for a few days now and what I find most striking, is not only the resilience of the people, but the extent of volunteerism which is evident in every single camp and in every recovery effort at building and rescue.

"There are thousands of young Haitian men who speak English and they show up at the make-shift hospitals every single morning from 6am till late at night as volunteer translators between the people and the international medical personnel and relief workers. I have never seen anything like this! One Canadian volunteer introduced me to three young men who came across the boarder from the DR as soon as they heard of the earthquake. They are born of a mother from the DR and Haitian fathers, so they came over to look for their fathers. They were drawn together by grief when they each learned that their fathers had passed away and those three young men decided to stay in Haiti to assist in the camps. When the Canadian volunteer introduced me to those three young men, I had to hold back the tears. Like everyone else, they are living in tents and can barely find something to eat, but they stayed to help their Haitian people.

"What you really do not see, is Haitians helping Haitians and the extent to which the people have organized themselves. Civil Society has set up huge signs in areas which read in English "Please, Help us Here. Those signs point to the areas where the need is greatest. But what you do not see on TV, is the extent to which aid efforts are being mishandled by those international people who think they know everything. What you do not see on TV is the thousands of military officers heavily armed, standing, milling around doing nothing when there is absolutely no need for this kind of military presence. Just think of what it must take to house, feed, pay and care for each of those heavily armed military officers. Compare this to the women and children living under tents made of bedsheets, who are yet to see any aid efforts reaching them.

Regards,

Flavia"
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Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010
I have met with doctors, women, patients, women and children who need help etc.  I am now at the ofice of SOFA (one of the women's organisations).  I am starving but no supermarkets are open.  It does not  even make sense to have money now, when there is no place to buy food.  But my spirits are up and I am surviving.  The determination of the Haitians is all i n eed for inspiration.


Regards,

Flavia
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Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010

Hi Joyce, friends:

I am now in Haiti - incredible!  The situationis so absolutely unlivable, terrible.  Will give an update when i can.

Regards,

Flavia
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Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Hi ROK:

We had meetings all day yesterday and for half a day today and listened intently to reports from the women of Haiti who came.  It is really incredible to listen to the stories of hope, survival, despair and pain! I am leaving tonight at 11:30pm.  Can you please send me Jenny´s number? Send me the gentleman´s name and number again.

We have been successful in getting a women´s media team to come to Haiti with us and they will be broadcasting live from Haiti. They will be interviewing me in creole. We had meetings with the media licensing authority here and they have agreed to assist us in setting up a radio station in Haiti, which will be run by the women. It is incredible what can be done with international solidarity.

I was able to get supplies in and we have loaded two buses which will take them into Haiti. Buses leave the border at 6am, 9am and 2pm.

Things are happening very quickly here. I am not sure about internet access when I get into Haiti, but I will come back here in the DR for a day or two before I get home. I hope the supplies leave Barbados quickly because people are really desperate in Haiti.

Regards,

Flavia

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