SponsorandFeedaChild: Sponsor a Child, Feed, Educate, and Heal Hungry, Needy Children

2010-05-01T21:23:00.000-07:00

Garçon and Sister return to Leogane, Haiti

2010-05-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

Garçon in Haiti -2

2010-05-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

Pierre Garcon returns to Haiti (1)

2010-05-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

Learning Haitian Creole (Kreyol) Becomes Important for Volunteers and Parents of Haitian Adoptees

2010-03-27T23:31:00.000-07:00

Here are a few good resources. Please let others know about them

"-Learn Haitian Creole in No Time and on the Go! Free HaitianCreoleMP3 Podcast--------------New Textbook That Can Help You Learn Kreyol Fast!---------------

"To get people to volunteer and to help Haiti rebuild schools, homes and other public buildings, I've created http://haitiancreolemp3.libsyn.com to teach free Haitian Creole to anybody who wants to learn the language. It is a free Haitian Creole language podcast made available and taught in English and Spanish to serve and reach as many people as possible.

The following resources are fund-raising efforts for Haiti homebuilding

I have also published an accompanying textbook that will give more direct assistance to all those interested in helping Haitians, learning Kreyol, and potentially visiting Haiti some day. "Sak Pase? N-ap Boule Textbook" is available at http://sakpaselearnhaitiancreole.blogspot.com and http://haitiancreolemp3.libsyn.com

So please help me pass these resources around! So far, many people from all over the world have been using them. The free lessons are also available in German and French through iTouch and iPhone downloads.

Find the most popular Haitian lullabies, nursery rhymes and childrens' songs CD at http://ezhaitiancreole.blogspot.com

Keep Haiti in your prayers and in the News! From the comfort of your home, you can help contribute to Haitian Recovery!....."

Your Unique Opportunity to Sponsor and Lift up a Needy Child

2010-03-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

Updates on Jan. 12/2010: Haiti is the land of unlimited opportunities -i.e.- opportunities to reach out to needy Haitian children made orphans and shelterless by the earthquake's devastation

Updates on 2-2-10: To Sponsor a child in Haiti is to send money to the child so he/she can be fed, go to school and receive some basic care.
The amount you want to send may vary between $30 to $60 per month.

Keep in mind that the child will continue to live in Haiti. You are not going to sponsor him/her to come to the United States or other countries.

Read on......

How many needy Haitian children can you sponsor? Just start with one!
Sponsorandfeedachild Program
(http://sponsorandfeedachild.blogspot.com) has a list of needy
children who are waiting for somebody to give them a helping hand.
Maybe all you can afford to sponsor is one child. That is what
Sponsorandfeedachild is all about. It is a tangible way for us,
concerned parents, to reach out and show our own children how we can
help someone else in the world.

The harsh economic and political situation that Haiti has been going
through for the past decades has undoubtedly prevented many parents
from feeding and sending their children to school. I was in Haiti a
few months ago and witnessed the deplorable human conditions! Some of
the parents may resort to placing their kids with more well-off family
members or friends who may be able to raise them. Others who are in
more desperate situations may end up unknowingly giving up their kids
to "child slavery" where abuse and an uncertain future await them.

As recently reported by ABC News, Child Slavery flourishes where high
illiteracy rates, lack of education and social services exist. As a
poor country, Haiti meets all the conditions for this type of
exploitation. Where else have you heard about parents feeding "mud
cakes or mud cookies" to their hungry children?

Through SponsorandFeedachild Fund, you can make the difference in a
child's life. You can prevent one child from knowing this type of
depravity and misery. Educating and/or feeding a Haitian child will
be greatly appreciated.

We accept your free email questions

If you want to sponsor a child, visit
http://sponsorandfeedachild.blogspot.com or write to us at
sponsorachildemail@gmail.com

Servant Leader
sponsorachildemail@gmail.com

Helping the kids

2010-03-06T10:50:00.000-08:00

Haitian orphans

2010-03-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

Back in Plano, Texas

2010-03-06T10:37:00.000-08:00

Back in Texas

2010-03-06T10:34:00.000-08:00

Part deux, part two

2010-03-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

Only one is still in jail, Laura silsby

2010-03-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

Missionary Appears with Lawyer once on US soil

2010-02-22T08:29:00.000-08:00

Haitian Orphans Were not True Orphans

2010-02-22T08:26:00.000-08:00

Missionary From Plano Texas

2010-02-22T08:24:00.000-08:00

American Missionary Talks

2010-02-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

Haitian Immigrants' Son, Colts Wide Receiver, Pierre Garcon, Represents Haiti in 2010 Superbowl

2010-02-07T11:37:00.000-08:00

Twitter, Facebook, Social Network Media and Regular Media Such as CNN Look for Accountability in Relief Aid

2010-02-07T11:36:00.000-08:00

Laura Silsby's Orphanage Documents Revealed, Created 6 Days After Quake

2010-02-07T10:25:00.000-08:00

Anderson Cooper is revealing much information about Laura Silsby's claims of being a well intended woman wanting to help poor kids.

To find out more about this case, read about the coverage by Anderson Cooper on Laura Silsby's case

Girl's Smile Despite The Surrounding Chaos Represents Hope and Future of Haiti

2010-02-05T01:03:00.000-08:00

Waiting in line to receive food and water

What Pushes Haitian Parents To Give Up Their Kids

2010-02-04T15:40:00.000-08:00

Understanding Haiti: Haitian Adoptions, Restavek Creation Phenomenon, and Sponsorships:

The case of the 10 American Baptist missionaries who were caught crossing the Haitian border with the Dominican Republic with 33 Haitian children illustrates what many Haitians have known for many years. Parents who are unable to take care of their offspring often resort to giving them up or placing them with well-to-do or well-off families around them or in the capital. Usually, the parents know and trust the people who will care for their children. These parents were dealing with two extremes. Either they keep taking care of their children with the knowledge that these kids may not have the best education, enough food to eat and may end up growing up with no possibility of earning a living or they give them up to somebody who will provide for their needs. In many cases, some Haitians will make the difficult choice of letting them go to a better life. These cases are not to be confused with the cases of abandoned children seen in most first-world or developed countries such as the United States of America, Canada, France, Germany and others. The parents still want to be part of their kids' lives. It is mostly a survival tactic based on true economic, financial assessments. In the case of orphanages functioning in Haiti, these kids are sure to find shelter and food to eat. They live in the orphanage even though their parents are still alive. Orphanages in Haiti are not only for kids whose parents truly died. They also exist for the kids whose parents are alive but unable to care for them due to abject poverty, lack of financial resources and whereabouts, and education. That is why we push sponsorship of these kids who will continue to live with their parents who receive a monthly stipend to provide for their own family. Now, the true orphans and the kids whose parents were not involved in their upbringing can be taken to orphanages. The continued failure by Haitian authorities to provide for these children in well-regulated and monitored group homes gave rise to the phenomenon of "Haitian Street Children." Stung by the motivation to survive and the needs to meet their primary, basic needs, they resort to begging on street corners and doing odd jobs in the capital and other major cities of the country. Their survival instinct takes over. Just like many Haitians, these kids are trying to make ends meet. They are working for their daily bread, daily meals. The Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake destroyed everything for most Haitians including these kids. They become the traditionally most desperate among the new group of desperate, shelterless and Haitian poor. The cycle of poverty has just reached some deeper levels. Poor or rich, most parents would like their kids to surpass them and know success.

According to Unicef, "Children unaccompanied by adults, including orphans and those sent by their parents to live with more affluent relatives or strangers, run a greater risk of being abducted, enslaved, abused, sold or trafficked because of the lack of security in the wake of last month's devastating earthquake..."

Socio-economic, Historical, Cultural Components:

It is appropriate to give some background information on Haitian Restavek (literally those who stay with or live with a well-off family member or stranger). In most cases, the Haitian kids who are placed with well-off families do not always take good care of them. These kids do not eat with the rest of the family, yet they are expected to do all the heavy-duty labor. They remind me of the "Fisherboys" kids shown on Oprah Winfrey show. Members of the family with whom these kids live often end up exploiting them, abusing them and doing anything less than raising them to become outstanding and contributing citizens later on. In most Haitians' minds, the word "Restavek" connotes or identifies kids who are on their last luck or are given a last chance. Not all restavek receive the same treatment from their new or de facto parents. Birth or biological parents take this alternative after weighing all their options in their efforts to provide a better life for their children. Unfortunately, many bad individuals take advantage of this willingness to let go of the kids. Restavek is a Haitian creation to fill in the voids and the needs for proper supervising agencies left unmet by Haitian authorities. With no education, vocational training, social services (welfare, pregnant women benefits, social security) to fall back on and no remittances from family members living overseas, the unemployed, illiterate Haitian parents may resort to a family member or complete stranger living in the capital to provide what they can not give to their children. This may explain why some of the parents of the 33 Haitian children are resurfacing. All along, they were around but were unable to take care of their children. Obviously, their stories are different from those of the Baptist leader who said that these kids were given to them by distant family members.

Church-based Schools: Catholic Schools and Mission Schools and Orphanages.

When well executed, the Restavek creation takes the place of sponsorship and adoptions in the minds of most Haitians. Restavek persists because of the high rate of unemployment, illiteracy, historically dire financial conditions which lead to poverty. All restavek are not orphans. There are more restavek cases than Haitian adoptions. Adoptions by families living in the US, Canada, Netherlands, France and other countries may take time before they get approved by the judge and Haitian authorities. Any well-intentioned individual can obtain the right permit and license to run an orphanage in Haiti. Haitian authorities know the kids are living and being cared for. Taking the kids across border without the right paperwork is highly discouraged and may result in a lot of headaches and frustration. Nobody wants or has to be jailed for wanting to help desperate children. Despite the devastation and chaos in Haiti, Haitian authorities want to send out a strong message that the country is not a free for all. They want to down on potential traffickers. Evangelistic groups erecting churches in Haiti usually run schools and orphanages. The Catholic Sisters and Brethren are good examples of this. Over the years, they have invested heavily in education in Haiti. Les Freres Salesiens (Salesian Brothers) and various other convents probably have the best private schools to which most Haitian parents want to send their kids. The situation is worse when all or most of these Christian denominations and missions facilities suffered severe damage or were destroyed by the quake and persistent aftershocks. (Some of them may still have countless children trapped underneath piles of debris). We must add that only a small group is able to afford to attend these private institutions.

http://helphaitiquake.blogspot.com

Wanting to Do Good When Bad Happens: How Could It Go So Wrong in the Case of these 10 American Church Members from Idaho?

