Monday, May 31, 2010
Roger's story
My long term friend, Roger Desir, was next on my list of people I wanted to see while in Haiti. I didn’t know he was in the country, because he and Mithilde were in Washington, DC at the time of the quake to attend a special meeting of the Faith and Money Network (the successor organization of Ministry of Money). He came back to Haiti to participate in the funeral of a nephew who survived the quake after being pulled out from the rubble with only scrapes and bruises. But the trauma caused by the earthquake complicated some of his previous health issues, and he died suddenly.
Roger Desir, a retired Episcopal Priest, and his wife were surviving on his modest pension, living in their modest home in Port-au-Prince. This home was their security for their future. The earthquake destroyed their home and most of their possessions. As Roger described the loss, they even have to go out and buy new underwear.
Roger had not seen his home since the earthquake. So, Nixon and I took him by to see it. Roger pointed out the thin re-bar that had been installed in the cement walls of his home when it was originally built. It wasn’t built to withstand the 7.2 earthquake.
Roger and Tida are now trying to decide how to move ahead. They do not have the estimated $70 to 80,000 needed to build a modest, single story, wood home on their property. They may try to find an inexpensive apartment to rent in the Washington, DC area. Members of the Church of the Saviour are attempting to help them find such a place. But Roger indicated that he would prefer to return to his life-long home in Haiti.
Roger Desir, a retired Episcopal Priest, and his wife were surviving on his modest pension, living in their modest home in Port-au-Prince. This home was their security for their future. The earthquake destroyed their home and most of their possessions. As Roger described the loss, they even have to go out and buy new underwear.
Roger had not seen his home since the earthquake. So, Nixon and I took him by to see it. Roger pointed out the thin re-bar that had been installed in the cement walls of his home when it was originally built. It wasn’t built to withstand the 7.2 earthquake.
Roger and Tida are now trying to decide how to move ahead. They do not have the estimated $70 to 80,000 needed to build a modest, single story, wood home on their property. They may try to find an inexpensive apartment to rent in the Washington, DC area. Members of the Church of the Saviour are attempting to help them find such a place. But Roger indicated that he would prefer to return to his life-long home in Haiti.
Fonkoze and Anne Hastings
My first stop on Monday was to visit with Anne Hastings at Fonkoze. Fonkoze is a bank for the organized poor, and Anne has been the CEO for several years. She was personally recruited to do this job by the founder Fr. Joseph Philippe. For those of you who want to know more about this unique bank, check it out at www.fonkoze.org.
Fonkoze was hard hit by the earthquake. They lost five employees, 112 clients, with more than 14,300 of their clients who lost their businesses, their homes, or both. 470 members of their staff are without a home, and like most everyone else in Haiti, most everyone lost someone close to them.
Just prior to the earthquake Fonkoze, with their partner Alternative Insurance Corporation of Haiti, was about to launch a catastrophic loan product for their clients. This was created to provide help in response to the hurricanes and storms that hit Haiti in 2008. Sadly, the earthquake interrupted the implementation of this product, but Fonkoze and AIC decided they must treat the affected clients AS IF the product had been introduced. With that mandate in mind, Fonkoze successfully forged a partnership with the American Red Cross, Mercy Corps, and Opportunity International Germany. They have provided outright grants for shelter, and forgave the loans currently in force, and granted new loans to help their clients move ahead.
Since the earthquake the staff of Fonkoze has worked tirelessly to restore their services to their clients, dispensing a large amount of emergency funding and providing access to the funds they hold in trust for their clients.
Thanks, Anne Hastings, for your courageous and dedicated leadership of this outstanding program.
Fonkoze was hard hit by the earthquake. They lost five employees, 112 clients, with more than 14,300 of their clients who lost their businesses, their homes, or both. 470 members of their staff are without a home, and like most everyone else in Haiti, most everyone lost someone close to them.
