Fwd: a month has passed

Bob Belenky
80 Lyme Road, apt 105
Hanover, NH 03755-1229
603 678-4155 or 802 428-4141
                   ***
http://haitirenaissiance.blogspot.com/

http://robertbelenky.com

Begin forwarded message:

From: David Diggs <ddiggs@beyondborders.net>

Date: February 13, 2010 2:32:00 AM EST

To: robertbelenky@mac.com

Subject: a month has passed

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February 12, 2010   Dear Bob,   A month has now passed since this earthquake devastated Haiti. What would normally be the season for celebrating Carnival has been replaced with three days of fasting and prayer. As I prepare to return to the United States I'm haunted by the images and stories of grief and trauma. A friend who had three siblings returns to his mother's home taking the bodies of two of her children and the news that the third child's body is crushed under rubble. The wife of a co-worker who was teaching a class of 34 students is pulled from the rubble with relatively minor physical injuries but is traumatized by witnessing the death of 30 of her students. A young man who can't manage to free the body of his mother from the rubble has no choice but to cremate her body in the rubble. Haiti lost so, so much in just a few seconds. Hundreds of school buildings buried their students. Hundreds more will have to be condemned and torn down. Tens of thousands of homes came down, bringing down the only savings or investment many Haitians have and leaving them especially vulnerable during the hurricane season that is coming in a few months.   Children, so many of whom were already separated from their parents and living in servitude, are even more vulnerable and destitute, wandering the streets, defenseless, and hungry.   I've been moved many times by the gratitude expressed to me as a representative of the international response to this disaster. There are some obvious problems in the delivery of aide, but most people seem to look past this and appreciate the intent.   I've also been moved by the courage and commitment of our staff and partners in Haiti. They've been working non-stop since the quake. This time of prayer and fasting will be the first break many of them have had.   The work they are doing is making a real difference: They are delivering assistance--food, clean water, fuel, tents and tarps, and other necessities. They are working to help rural communities respond to the sudden reverse migration back into the countryside. They are training teams of relief workers from such international organizations as Unicef, Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and the Haitian government to register unaccompanied children so they can be reconnected to their parents or placed in other non-institutional settings for something akin to foster care. We're so grateful for the outpouring of support we've received. Haiti needs people who will be committed to her efforts to rebuild better. If you are not already a monthly pledged giver please consider becoming one. Knowing we can count on your regular support allows us to plan more ambitious responses, rebuild schools, expand our efforts to reconnect children to their families, and do much more. Even a small monthly commitment will make a big difference over time. With hope,   David Diggs General Coordinator

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