2010-02-02T01:27:00.000-08:00

Somebody must be able to help these people who wanted to do good but ended up getting caught due to lack of proper documents. Who is it going to be? Many American citizens do not know much about what is required to visit another country. As far as having the right documents to move children, they may have been clueless too.

What a pity! There is no doubt it is a very stressful situation for everybody involved. In the meantime, the children were rescued.

American, French, Canadian and Dutch Families Who Want to Adopt Haitian Children First Learn Haitian Creole

2010-01-29T12:36:00.000-08:00

Just like any aid workers, doctors and humanitarian helpers, American, French, Canadian families are learning Haitian Creole in order to reach out and help rebuild the country. There is an urgency to connect and understand Haitian languages and cultures. Right in their living room, they witness the risks faced the Haitian orphans. They want to help one way or the other. They want to be able to say they are sorry for the devastation brought by the quake and its aftershocks.

Through words of mouth and social networks, most of these future adoptive parents and aid workers turn to one source: http://haitiancreolemp3.libsyn.com to brush up their language skills. Haitian American, Adoptive Parents and Haitian Adoptees Language Consultant, Educator Mr. J. Charles created free Haitian Creole lessons on this site.

Due to the high demand for more Creole lessons, he posts new lessons on a regular basis. So far, all the large files use up lots of bandwith. Even though the lessons are free, he would appreciate receiving some donations to keep the service free at http://haitiancreolemp3.libsyn.com. He has to pay the bills every month. So keep HaitianCreoleMP3 Free for ever!

Learn Haitian Creole from a native who completed his studies in Haiti, then came to the United States of America to pursue and obtain his master's degree.

Why Not You: You Too Can Sponsor a Haitian Child Affected by the Jan. 12 Earthquake

2010-01-25T12:54:00.000-08:00

Why not You? You Too Can Sponsor a Haitian Child Affected by Jan. 12/2010 Earthquake: Just Select a Need to Meet among the Sea of Unlimited Needs

Many of you have called and written to me (sponsorachildemail@gmail.com), asking whether you can sponsor a Haitian child, a Haitian family, a Haitian church or a Haitian school. You have been wondering about what you can do to help. Let me just tell you that I have good news for you. No matter how small your contribution to a Haitian child or family may be, it will be highly appreciated and welcome in these dire times. Just imagine that for the amount of change you spend at Starbucks and McDonald's, you can help feed a hungry child and give hope to a Haitian family who lost everything in the rubbles of the quake.

SponsorandFeedaChild Program gives you the opportunity to meet the needs of the families and children living in outlying areas affected by the quake. These communities are outside of Port-au-Prince. The relief agencies workers may not know them. No wonder they concentrate their relief efforts on Port au Prince only. According to my sources on the grounds, the food distribution you see in the ravaged, devastated areas of Port-au-Prince has not reached them in the provinces. Knowing the country and taking into account the various infrastructure barriers that exist right now, I can tell you that people living in Carrefour, Leogane, Gressier, Carrefour du Fort, Fauche, Grande Ravine, Thozin, Morne Tapion, Jeanty, Gwo Dlo, Tete-a-Boeuf, Ti Paradi (Petit Paradis), Papette, Petit Goave and beyond will continue to be without food and water for some time to come.

SponsorandFeedaChild Program was created by a group of close friends in June 2008 after my trip to the country and after having spent close to 18 years in the United States of America. That was before the 4 hurricanes and destructive floods of 2008 hit the country. The needs were unlimited then. After the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake, multiply them by 100! Now you can understand the urgency that drives and motivates our actions. Our roots are deep in the rural areas of Haiti.

SponsorandFeedaChild relies on its network of concerned local correspondents, residents of these various regions and members of the rural communities to assess the needs and reach out to the very needy people among them. I have heard from them all. Their situation is very serious and dire. Depending on the availability of funds in "Haiti Rural Development Funds," SponsorandFeedaChild plans on working with the various rural development groups that are looking forward to rebuilding potable water cisterns or wells, rebuilding schools, clinics and orphanages that were destroyed by the quake. So your donations are all the more urgent and important.

SponsorandFeedachild Program is also interested in long-term sustainability projects encouraging entrepreneurship, incubating, and sparking microbusiness development with and for Haitian women. This way, they can reach self-sufficiency in the near future. After all, the Haitian women are the glue that keeps the family together.

For now, we will focus on stabilizing the situation by meeting the primary needs!

Now, set your priorities straight. Make up your mind and decide to sponsor one of these groups:

1.) For a monthly commitment of as little as $30 or as much as you want to contribute per month, you can sponsor a Haitian child. You will receive news of the child and his/her family. Once our volunteers are equipped with digital cameras, they will be able to take a picture of your sponsored child. We'll send it to you!

2.) You can choose to sponsor a Haitian family with more than 4 mouths to feed for as little as $50 or as much as you want on a monthly basis. The outcome of your donations is that a family will be kept in tact. The children will be able to find shelter and food. SponsorandFeedaChild is aiming at stabilizing the living conditions of such families.

3.) School Rebuilding: With a one-time or more donation to SponsorandFeedaChild, you can help rebuild a school that will educate Haitian children.

4.) Medical Care and Clinics: You can choose to help heal the broken bodies of Haitian children affected by the quake. Help meet their primary needs with your donation.

5.) If you are a religious person, you can sponsor a religious group, a missionary etc.

6,) If you are thinking about addressing major problems affecting Haitian rural communities such as lack of job creation and economic investment, you may want to donate to "Haiti Rural Communities Fund." Go to http://helphaitiquake.blogspot.com to see what you can do.

Food distribution: children wait in line

2010-01-25T10:25:00.001-08:00

Port au Prince,Haiti food distribution to Haitian children by Alpha Company 1/325 Air

2010-01-25T10:21:00.000-08:00

Part 2- Haitian orphan situation

2010-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

New haitian orphans

2010-01-25T07:58:00.000-08:00

How Much Does It Take To Sponsor a Child? Not Much; Only a Commitment to Helping a Needy Child

2010-01-24T23:44:00.000-08:00

If you want to participate in our Child sponsorship program, we will ask you to make a one-year commitment of $30.00 or more per month to sponsor a needy haitian child. (You can give according to your financial position.) $25.00 of this amount goes directly to the family to provide food, clothing and shelter for the sponsored child. This amount will help contribute to the overall stability of the home environment. Sponsorships are renewable.
If you are interested in sponsoring one of these precious Haitian children, please contact us at sponsorachildemail@Gmail.com

What's SponsorandFeedaChild all About? Interested Sponsors Find Ways to Help Needy Haitian Children

2010-01-24T23:21:00.000-08:00

Updates on Jan. 12/2010: Haiti is the land of unlimited opportunities -i.e.- opportunities to reach out to needy Haitian children made orphans and shelterless by the earthquake's devastation

Read on....

Answers to your questions: How Much Does It Take to Sponsor A Haitian Child? Short answer: As much as you can contribute on a monthly basis without feeling pressured.

Here is the long answer to the above question.

Thanks for contacting us. If you look in our archives, you will find some of the children who are seeking sponsors. We only published a few of them. However, we have a whole list of children who have not been matched with a sponsor yet.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself so we can match you with a child. We can always send you a picture of a needy Haitian child and related information. You can choose to sponsor the child by contributing as much as $1000 or as much as you want or as little as $25 per month. Frankly, most of our sponsors are not rich people. They are regular people like you and me. They make small contributions. We like steady small contributions. If you had the large one, it would be OK too.

You can make your contributions by using Paypal or Obopay on http://sponsorandfeedachild.blogspot.com

Or you can decide to send us a check which will expedite the transaction. Once we receive the funds, we deposit them and pay the transfer fees to make sure the money is in the hands of your child's parents the same or very next day, but not later than a week. (Well, Founder and servant leader, Mr. Charles, pays the transfer fees out of his pockets!!!!).

None of your contribution goes to administrative overhead costs. Our volunteer field directors and agents make sure that the family spends some of it on the child's education needs and food. Some of our sponsors occasionally make a substantial contribution to a specific project. For example, a few sponsors sent money to their child's parents so they can repair their home destroyed by the recent hurricane season or for specific holidays.

SponsorandFeedaChild Program is a startup for good network founded by a group of American professionals of European, African, Asian and Caribbean descent. We believe we can make a differece in one child's life at a time. With your support, more than 6 children can be reached and lifted up from the grips of dire poverty that Haiti has known. Our small group reflects such a rich diversity. Among us, we have so many college degrees. What will all these degrees be worth if children are still dying not too far from our borders, if we can not even help feed or clothe them?

In our pursuit of money and prosperity offered by our country, a few of us have stopped to look back at those we left behind a long time ago. They want a helping hand from us. After all, they are our forgotten neighbors! We are ready to form a grassroots organization to help them. Together we, the people of the United States and other countries of the world, can bring change to Haiti one child at a time thanks to SponsorandFeedachild Program!

Since the inception of http://sponsorandfeedachild.blogspot.com, change is dripping to Haiti. Joy, laughter, and smile are brought back to the few fortunate sponsored children's faces. We want this organization to continue to reach out to these needy children.

SponsorandFeedaChild is a project from the heart. Once you join us, you will feel the need to tell your friends or enemies, co-workers and other family members about us. The occasional updates you will receive from your kids will be worth all the efforts.

If you can not join us to help a kid now, please pass on the message to somebody else who may sponsor a needy child.

Write to us at sponsorachildemail@gmail.com

Thanks

Servant Leader, Founder, Mr. Joseph Charles
sponsorachildemail@gmail.com

Adopted Haitian Girl Starts a New Life with French Family:

2010-01-24T05:51:00.000-08:00

If you can not adopt a Haitian child, consider sponsoring one!

Celebrity and Superstars Help Haiti: Hope for Haiti Now Major Telethon for Haiti Relief Efforts

2010-01-23T10:37:00.001-08:00

Tell us what you are doing to help Haiti. How about deciding to help a child? You can sponsor a needy child today. Or you can contribute to any of these organizations.