Just prior to the earthquake Fonkoze, with their partner Alternative Insurance Corporation of Haiti, was about to launch a catastrophic loan product for their clients. This was created to provide help in response to the hurricanes and storms that hit Haiti in 2008. Sadly, the earthquake interrupted the implementation of this product, but Fonkoze and AIC decided they must treat the affected clients AS IF the product had been introduced. With that mandate in mind, Fonkoze successfully forged a partnership with the American Red Cross, Mercy Corps, and Opportunity International Germany. They have provided outright grants for shelter, and forgave the loans currently in force, and granted new loans to help their clients move ahead.
Since the earthquake the staff of Fonkoze has worked tirelessly to restore their services to their clients, dispensing a large amount of emergency funding and providing access to the funds they hold in trust for their clients.
Thanks, Anne Hastings, for your courageous and dedicated leadership of this outstanding program.
Richard's Story
I met Richard for the first time ten years ago. He was one of the bright, articulate young men in Kaglo. He has an unforgettable smile and welcoming personality. So, it was a delight to reconnect with him on Sunday, when I spent the morning and afternoon at the Blanc family home. He had heard that I was coming to visit and he made a point of coming back to the community to connect with me.
Richard was living in the heart of Port-au-Prince, not too far from the Palace. This location provided him with a way to connect with any jobs that might become available. He is a trained carpenter. But even with that skill, he found it difficult to find regular work before the quake. Port-au-Prince has suffered from a very high unemployment rate … some say over 70 % of the available workers were unemployed. And they survived living off the alternative economy.
Richard was in his apartment when he began to feel something strange happening. He said he didn’t know what it was, but only that he had to get out of his apartment. Just as he jumped out of the room, the heavy concrete roof collapsed. He was covered with concrete dust and the soot left over from the falling buildings all around him. Everything he owned was in that room. He lost everything, except his life.
Richard was interviewed on ABC News after the quake. He was still covered in dust and soot, and needed a bath. He was asked if he knew anyone in the US. And he said, yes, my friends in Portland, Oregon.
Richard is one of those people living in a tent. While he is grateful for a place to live, he said the tent is dangerous. He and his buddy were assigned a tent to live in. It gets very, very hot during the middle of the day with the hot Haitian sun bearing down. And when the rainy season arrived (and it is now raining hard every day for hours), everything in tent city is wet and muddy. And when the sun comes out, the tent becomes a very hot and suffocating steam bath.
And it is difficult to find anything to eat. He said you stand in long lines for hours, and frequently the food is all gone by the time you get to the front of the line.
He said that life is very, very hard. He doesn’t know his future.
He was grateful that I came back to see how he is doing after the quake. He only asked for my continued interest and prayers.
Richard was living in the heart of Port-au-Prince, not too far from the Palace. This location provided him with a way to connect with any jobs that might become available. He is a trained carpenter. But even with that skill, he found it difficult to find regular work before the quake. Port-au-Prince has suffered from a very high unemployment rate … some say over 70 % of the available workers were unemployed. And they survived living off the alternative economy.
Richard was in his apartment when he began to feel something strange happening. He said he didn’t know what it was, but only that he had to get out of his apartment. Just as he jumped out of the room, the heavy concrete roof collapsed. He was covered with concrete dust and the soot left over from the falling buildings all around him. Everything he owned was in that room. He lost everything, except his life.
Richard was interviewed on ABC News after the quake. He was still covered in dust and soot, and needed a bath. He was asked if he knew anyone in the US. And he said, yes, my friends in Portland, Oregon.
Richard is one of those people living in a tent. While he is grateful for a place to live, he said the tent is dangerous. He and his buddy were assigned a tent to live in. It gets very, very hot during the middle of the day with the hot Haitian sun bearing down. And when the rainy season arrived (and it is now raining hard every day for hours), everything in tent city is wet and muddy. And when the sun comes out, the tent becomes a very hot and suffocating steam bath.
And it is difficult to find anything to eat. He said you stand in long lines for hours, and frequently the food is all gone by the time you get to the front of the line.
He said that life is very, very hard. He doesn’t know his future.
He was grateful that I came back to see how he is doing after the quake. He only asked for my continued interest and prayers.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
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