Parents and Children Sleep on Streets; They Want to Leave Ravaged Port Au Prince

2010-01-23T10:30:00.001-08:00

6.1 Aftershock Hit Petit-Goave, Haiti again: Grand-Goave is Her Neighbor

2010-01-20T07:13:00.000-08:00

Haitian Orphans and Restavek May Be Adopted by Foreign Families After Quake If Haitian Judges Sign Paperwork

2010-01-19T20:47:00.000-08:00

After Tuesday's quake, I continue to be haunted by the pictures of children who witnessed their parents' crushing death. A young boy was finally rescued from the arms of his dead father. Even when the rescuer reached him, he refused to let go of his dead father. He wanted to stay with his dead father. Tears ran down my cheeks. I also heard horrible stories about fathers singing their daughters to bed. This story was reported by a young woman who was finally rescued. She said that some of her family members died on her knees in the rublbles.

The pictures that stay with me up to now are those of two kids (a boy and a girl) covered with dust, barefooted and crying over the loss of their family. They were alone among the piles of debris. They had nobody to hug them. They were alone and lonely. They had no family member to shield them from the cruel deaths that cheated them. I wanted to reach out and feed them. I wanted to comfort them and tell them that the following nights will be better.

In good times, Haiti had a lot of orphans. Most Haitians had some restavek who may now have to fend for themselves when they were never taught how to live freely. These are some of the Haitian kids who need to be rescued from the streets. Haitian Street Kids are also a problem.

Why would Haitian judges take so long to approve some adoptions?
Haitian adoptions used to take a long time.

After CNN's Anderson Cooper broadcast the plight of Haitian children waiting for their papers to be approved, we saw what happened to their cases. Many of these kids are now living with their American parents in the US. We also saw a senator piloting his plane to pick up or rescue some Haitian children and their American caretakers.

The Netherlands sent a plane to pick Haitian kids who were being adopted by Dutch families.

"The 109 children include nine who were in the process of being adopted but have not yet been assigned Dutch parents, Mikkelsen said. Those nine will be placed in foster families until permanent parents can be found.

Fifty-six children were awaiting travel documents when the quake hit. The remaining 44 already had been matched to parents but were still waiting for a Haitian judge to approve their adoptions..."

Pittsburg Welcomes Haitian Orphans; France Ready to Fly Haitian Children Adopted by French Families

2010-01-18T21:23:00.000-08:00

Pittsburg parents were happy to welcome their Haitian children

The orphans were allowed into the country under an emergency humanitarian program announced Monday. The Homeland Security ruling allows orphaned children from Haiti to enter the United States temporarily on a case-by-case basis.

The decision applies to children who have been legally confirmed as orphans eligible for intercountry adoption by the government of Haiti and are being adopted by U.S. citizens.

France is to fly all Haitian children adopted by French couples out of the stricken country, Development Minister Alain Joyandet said Monday. "We will accelerate the (adoption) procedure for all the children with documents, for those where no questions remain," Joyandet told Europe 1 radio.

Since last week's devastating earthquake, prospective parents of Haitian children have demonstrated in front of ministries to demand that the government make it a priority to fly their adopted children to France.

But Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Monday that France is concerned about all Haitian children, not only those adopted, and that priority would be given to those injured in the quake.

France is by far the most active country in the adoption of Haitian children. According to figures by the French Adoption Agency, of some 1,300 Haitian children adopted around the world in 2006, 591 came to France.

Partial List of Dead Grand Goave Residents: Help Grand Goave's Quake Survivors; Its Children Need You Now!

2010-01-18T13:58:00.000-08:00

SOS, SOS, SOS, SOS S O S SOS SOS FOR GRAND GOAVE, HAITI!!!!!!!SURVIVORS OF QUAKE NEED HELP NOW! HUNGRY, THIRSTY, STARVING CHILDREN AND ADULTS CAN NOT WAIT!!!!!

Partial List of Dead People from Grand Goave:

1. Yvette Jean Julien (Rue Chemisette)

2. Nahomie Esperance (Rue Chemisette)

3. Denièse Joseph (Rue St François)

4. Volcin Rose-André

5. Myrtho Saintus (Pitit Klaris)

6. Guyto Lovelace

7. Geraldine Metelus

8. Jean Marie Emelia

9. Fadline St Jean (Deye Calver)

10. Sandra Leubrun (Rue St Francois)

11. Mme Fritz Milord (Zou) et son fils (Rue Artiste)

12. Jeannine Mathurin (Fauche)

13. Jean BienAime (Papette)

14. Kerby Alexys (Fauche)

15. Marie Ange Louis (Fauche)

16. Carmelo Saintine (Fauche) Francois)

17. Milord Shakina (5 ans, Rue St. Francois)

18. Marie France Zephyr (Daughter of late Boss Nelio)

19. Raymond...died at the City of Canadians (Cite des Canadiens) near the beach. Large numbers of Canadian tourists and retirees died all over Haiti, including Grand Goave.

Countless sisters of the Catholic church died too. More names will be posted later!

According to the Association of Grand Goave journalists, the needs are unlimited. They are asking for assistance in these areas.

"....There are many injuries that are very extremely difficult for us to treat. We have no hospital in this town because the only one we had have been transformed into an Integrated Diagnostic Center which is not yet functional. Many people have broken legs, broken arms, and severe heads injuries. We were able to get some medical attention from the American missionary doctors of the Lifeline Christian Mission, Cuban and Haitian doctors, as well as the Haitian community but we are still in desperate need of an orthopedist. We need gloves, masks, antibiotics, Tylenol, Ibuprofen 600 - 800mg, Diclofenac inj, inj Dipirone, Ampicillin 500, Amox co, alcohol, pliers and wire sutures, linen, gas, peroxide, Betadine, cotton, lidocaine, sterile water, bandages, paracetamol 500mg Co, and catheter. We also need fuel for the generators, medical staff transportation, the city police, and the victims in order to get everyone to a safe location...."

Please contact the association to see how you can help this beautiful town with the best and most beautiful beaches and proud citizens.

Their email address is grandgoaveonline@gmail.com

If you are here in California, want to help this city and want to contact me to inquire about this community, email me at helphaitiquake@gmail.com. After all, Grand Goave is my hometown too!

Help These Organizations Help Haitian Children, Orphans and Street Kids

2010-01-17T22:44:00.000-08:00

The following organizations are accepting SMS donations in the US only:

* SMS text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts
* SMS text “YELE” to 501501 to Donate $5 to Yele Haiti’s Earthquake Relief efforts
* SMS text "GIVE10" to 20222 to donate $10 to Direct Relief.

Here is another organization that you should consider helping: Good Samaritan Project

You can sponsor a child for only $20 dollars a month. These children are counting on us to help them. What we in America consider to be "pocket change" could be used to pay for clothes, education, housing, Bibles etc.

Send checks payable to:

Grand Goave, Haiti

6524 SW 8th Place. North Lauderdale. Fla. 33068

(954) 977-2938

Contact By Email:samaritanproject@yahoo.com

Learn Haitian Creole to Effectively and Efficiently Help Haitians Rebuild Haiti

2010-01-17T10:05:00.001-08:00

Haitian American man, from California, has the brilliant idea of using his expertise in French, Creole, Spanish and English to teach Creole in No Time to aid workers who will eventually depart for Haiti.

As people are rushing to help Haitians entombed in their own homes or stuck under piles of debris and rubbles after the 7.0 quake hit the country, Mr. Charles is using his knowledge of Spanish, English and Creole in a very social media and iTunes, iPod-savvy way. He realized that he can not be there with the first responders, but they can listen to him wherever they turn in Haiti. Equipped with an MP3 player, these first responders can connect with the mass of Haitians who only speak Creole. They can learn to converse with them in the only language all Haitians speak. Creole is the main means of communications among the mass.

For Mr. Charles, there is such an urgency. After watching the US news media and networks such as CBS, ABC, NBC and CNN, he came to the conclusion that a fast crash course of Creole is needed for the millions of rescuers and helpers who will continue to go to Haiti.

Mr. Charles is not charging anybody for the course. He only requests donations to help defray the high costs of bandwith.

He welcomes any assistance in getting this project started. He also added that missionaries will be able to use this tool long after Haiti has been rebuilt and that the last rescuers and builders leave the country.

Using the Internet, Twitter, Facebook, podcast, blogs and any other ways, Mr. Charles is contributing to the rebuilding of his country where his parents are homeless these days.

Visit HaitianCreoleMP3 Project Now

My Personal Connection to Haiti Earthquake's Devastation and Suffering

2010-01-15T09:13:00.000-08:00

If you want to read the whole story, go to HelpHaitiQuake: Help Rebuild Haiti

I realized that nobody is immune from the effects and suffering caused by the magnitude 7.0 quake that hit Haiti. Some of my friends and former colleagues are still unaccounted for...

Here is what I found out this morning (1-15-10)

Thanks to Digicel, the telephone company whose headquarters is based in Jamaica, my nephew (Frandy) was granted a few free minutes to call me to give me the news of my parents and neighbors. My parents are OK. However, my father barely escaped death as the 1st story of our house fell on the area he used to sit at. Knowing that he has difficulty moving fast due to the aneurysm and subsequent stroke he suffered a few years ago, he would have just stayed there. Fortunately, my nephew was getting him ready to give him a bath.

As the earthquake hit the country, he was on his way to take a bath near the other house on the property. My father fell on his face and sustained some scratches. Frandy promptly picked him up and carried him to safety in the brush around the house. As for my mother who was preparing dinner, she almost got burned. The violent shake of the quake spilled the meals. A small fire got started. My nephew ended up coming back for her, walking her to safety. The earth was shaking under their feet. None of them fully understood what was going on in the few seconds or minute the earthquake lasted.

With more than 100 aftershocks taking place even at the time of this phone conversation with me, people are scared in Haiti. My parents and their neighbors are currently sleeping in open air, on a Soccer field. They are afraid of going inside what remains of the house. Needless to say they lost everything. My nephew informed that my parents escaped with the clothes on their back. It has been raining in my hometown. My father is having a lot of difficulty sleeping outside.

With great pain, I learned of the death of a good family friend, Guito Lovelace. My brother, sisters and I went to primary school together in our hometown, Grand-Goave. He became a successful accountant and leader of his family. Two of my sisters got their job thanks to his efforts and recommendation. As a family, we lost a great friend and a smart man. And his family lost a great son.

Our neighbors did not fare well either. Hotel Villa St Georges owned and operated by a former French UN worker, collapsed. It was very important to the Chamette area as it provided access 24/7 access to the Internet. It also made use solar panels to meet its electricity needs. At the Cite des Canadiens, three Canadian retirees died. Their homes, built on the side of the hills, were completely destroyed. Some of the workers survived by jumping off the tall walls and hanging on electrical cords going into the house. Frandy said that they were subsequently rescued by family members and friends.

My uncles and aunts lost their homes. The only good news is that they ran out of their homes with their children.
They are now spending nights in open air, on a nearby Soccer field.

In our community, beach-front homes either collapsed or received irreparable damages. Homes built by Haitians living and working overseas also crumbled. Many plans for the community got destroyed. They have to go back to the drawing board.

The pastor of my parents' church reported that the newly renovated church crumbled. Eglise Baptiste de Thozin is no more. His own home was destroyed. His immediate problem is to figure out how to provide shelter to the orphans who live in the first floor of his home. Their school was on the second floor of the home. Pastor Enock Deroseney needs all kinds of help to rebuild the church and an orphanage. For now, he is sleeping on the nearby Soccer field with the orphans under his care and many church members from the nearby areas.

If you want to sponsor one of these orphans and make donations toward this cause, contact Brother Enock Deroseney at Good Samaritan Project.

My condolences go to the family of Raymond who perished at the Cite of Canadiens compound alongside the Canadian retirees. Raymond went there to sell his goods to them.

If you wan to read the whole story, go to HelpHaitiQuake: Help Rebuild Haiti

Carrefour and Leogane, Haiti, Considered the Epicenter of the Quake

2010-01-15T07:14:00.001-08:00

According to eyewitnesses based in Leogane and Carrefour and according to one of my sisters, Leogane and Carrefour were heavily impacted by earthquake. The schools, churches, and hospitals were either destroyed and received significant damage. Some roads are impassable. Those who still have a car to drive are having trouble finding gas. From Carrefour, Gressier, Leogane, L'Acul, Dufort, Fauche, Grand Goave and Petit Goave, most houses were either flattened or rendered uninhabitable.

Some orphanages were also damaged. Some casualties were recorded too.

More updates later.

From President Obama to the Red Cross, Aid is on its Way

2010-01-14T01:52:00.000-08:00

More ways to help!

How to Help Haiti: What You Can Do To Help

2010-01-13T01:07:00.001-08:00

You can do so many things. As long as you can motivate people, you can do things to help Haiti.

You can talk to your senator or congressman about the plight of Haiti. You can send help. You can contribute your money, time or sponsor a missionary in Haiti. There are a lot of people who are willing to go, but they do not have the money to pay. So you can help send them there.

Anything and everything are needed in Haiti right now. If you have some other creative ideas, let us know here at sponsorachildemail at gmail.com.

Look at the side links to find a way to help out!

Updates: Leogane, Fauche, Grand-Goave and Petit-Goave Were Affected: Casualties and Destruction of Property

2010-01-13T00:26:00.000-08:00

Picture Updates of the Areas Noted below: Posted on 1-14-10

According to some of my friends who have established contact with their family members via digicel, the very southern part of the country was not heavily affected. However, the effects or impact of the quake will be felt all over the country. If the head is sick, the rest of the body is also sick. Haiti has a centralized system of government. Everything happens in Port-Au-Prince. People travel from all the country to come to P-A-P.

The businesses, churches, orphanages located in Gressier, Leogane, Fauche, Grand-Goave, Petit-Goave were affected as those located near Port-au-Prince.

Updates and Comment as of 1-14-10

According to eyewitnesses based in Petit-Goave, the hospital suffered damages just like any other buildings around town. From Leogane, Grand-Goave, Petit-Goave and Miragoane, mostly coastal cities, damages are recorded. We still do not know the extent of the damages to private residences and public hospitals, schools and churches. In Leogane, Grand Goave, and Petit-Goave, some casualties are recorded. Churches and private residences collapsed.

List of Haitian Buildings Destroyed by the 2010 Earthquake

2010-01-12T23:52:00.001-08:00

Le Palais National or (Haitian White House) suffers major damage

Commerce Ministry heavily impacted

Casernes Jean Jacques Dessalines reportedly crumbled

Hotel Montana, a major haitian Landmark is in ruin.

Haitian hospital and various schools

UN peace-keepers' buildings are affected

More to come

Rescue: Let the Digging Start Now

2010-01-12T23:39:00.001-08:00

The Resilience of the Grieving Haitian Grandma: Knocked Down but Not Out of the Fight to Live Yet!

2010-01-12T22:48:00.000-08:00

The Haitian Grandmother

Dizzy and covered with dirt and sweat,
The Haitian grandmother does not give up
Au contraire, she is thinking about her next move
She wants to dig with her bare hands
She wants to cry, but there is no time
There is so much work to be done
Her neighbors are still entombed in their own homes

The Haitian grandmother is thinking about her grandchildren
Some of them are beneath her feet
She has to summon her courage to cry for help and rescue
Other grandkids are far away.
The Haitian grandma is like a bamboo flattened by the monsoons
She is like a coconut tree whose trunk is bent by the hurricane forces
She gets twisted by life's ups and lows,
Yet she recovers and is full of joy again
Haiti's history flashes back in her memory
The Haitian grandma survived Papa Doc, Baby Doc and the Tonton Macoutes
She survived the Zenglendo and the fast and furious gang members

Surrounded by devastation, the Haitian grandma will rise again
She will look for her family members just like a mother hen, her chicks
Scared by a the nearby hawks of tumultuos weather patterns
A witness to history, she is the queen of the Haitian household
Her gaze will motivate all of us to focus on the future and rebuilding.

Twitter.com Shows Impact of Haitian Quake Disaster: Social Networks and Twitter Beat New York Times and Other Media

2010-01-12T22:36:00.000-08:00

Once again, Twitter beats the major networks in the reporting of the Haiti earthquake. It beats the likes of ABCNews, CBS, NBC, the New York Times and others. Twitter and the social networks put the first pictures of the devastation of the quake in front of Haitians living overseas and the world. Twitter is always there.

Yele.org director Jean Wyclef is using it to move the Haitian diaspora and the rest of the international community to set up a huge relief effort to benefit and rebuild Haiti. For now, the international community is focused mostly on rescuing the countless number of Haitians that are trapped in their own homes all over Port-Au-Prince.

Home construction in Haiti

2010-01-12T22:02:00.000-08:00

Haiti's history, UN peacekeepers, democratic government

2010-01-12T21:59:00.000-08:00

Haitians Living Overseas Are Watching Quake Development: Bolosse, Matissant, Carrefour and Fontamara Heavily Impacted

2010-01-12T21:38:00.000-08:00

According to two bank workers, friends of mine, the areas that go from L'avenue de l'exposition, Bolosse, Matissant, Fontamara and Carrefour are heavily impacted. The streets are cracked. Some of the houses are leaning over the streets. Those which were built in the hills suffer significant damages. The worst thing that happened is that many people are buried alive in many of them. Haiti lacks equipment to deal with this large scale disaster. Many observers only have to go back to 2008 when a school collapse required the intervention of foreign help to rescue them.

Considering how many shantytowns exist in Port-Au-Prince, it will be hard to go from house to house to rescue trapped Haitians.

According to two reports coming from Fontamara and Carrefour, the buildings which were built recently or in the last few years withstood the forces of the quake better than others. Obviously, there were many collateral damages as the buildings were built close to each other. In Fontamara, some residential homes fared better than others.

2010 Haiti Quake Will Bring Back 2008 School Collapse Memories and Highlight Hatian Chidren's Plight

2010-01-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

The memories of the 2008 Haitian school collapse are flooding our mind. That incident reminds us that many lives were lost due to the lack of equipment and wrong building codes. This earthquake will have caused far more damages. Haiti does not really have a good emergency force. Yes, the peace-keeping troups are still in Haiti. With the destruction of roads and their own equipment, there is not much they can do.

Haitians used their bare hands to rescue their kids and neighbors.

Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has been struggling to recover from widespread riots over rising food prices, a string of hurricanes and tropical storms that killed nearly 800 people.

Thousands of Haitian menial laborers live in collapse-prone hillside slums around the capital, Port-au-Prince, to be near the mansions of the foreign diplomats, U.N. staff and wealthy elite for whom they work.

Parents said they toiled endlessly throughout the year to afford the school's $1,500 tuition in hopes of empowering their children to someday escape poverty.

2010 Haiti Quake: Remember Lack of Heavy Equipment During 2008 School Collapse

2010-01-12T20:40:00.000-08:00

2010 Haitian Earthquake Death Toll Estimate

2010-01-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

According to various local sources, the Haitian quake death toll will be high. When everybody wakes up tomorrow morning, the reality of this powerful earthquake wll be felt all around Port-Au-Prince. From Carrefour to Petionville, a suburb in the mountains above the capital, the cries for help and rescue will be heard.

So far, President Preval and Ban KiMoun are talking about more than 70,000 people who lost their lives. Among the foreigners, there is a large group of Canadians. (More updates will follow here)

Right now, rescue troups and helpers have been going to most of the affected areas to try to rescue people trapped under tons of debris. From Hotel CHristopher, UN headquarters to Hotel Montana and countless other private residences and publich residences, the rescue mission -but not the recovery phase- continues to find surviors. The chances are minimal, but the rescuers do not seem to stop easily. As long as the rescue dogs and sophisticated instruments indicate there are signs of life, the search continues. Rescuers went to Leogane, located on the west side of Port au Prince for students and kids at two large schools.

There have been some 13 or more aftershocks. Each one of them causes as much fear as possible to the survivors. While neighbors are trying to rescue their neighbors by digging with their bare hands, they are running away from the near-collapsed buildings. But they do not want to give up. They want to rescue a mother and her children. They know they are still alive underneath the rubbles. They can hear their cry for help.

Over 13 aftershocks in Haiti

2010-01-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

Haitians trapped under collapsed buildings

2010-01-12T19:46:00.000-08:00

Quake caused collapsed buildings and high death toll

2010-01-12T18:51:00.000-08:00

Quake video aftermath

2010-01-12T18:44:00.000-08:00

Massive Haitian Earthquake Pictures and Videos: 7.0 Magnitude Quake in the Tropics

2010-01-12T18:04:00.000-08:00

A 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti this afternoon. An earthquake hits the tropics. There is a fault that runs right through the Dominican Republic and Haiti. That is why the earthquake happens. Yes, for the first time, there is an earthquake in the tropics. Will there be an earthquake in Miami?

According to a World Vision International worker, there is a lot of wailing going on and coming out of the shantytowns such as Cite Soleil. All the houses are flattened and crumbled. Even the best buildings, the new modern constructions suffer major damages. According to family members, many family homes, schools and hospitals crumbled.

Back in 1984, there was a 6.84 earthquake in Haiti according to some sources. So this one may not be the first one that hits the country.

Sponsor a School, a Teacher, a Child or an Old Man for Christmas

2009-12-07T00:18:00.000-08:00

Help This Teacher Buy Supplies for His School! Lend a hand to an Old Man!

If you are looking for a good cause to participate in, SponsorandFeedaChild Program, based in Haiti, offers you many opportunities to help somebody in need. You can choose to help a teacher get a paycheck which he or she so deserves. This way, the teacher will be able to feed his/her own family. You can choose to send a donation to a school where the students will be able to benefit from the books and supplies that the teacher can buy. During my visit to Haiti last year, I witnessed the lack of basic supplies such as pencil, paper and mother class materials that were missing.

I had to visit my former teacher who introduced me to his class. Believe me on this. The classroom needs were evident. Your donation will help supply this classroom. I also visited two other schools for the short time I was there. Each one of the school could receive some donations. Some students were sent to the principal's office because they did not have textbooks to study and do their homework. I saw five students who were kept in the Principal's office for this reason.

You can choose to sponsor a child so he/she can buy the right uniform, textbooks and supplies. Haitian students wear uniforms to school. Many parents can not afford to buy them. So when you make a contribution, all the proceeds will go to the school, child or school teacher. Our group of dedicated volunteers makes sure the designated individual or entity receives the money to change their situation. We, volonteers, participate in this endeavor by making a donation in the forms of transfer fees which we pay. We become partners this way.

You can also choose to sponsor an old man who has few relatives left to take care of him. The relatives he has are also going through harsh economic times and are unable to feed their own family, let alone another mouth.

If you are looking to sponsor a child, a teacher or a school for Christmas, take a look at SponsorandFeedaChild Program this year.

There are other organizations that you may check out.

http://sponsorandfeedachild.blogspot.com, SponsorandFeedaChild Program based in Haiti.

http://www.worldvision.org/

http://www.children.org/home.asp?sid=031…

http://www.soschildrensvillages.ca/cgi-b…

http://www.savechildren.net/espon/

http://www.simplysmiles.org/sponsorship.…

http://www.planusa.org/sponsorachild/

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Dr. John @ HaitianHearts.org Is Doing A Great Job in Haiti for Haitian Heart Patients

2009-12-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

Dr. John travels to Haiti to help Haitian heart patients. With his extensive contact and impressive knowledge, he wants to help the destitute and least fortunate in Haiti. He goes to Haiti to see what he can do to help kids regain their health and lead productive lives.

Haitians who suffer from heart problems are likely to die due to lack of facility and money to pay for such invasive surgeries. Dr. John is able to contact some Children's Hospitals in the states that are willing to accept and treat these patients.

In most cases, host families are needed for these parents and children. Americans are given a chance to offer their hospitality by opening their door and lodging a family for a few weeks. More than 5 success stories are listed on his website, www.haitianhearts.org.

You too can help. Find out what you can do to help this great organization led by a servant leader, Dr. John.

Haitian Hearts
2727 W. Heading Ave.
West Peoria, IL 61604

phone: 309-472-7522
email: mariakingcarroll@gmail.com

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A Testimonial: Speaking on Behalf of Needy Haitian Children and Students

2009-12-06T07:27:00.001-08:00

Boy condemned to live in abject poverty if he is not lucky enough to get some help! Will you help him today?

My greatest joy has been to receive invitations to talk to local organizations and churches about the plight of hunger in Haiti. I never turn down an opportunity to share with people interested in finding out a way to help others. After leaving the country for close to 18 years, last year, I decided to go back and reconnect with the people.

I was not ready to live what I observed during my visit. I felt like I was getting numb by the minutes in front of the immensity of needs I encountered. I met school-age children who were not in school. Up to this day, I remained haunted by the above picture. This boy was not in school when he should have been. I managed to contact his parents who said that they can not afford to send him to school. School is not free in Haiti. Books and Uniforms costs are prohibitive for most parents. The father of this boy has not been working for more than 10 years. In fact, he is bed-ridden. This kid is condemned to hard labor all of his life if he does not get an education.

If anybody wants to help us help this boy, aged 7 years, we would greatly appreciate it.

Please make sure to let us know whether your donation should go to a child, a school or a teacher or a family in need! On this site, the needs of kids come first.

SponsorandFeedaChild Program: Why Do We, Volunteers, Do What We Do?

2009-12-06T06:57:00.000-08:00

SponsorandFeedaChild Program volunteers feel motivated to speak and work on behalf of the voiceless because they do not want to be considered accomplices in the plight of hunger, diseases and other devastations that plague third world countries. We believe that the children need a voice. Some of us were once like them. We got a voice from somebody who decided to do something to change our situation. A good number of us are here today because somebody gave us a helping hand.

If you travel to Haiti and other third world countries, you will be tormented for a while by the level of poverty and desperation you will encounter both in the capital city of Haiti, Port-Au-Prince and especially in the provinces or countryside. Some parents want to work, but there is no job creation. Even when they work the fields, lack of rain and modern agriculture methods or hurricanes do not allow the lands to provide a good yield. For example, the arable lands in the Plateau Central, St Marc, Artibonite, went to the sea due to the recent floodings. Everywhere you turn in Haiti, there are needs. Kids need to go to school. They need to eat. Teachers need to know that their hard classroom work will be rewarded by a paycheck at the end of the month.

These are some of the reasons we do what we do willingly. We want kids to hope again. We want them to be in school and fed at least one good meal. We want to help them get some level of healthcare. That is why we continue to be their voice on this site.

What can you do to help?

You can help us meet these needy kids' needs. If you can not contribute directly, you may tell your friends and others about the problems of this country. For many years, the solutions were left in the hands of governments that promise to send aid and a huge check. What we know is that despite the good intentions of the donor countries, some or most of that aid gets squandered and wasted. And the people who need it the most never benefit from it. It is time that we individuals get involved on an individual basis. People to People, we can reach out to the needy kids and their parents.

Help us help them.

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Hillary Rodham Clinton's Remarks of the Haiti Donors Conference

2009-04-20T23:19:00.000-07:00

Remarks at the Haiti Donors Conference
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Inter-American Development Bank
Washington, DC
April 14, 2009

Well, thank you very much, and I congratulate the IDB, President Moreno and the staff for hosting this important donors conference. I thank Secretary General Ban Ki-moon not only for the United Nations commitment, but your personal commitment with the recent trip that you took with my husband to Haiti. And I congratulate the prime minister for an excellent plan that was laid out and clearly explained, and now presented to all of us. And to Minister Oda, thank you and your government for linking the aid that we hope comes from this donors conference with the effectiveness that needs to be present.

Now, for some of us, Haiti is a neighbor, and for others of us, it is a place of historic and cultural ties. But for all of us, it is now a test of resolve and commitment. Now, some may ask, and I am sure there are some in my country and my Congress who may ask, why a small nation in the middle of the Caribbean should command so much attention. Why should countries in the Western Hemisphere, Europe, the Middle East and Asia offer assistance to Haiti in the midst of a global economic downturn (inaudible)? And I think the answer is very clear. Because what happens in Haiti affects far beyond the Caribbean and even the region. This small nation of 9 million people is on a brink. It is on a brink of either moving forward with the help of the collective community or falling further back. And it, as well as this region, will be shaped to a large extent by the decisions that we make.

On a personal note, my husband and I went to Haiti for the first time shortly after we were married, so we have a deep commitment to Haiti and the people of Haiti. Our homes are filled with art from Haiti. We have friends who hail from Haiti. But it is not only my personal concern that brings me here today. On behalf of the United States, we are here because Haiti is a neighbor and a friend. Our ties reach back to the early years of both of our nations. They have endured for generations, through our struggles for independence, through the defeat of slavery in Haiti which inspired slaves and abolitionists in my country, to the hundreds of thousands of Haitians who have emigrated to the United States and have strengthened us through their contributions in politics and business and health and education, in science, sports, and culture – the benefits of which I experienced firsthand as a senator representing New York, which has a vibrant Haitian American community.

We are also committed to creating a hemisphere in which every nation, no matter their present level of wealth or their current political circumstances, is moving in the same direction, toward greater peace, prosperity, freedom, and opportunity. With Haiti, we have the chance through global cooperation and collaboration to stand in solidarity with a government and a people who are seeking that way forward, a nation where small investments and assistance from other countries are beginning to reap dividends in economic growth, wider access to education and healthcare, stronger governmental institutions, greater safety and security, and a higher quality of life that results when material conditions improve.

Now, today Haiti is the poorest nation in our hemisphere, with one of our region’s biggest gaps between the haves and the have-nots. But just two years ago, in 2007, Haiti achieved the highest rate of real economic growth since the 1990s. It is on track to reach the completion point for the IMF’s Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative in the next few months. Now, that will mean that significant debt relief is on the way, freeing up approximately $4 million a month, money that Haiti can invest directly in improving the lives of its people and building futures of self-sufficiency and confidence.

Haiti does have the region’s highest rate of HIV/AIDS, the highest rate of maternal mortality and child mortality. But the numbers of maternal deaths have stabilized and the numbers of HIV infections and child deaths are coming down.

Not long ago, from the 1950s until the 1980s, Haiti endured a brutal military dictatorship. The U.S. removed a military dictatorship in 1995, clearing the way for democracy. And after several years of political disputes, common in any country making a transition, Haiti began to see progress. And the national and presidential elections in 2006 really moved Haiti’s democracy forward. What the president and the prime minister are seeking is to maintain a strong commitment to democratic governance which will take another step forward with elections for the senate on Sunday.

Now, like many nations, Haiti struggles against crime, particularly the global scourge of drug trafficking. But reforms to improve policing, strengthening the justice system and fighting corruption are now underway. And a peacekeeping force, led so ably by Brazil, has helped to bring stability to many communities.

Haiti made these strides through the efforts of its government and its citizens and many of the nations and institutions represented here. This represents the full range of resources and relationships, from businesses and universities to NGOs and religious and cultural groups, as well as committed individuals, which is at the heart of smart power.

The trajectory of progress for Haiti, however, has been undermined by the combined winds of hurricanes and the global economic recession. So Haiti is in danger of stalling. This conference gives us all an opportunity to reignite its path to progress by working as a team with Haiti at the helm to advance a comprehensive, long-term strategy for Haiti’s growth, by coordinating hemispheric and international efforts, by targeting clear goals, by setting benchmarks to gauge our progress, and deploying our diverse skills and resources efficiently and effectively.

The president and the prime minister have identified what Haiti needs to stay on track. And with these priorities as our guide, we can make progress. Now is the time to step up our investment in Haiti, not just because the situation is dire and because the consequences of inaction could lead to significantly greater human suffering, but because Haiti has a real opportunity to make substantial progress. It has a plan to do so, and it has demonstrated the determination to carry it out.

Just think, for $150 we can pay to send one Haitian child to school for a year, or we can immunize 15 children. That is a tiny fraction of the costs of solving these problems if they escalate over time. The United States will target our support toward four areas that President Preval and Prime Minister Pierre-Louis have requested, all of which are essential for national and regional progress. First, the Haitian people need and deserve to be secure. They must be able to travel safely to work and school, and participate in civic lives without fear of violence. Second, the country needs stronger infrastructure, particularly roads, which are the circulatory system of any robust economy. And going along with the infrastructure needs is the need for jobs. So we can accomplish two things at once: putting people to work, building roads and other infrastructure throughout the country.

Third, last year’s hurricanes blew a hole in the government’s budget. Now Haiti is facing a huge deficit which will make it harder for them to meet their own goals and the needs of their people. Their debt obligations further constrain their ability to lay the groundwork for the future. And fourth, agriculture – you heard the prime minister refer to it – once again, providing a strong agricultural base for the people of Haiti to become more self-sufficient, as well as to move toward reforestation as part of that agricultural initiative, will give Haiti tools for growth it desperately needs. Now on each of these issues, we will lend our assistance and we seek partners with other nations to maximize our collective impact.

First, security. As you heard, the Secretary General referred to Cité Soleil. It was a no-man’s land. Now there is a new sense of security and freedom in its streets. The Haitian National Police have been supported in their work by the UN peacekeeping operations. Those peacekeeping forces are more than half from Latin American and Caribbean countries. And with Brazil’s lead of determination and skill, there has been an upgrade in both police functions and basic security.

But criminal networks operating in Haiti have not been eliminated. They continue to fight drug traffickers who have made the country a transit point for illegal drugs heading to the United States, Canada and Europe. We will give $2 million to fight drug trafficking through the Merida Initiative, a plan conceived by Mexico, Central America and the United States. This money will fund a secure communications network for the Haitian police, provide a maritime base, vehicles, and operational support for police drug units, provide training to promote cross-border cooperation between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and sharpen the investigation and prosecution of drug crimes.

Once security is established, opportunity can take root, and nations from Canada to Spain to Japan offered generous assistance to help repair the damage from last year’s storms. But now is the time to take the step beyond – beyond peacekeeping and disaster relief to long-term reconstruction and development. Haiti has the highest unemployment rate in our hemisphere. Seventy percent of its people do not have jobs. It also has one of the region’s highest growth rates. Together, these trends have created what Paul Collier has called a youth tsunami. Nearly one million young people are expected to come into the job market in the next five years.

To spur the creation of jobs, the United States passed the HOPE Act of 2006 to give garments made in Haiti tariff-free access to U.S. markets. Last October, we did extend this trade preference for another decade. Apparel is one of the largest sectors in Haiti’s economy, and we see great possibility for job creation in this field, and we are especially gratified by Brazil’s interest in supporting the Haitian apparel industry.

But to build a diversified economy, Haiti needs more than trade deals. It needs an infrastructure to support the flow of goods and services. The roads in Haiti, for anyone who has ever visited, are beyond inadequate. Many communities are isolated, in the year 2009, by the lack of passable roads. That prevents people from holding jobs, children from going to schools, farmers from bringing crops to market. Better roads are essential.

Haiti also needs better roads and tourist areas to promote that sector of the economy. In addition, urgent infrastructure needs include digging water catchments to prevent floods, completing a garment workers training center, and creating canals to help irrigation. As part of the $287 million in nonemergency assistance we will provide Haiti this year, we have authorized $20 million in aid to generate jobs in building roads and infrastructure. And we know that there are other ways we can use this money, but we will be more effective if we coordinate together so that we are all working off the same page, the page of the recovery plan that the prime minister described.

Now even the most responsible government in the world cannot prevent a natural disaster. The hurricanes didn’t just wash away crops and houses. They washed away months of government planning. Haiti is facing an approximately $50 million budget deficit which could undermine its plans. We will provide $20 million to help pay Haiti’s upcoming debt service obligations and to free up other resources, and we invite other donors to join us in taking care of this budget deficit.

Now fourthly, there is an urgent need for sustainable agriculture and food security. The combined effects of rising food prices globally and the destruction of crops of hurricanes have exposed millions of Haitians to malnutrition and destructive effects on health and productivity. We all know the effect of malnourished people. They’re too weak to work. Children are too hungry to learn in school. So food security is not only a source of suffering; it is a direct threat to economic growth and global stability.

Here, we need to be creative. Now, the United States will provide a $15 million in-kind contribution of food to help Haiti as it rebuilds, but that is not an answer. We need to revitalize Haitian agriculture. We need to reforest the upper watersheds. We need to borrow from the intelligence of other nations to learn how, as we help rebuild Haiti, it can become more energy independent.

Brazil has shown the extraordinary energy efficiency of using sugar cane. What other crops could be used in Haiti? We know Haiti, like the Dominican Republic, have some of the windiest areas in our hemisphere. What more could be done to promote wind energy and solar energy? We are ready to partner with any of you who have such good ideas working with the Haitian Government. But think of the people we could put to work doing the work that Haiti needs.

Now, this work is not only a matter for governments, but it is a mission for the people of our country. I’ve heard from many individuals and groups who care deeply about Haiti, but they don’t know how to invest their time and money in a way to make a real impact. We will, through our government, help to create a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that the Haitian Diaspora and the United States can contribute to. And we will help coordinate other NGOs, particularly those that have been started by Haitian Americans who want to give back and are looking for the best way forward.

When I think about all of that eroded bare land that I see when I fly over Haiti – and I can always tell where the Dominican Republic starts, because that’s where the green starts – I think about what other countries have done to reforest. When our daughter was born, a dozen people paid to plant trees in Israel in her honor. Think of what we could do for individuals to pay to plant trees in Haiti, and then to pay Haitians to learn foresting techniques to nurture and grow those trees, and to come with alternatives to burning wood so people can be warm and cook their food. All of this is connected, and we’ve got to start making those connections working together.

Now, we know from empirical data that small investments go a long way, and I’ve seen this for myself in Haiti. In addition to traveling there as a newlywed, I traveled as First Lady. I traveled out into the country to meet a doctor who had emigrated to the United States, joined the United States Air Force, had become a colonel, but then wanted to give back to the country of his birth – return to Haiti to his hometown in Pignon, to run a center for health, women’s literacy and microcredit. They had few resources, but they offered a comprehensive range of services to thousands of clients.

I have visited a family planning clinic, one of the great urgent needs in Haiti, where young people were trained to educate their peers about how to protect their health and prevent teen pregnancy. And I have met with women from a group called Women in Democracy who had attended a global conference on women’s leadership that I helped to sponsor ten years ago in Montevideo. When they returned home, thanks to the Vital Voices network that they joined, they began to help support Haitian women running for office, who wanted to see a better life for their own families. Eleven years later, their organization is growing strong. They hold trade fairs for women entrepreneurs, run civic education programs to teach women their rights, support women journalists and build even more connections to the broader region. These Haitian women remind us of the resilience of the people of Haiti, but also that we will never achieve real progress unless we reach deep into Haitian society.

When I think of the successful Haitian Americans who serve in state legislatures and on city councils, who populate our hospitals as doctors and nurses from New York to Florida, who run businesses, who are creative entrepreneurs, there is no reason that could not have happened in Haiti. Talent is universal; opportunity is not. And it is our task through this donors conference to open the door of opportunity for Haitians and to send a message of what does occur through the power of collaboration.

Every poor nation that has worked hard to gain a foothold in the global economy that has been knocked off their footing is looking to see what we can do together. I’m confident that we will make not only significant pledges here, but we will match those pledges by our follow-up efforts and our coordination, and that we will demonstrate to ourselves as well as to the people of Haiti and far beyond that we can, working together, make a significant difference. Thank you all very much.

Chitika.com has a new story about bing.com

Haitians in the U.S.A Are Sources of Stability for Country as They Send Remittances

2009-04-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

Washington Post, March 30, 2009

Editorials

Hope for Haitians?

Immigrants from the storm-ravaged island should be allowed to stay in the United States.

Monday, March 30, 2009; Page A16

HAITI WAS already an island of unimaginable suffering, a country ravaged by war and roving gangs where four out of five residents lived in extreme poverty. Then, in less than a month last year, four vicious storms lashed it, killing up to 800 people, leaving as many as 1 million homeless and inflicting at least $1 billion in damage -- 15 percent of the country's gross domestic product. The State Department cautions visitors that there are no "safe areas" in Haiti, and that "kidnapping, death threats, murders, drug-related shootouts, armed robberies, break-ins and carjackings are common." Yet, it is U.S. policy to deport the estimated 30,000 Haitians in this country back to this hotbed of violence and squalor. The United States grants temporary protected status (TPS) to immigrants from countries with extreme economic or political conditions; Haitian immigrants more than qualify.

Haitians in the United States are one of the few sources of stability for their home country, sending back remittances that total an estimated one-fourth of the Haiti's GDP. Deporting Haitians, and thereby diminishing millions of dollars in what is essentially foreign aid, would devastate a country that can ill afford to take more economic hits. A surge of deportees, who would arrive without either homes or jobs, would also place an impossible burden on Haiti's skeletal social services.

Critics say that granting TPS would bring a rush of Haitians to the United States in search of citizenship. But TPS would apply only to Haitians in the United States at the time the order is issued. As the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners in Florida wrote recently in a letter to President Obama, there was no "mass exodus" of Haitians to the United States after the Clinton administration granted a stay of deportation in 1998.

The Bush administration was consistently inflexible on the issue, turning down Haitian applications for TPS with minimal explanation. After last year's storms, the Bush administration temporarily suspended the deportations, only to resume them months later, while the country was still reeling from the disasters. The Obama administration has so far maintained the Bush administration's policy, but advocates have met with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and were encouraged by her response.

Mr. Obama recently issued an order that allowed Liberian immigrants to stay temporarily in the United States. Immigrants from Somalia, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras have also been granted TPS in recent years. Why are immigrants from a disaster-wracked country that is the poorest in the hemisphere less deserving?

(Taken from www.ijdh.org)

With Child Sponsorship, You Can Make a Difference: What is Sponsorship all About?

2008-12-10T11:18:00.001-08:00

It's all about giving a needy child the hope of a better future! Your gift of $25every month provides a needy child with access to education, health, and nutrition. Because of you, a needy child and the family can look forward to a future of dignity and hope!

Your support can make a world of difference!

Sponsor a Child Today, Make Connections with a Child: Hunger Hurts Needy Children

2008-12-08T09:23:00.000-08:00

Child sponsorship allows you to personally connect with a child in need while making a lasting investment in his/her future. Part of your donation also strengthens your child’s local community, ensuring an extended network of support and a safe environment in which your child can thrive.

>> Sign up online as a child sponsor today! go to http://sponsorandfeedachild.blogspot.com or http://onenationdonation.blogspot.com to make a donation!

You will receive a photo and personal profile of the child you are sponsoring, updates on his/her wellbeing, and notes, drawings or correspondence from your child, at least twice a year.* You will also have the opportunity to send notes and small gifts to your child.

Your monthly child-specific sponsorship will go directly to your child. It provides your child with things like nourishing food, educational books and supplies, medical care and other items for their personal wellbeing, including wheelchairs, in the case of disabled children.

For only $25 a month, you can change the life of a child.
Or for $40 a month, you can bring hope to a disabled child.

Any additonal donation to this program will go toward community development programs in the area where your child lives. By investing in the local community, we can help ensure that sponsored children receive appropriate services. Child-specific sponsorship contributions will go directly to the child. Transfer fees are paid by this program's founder. It is a triumvirate partnership between you, the kids, and us!

How to Sponsor a Child (Haiti): Organizations That Can Help You Sponsor a Child

2008-12-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of organizations that can help you find a child to sponsor.

www.worldvision.org

www.farmofthechild.org

www.planusa.org

www.latinamericachildchare.org

www.savethechildren.org

www.christianchildrensfund.org

www.children-inc.org

www.sos-usa.org

www.stjude.org

www.feedthechildren.org

www.wish.org (Make a wish foundation)

www.makeachildsmile.org

www.children.org (Children International)

www.globalvolunteers.org

www.corazondevida.org

www.youtube.com (World Vision YouTube's Sponsor a Child)

www.partnersintl.org

I like New Missions's partnership with sponsors. They show the benefits of sponsoring a child. Visit their website if you want to get more info. www.newmissions.org

Sponsored Child Program Benefits

1. Christian education
We are educating students from preschool through college. Our teachers begin each school day with Bible classes. We also have the New Missions High School and The Royal Caribbean Institute training Haitians in the areas of Business, Bible, and Education.
2. Nutritious meal each day
Each school day our elementary students receive a hot meal. This is often the only meal these children will have each day.
3. Medical care and regular health check-ups
Our medical clinic is staffed with Christian health workers, including a pharmacists, lab, technician, dentist, nurses, doctor, and visiting medical teams that do specialized work, such as minor surgeries and restorative dental work, eye exams and eyeglass fittings. We administer care from basic first aid to disease prevention for our students and their families.
4. School books
Our elementary students receive their own textbooks. In a country where 80 percent of the population is illiterate, these books are treasured by our students.
5. School uniform
Our elementary students are provided with a school uniform each year. Clothes for their children are not easily afforded by Haitian families; these uniforms assure that our students will be able to come to school well dressed. At the same time, the colors of the uniforms help to distinguish that they are in a New Missions school.
6. Photo Indentification Card
Each student has a photo identification card that is used when receiving gifts and correspondence from his or her sponsor. This card assures that each child maintains an active role with New Missions. For the most students, this is the only photo identification they have.
7. Letter correspondence
You may write to your child. Corresponding with your child by sending letters, cards, and photos of you and your family enables a special bond between of friendship to develope between you and your child.
8. Birthday and Christmas gift fund
Special money gifts for your child's birthday are received in a fund based program. These gifts can be sent along with your monthly support to celebrate their special occasion. the fund provides all students with Christmas gifts and special holiday celebrations, helping each child feel special and loved.
9. Sunday school programs and local churches
Eighteen churches with Sunday school programs have been established in the various communities surrounding New Missions, enabling Bordmer, Brache, Concrab, LaSalle, two in Leogane, two in Flanc, Masson, Signeau, and TiRiviere.
10. Missionaries working together with your child
Ever since New Missions began in 1983, missionaries have been in the field woring with our school programs and churches.
11. Recent photographs of your child
You can request a recent photograph of your child at any time. The photograph will come assembled in a frame complete with biographical information of your child.
12. Personal visit with your child in Haiti
You are encouraged to come to Haiti to visit New Missions and have the opportunity to meet your sponsored child. Meeting and talking with your child is an exciting time and creates a lasting memory for both you and your child.

Kids Adopting and Feeding Hungry, Needy Kids: Places Where You Can Find Hungry, Cold Children to Sponsor and Adopt

2008-12-06T14:53:00.000-08:00

Please keep writing to us at SponsorandFeedaChild! Since we started this project, we have received hundreds of messages from parents as well as ordinary people seeking information on the problems of poverty amid our children. While we concentrate on Haitian children or while we want to create and build this awareness about the plight of Haitian children, we know that children have pressing needs even in our towns, cities such as New Orleans etc. With the worsening of the economy, more and more children will be going into poverty.

Here is a summary list of places where kids are getting involved in the project of helping other children. How about us, adults? What are we doing to help a needy kid?

Some of the countries that come to our mind are:

1. Haiti (Children living in the mountains, Gonaives floodings due to hurricanes, the slums of Cite Soleil. these children are affected by food scarcity, frequent upheavals and political regime changes)

2. Bangladesh and India (Children living in the slums of Calcuta and Mombai etc.)

3. Brasil: Children living in the flavelas of major cities

4. San Salvador and Guatemala: These children are recruited by MS drug dealers and gang members

5. Argentina: Children looking for food in the garbage piles

6. Liberia: Children who are affected by fighting.

7. Congo: Children are affected and displaced by internal fighting, wars etc.

8. Sudan: Wars, fighting, famine, drought etc

9. Various cities and communities of the U.S.A such as New Orleans, Mendota, CA, Madera, CA etc.

Feel free to suggest more countries and communities to add to this list. Together, we can make a difference!

This is what SponsorandFeedaChild is all about. We want to help those who can not help themselves yet. The kids are our future. We need to help them now.

SponsorandFeedaChild: How to Adopt A Haitian Student, A Haitian Teacher or A Hatian School

2008-12-04T23:48:00.000-08:00

These three girls love school. They want to complete their education, but paying for school supplies and school fees poses a huge problem. Just like any teenagers, they want to take care of themselves and buy their supplies. They would like to find a sponsor willing to adopt them. By adopting them, the sponsor will send them a stipend so they can afford to pay their school fees.

I visited this school while I was in Haiti. I know this very dedicated teacher. The classroom he is teaching in is very bare. It has no decorations and required materials. While it is compulsory to wear uniforms, many of the kids may not have textbooks to study and notebooks to do their homework in. Kids were asking me for pens and pencils. I felt so ashamed because I did not have enough to give to them. This teacher and the school can use some help. If you would like to contribute to his monthly salary, please let us know. Haitian teachers can go many months without a paycheck. We can do something about keeping dedicated teachers in the classroom.

This young man in the above picture is a good student. He can speak French, Creole, and English. Well, let us say he is working on his English. He wants to take English classes so he can improve his communication. Textbooks are expensive. Finding a good teacher is not cheap. If you want to support this young man in his pursuit of his education, please let us know.

Just mention any of the above requests in your email to us, write to us at sponsorachildemail at gmail.com. Or use the Paypal link on the right to make a donation to any of them.

What Can We Do To Help Haitian Children Go to Safe Schools? This School Collapse Killed About 100 Students

2008-11-19T22:36:00.000-08:00

Haitian School Collapse: Haitian Parents Dig La Promesse School Students with Bare Hands

2008-11-08T14:46:00.000-08:00

Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has been struggling to recover from widespread riots over rising food prices, a string of hurricanes and tropical storms that killed nearly 800 people.

Thousands of Haitian menial laborers live in collapse-prone hillside slums around the capital, Port-au-Prince, to be near the mansions of the foreign diplomats, U.N. staff and wealthy elite for whom they work.

Parents said they toiled endlessly throughout the year to afford the school's $1,500 tuition in hopes of empowering their children to someday escape poverty.

Haitian Taste Testers Want Burger King's WhopperVirgins.com Ad Campaign To Try Their Virgin Territory

2008-11-05T08:35:00.000-08:00

Burger Kings takes the battle of whopper vs. Big Mac on this website showing various groups people tasting the big whopper. The idea is that Burger King goes a long way to find virgin tasters of the whopper. A romanian woman, another old lady and three Hmongs star in this commercial. Their goal is taste the whoppers.

Hmong taste testers have a good chance of choosing the whopper over McDonald's Big Mac.
What are other bloggers saying about this experiment in virgin taste?

"The No 2 burger-maker in the US asked farmers in the Transylvania region of Romania, the Hmong tribe of Thailand, and other folks in far-flung places to sample its Whopper alongside McDonald's Big Mac and declare the winner."

A blogger on Walletpop wrote: "What might irk people is the concept that Burger King is taking its fat-laden fast food to people who aren't used to this stuff in their diets, who aren't usually subject to our crass commercials, and who probably don't really care too much."

Burger King said it approaches this project with great care. It wants to respect the cultures it is using in this ad campaign.

While we are at it, the music is catching too.

Related info about this taste testing in new territories

http://www.whoppervirgins.com

Nickihawj's Hmong Blog

Burger King's Whoppervirgins.com ad:

Heart4Haiti2.wordpress.com Publishes Graphic Pictures of Young Haitian Victims by Last Hurricanes

2008-11-04T21:22:00.000-08:00

In one of the pictures posted by Deborah Ecklund, a malnourished kid is seen posing for a picture. There are millions of kids like that one. Months after the hurricane, these kids are still waiting for help from the International community. They are still without food, drinkable water, a roof over their head, and a blanket. Many people are willing to help, but do not know how to help these kids.

Heart4Haiti2.wordpress is doing a good job exposing the unbelievable conditions of this Caribbean island. Haiti is a place where people go hungry on a daily basis. Children are suffering for lack of food, water, and education. Yet, Haiti is a neighbor to our country, the U.S.A.

Sponsorandfeedachild program sponsors have been willing to help their kids' families rebuild or repair their homes in most situations. So far, 6 children are being helped through this sponsorship program. More sponsors are needed. If you want to sponsor a kid, contact us at sponsorachildemail at gmail.com

Six Haitian Children Have Been Sponsored Through SponsorandFeedaChild: Monthly Sponsors' Checks Pay for School and School Supplies

2008-10-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

Six Haitian Children Have Been Sponsored Through SponsorandFeedaChild: Monthly Sponsors' Checks Pay for School and School Supplies

In a country that has the highest illiteracy and child mortality rate in the western hemisphere, any small help counts. That is why we are happy to celebrate our first landmark. Thanks to your generosity and monthly donations, six Haitian children have been sponsored thus far. That means SponsorandFeedaChild has been able to find sponsors for 6 Haitian kids who are able to go to school with the right uniform and supplies.

For those of us who live in Europe, the United States, and Canada, this achievement by a few-months-old program may not mean much, but it means a whole lot for these Haitian children and parents who receive between $20 and $25 monthly for school and school-related expenses. Let us hope that there will be more for them to use on costly food items and health care some day.

How can you join this cause?

There are many ways your agency, your organization, your friends and you can help. The last four hurricanes destroyed schools and limited school supplies. Haitian students are asking for pens, pencils, erasers, glue and other supplies. Some sponsors are sending small boxes of supplies to Haitian students. You too can make your voice heard by organizing a group who will send these materials and supplies to the Caribbean nation of Haiti (I will provide address to you if necessary).

You can decide to contribute only $25 per month to a child whose picture and updated info you will have from time to time. By writing to Sponsorachildemail@gmail.com, you agree to participate in this network-for-good program. You will be right on your way to making the difference in a needy child's life. You agree that education is the best and a guaranteed lifetime investment anyone can make.

Sponsorandfeedachild Program gives you the opportunity to reach out and lift up a needy child. Will you not take this opportunity to do good now?

Once again, thanks to our current sponsors and friends!

http://sponsorandfeedachild.blogspot.com

Food for the Poor, Inc Banana Bark Handcrafted Cards Help Haitian Parents Feed Family

2008-10-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

Food for the Poor, Inc Banana Bark Handcrafted Cards Help Haitian Parents Feed Family

A good friend of mine brought some haitian-handcrafted cards to show me. His daughter loves them so much that she did not want him to give them away. After I read about the organization, I decided to find out more about it by going online. From their field workers, I found current information on the dire situation in Haiti.

These handcrafted cards are made of natural resources, banana barks that are found all over the island. The men and women who make these cards hope customers enjoy their unique beauty and will share them with others. By buying or ordering a packet from them, you will be providing much-needed income for a family living in the poorest country in our hemisphere.

These cards provide income for parents who just want to earn a living to support their families. Bear in mind that most Haitians are desperately poor and earn less than a dollar or two a day. By working on the Banana Bark Program, they are able to get their dignity back and reach some level of self-sufficiency.

Now is the time to order and send banana bark cards.

As for me, I am going to order a few packets of Christmas and all-occasion banana bark cards now.

Go to www.foodforthepoor.org to order your handcrafted cards now

Restavek: Haitian Children Exposed to Child Labor, Exploitation and Hard Life in the Aftermath of Hurricane Season

2008-09-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

With the death of their parents and the losses of everything their family ever owns, Haitian children are the recent victims of the series of hurricanes that battered the Caribbean region in the past few weeks. With nowhere to turn and no means to take care of their children, parents will hand over their malnourished children to well-off family members and friends to take care of them. In many cases, these family members or friends end up mistreating these kids they promised to take care of.

Now, the situation of the Restavek (stay with) is going to be worse. Their guardians lost everything they owned during the hurricanes. They are going to have to take care of themselves. On many occasions, they are left by themselves in the inundated homes they have to clean. Those guardians expect free labor from these kids in exchange of foods, shelter and clothing.

You can help stop this practice by making sure a family is able to care for their own child, let your voice be heard by sponsoring one of these desperate and fragile souls,

Email: sponsorachildemail@gmail.com to get more information about your sponsorship opportunity.

Hurricane Season Highlights Haitian Society And Surfaces Restavek Issues: Understanding Restavek; How To End Children's Exploitation in Haiti

2008-09-17T05:35:00.000-07:00

the poverty and the deep divisions in Haitian society, where there are rich, poor and downright destitute.

Nobody illustrates that last group better than the restaveks, the thousands of young Haitian children handed over by their poor parents to better-off families, most of whom are struggling themselves.

The term restaveks literally means “stay with,” and that is what the children do with their hosts, working as domestic servants in exchange for a roof over their head, some leftover food and, supposedly, the ability to go to school.

In practice, though, the restaveks are easy prey for exploitation. Human rights advocates say they are beaten, sexually abused and frequently denied access to education, since many host families believe that schooling will only make them less obedient.

Unicef estimates that 300,000 Haitian children were affected by the recent storms, many of them forced to relocate to shelters or rooftops.

But young Haitians suffered significantly even before the skies darkened during Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike, and more than 300 lives were lost. The country has the highest mortality rate for children younger than 5 in the Western Hemisphere, as well as a high death rate among infants and women giving birth. Just slightly over half of school-age children are actually enrolled in school. Attendance among restaveks, of course, is much less than that.

“Many of them are treated like animals,” said a United Nations official who spoke on condition of anonymity because she did not have authority to speak on the delicate issue. “They are second-class citizens, little slaves. You feed them a little and they clean your house for nothing.”

Gonaïves, a city in Haiti’s northwest, was no boomtown when the storms hit, having been devastated by a hurricane in 2004, from which it was still recovering. But that did not stop many poor families from taking in restaveks, the offspring of the poorest of the poor.

“Almost everybody has one,” said one of the women jockeying in the relief food line.

They are children like Widna and Widnise, twin 12-year-old girls who have been in the same Gonaïves home for the past two years.

They get up at dawn to fetch water, collect wood, cook, mop and clean. They watch as their host family’s two children, who are about the same age, eat breakfast and then go off to school. The twins eat nothing in the morning and stay home working.

The twins have it better than most, they say. They are hit on their palms if they are disobedient but do not receive lashings on their head, as they say many of the restaveks in nearby homes receive.

In the evening, they eat with the two other children and sleep on mats on the floor, just as those children do. They had shoes, unlike many of their contemporaries, although they lost those in the flooding.

But the girls said they did not like their situation. There is the teasing they get from other children, who tell them over and over that they will never grow up, that they will always be servant girls.

And they miss their mother, who works in the countryside as a domestic servant and visits the girls when she can. She tells them that she will bring them home as soon as she can afford to feed them.

“Our mother is too poor to take care of us,” said Widna, the more talkative of the pair, adding emphatically, “We don’t want to be restaveks.”

What they wanted most immediately on Thursday afternoon was food. Their host family had fled its flood-damaged home, leaving the girls alone. They arrived at a school in the Praville neighborhood where United Nations relief food was being handed out but were told that only women were allowed in line.

The pint-size girls sat off to the side until they noticed that some rice and beans were being dropped amid all the confusion. The girls looked at each other and then sprang into action with some of the other restaveks, scooping up the specks of food from the ground one by one.

Original Source: NYTimes.com

Your Sponsorship Opportunity: Haitian Children Need Sponsors in Times of Needs Caused by Hurricanes, Poverty

2008-09-17T04:58:00.000-07:00

Your Unique Opportunity to Sponsor and Lift up a Needy Child

How many needy Haitian children can you sponsor? Just start with one!
Sponsorandfeedachild Program
(http://sponsorandfeedachild.blogspot.com) has a list of needy
children who are waiting for somebody to give them a helping hand.
Maybe all you can afford to sponsor is one child. That is what
Sponsorandfeedachild is all about. It is a tangible way for us,
concerned parents, to reach out and show our own children how we can
help someone else in the world.

The harsh economic and political situation that Haiti has been going
through for the past decades has undoubtedly prevented many parents
from feeding and sending their children to school. I was in Haiti a
few months ago and witnessed the deplorable human conditions! Before the Hurricane season, Haitians had little. Now they have less! Their situations worsened after the recent back-to-back hurricanes that caused mudslides and floodings all over the island.

Some of the parents may resort to placing their kids with more well-off family
members or friends who may be able to raise them. Others who are in a
more desperate situations may end up unknowingly giving up their kids
to "child slavery" where abuse and an uncertain future await them.

As recently reported by ABC News, Child Slavery flourishes where high
illiteracy rates, lack of education and social services exist. As a
poor country, Haiti meets all the conditions for this type of
exploitation to exist. Where else have you heard about parents feeding "mud
cakes or mud cookies" to their hungry children?

Through SponsorandFeedachild Fund, you can make the difference in a
child's life. You can prevent one child from knowing this type of
depravity and misery. Educating and/or feeding a Haitian child will
be greatly appreciated.

If you want to sponsor a child, visit
http://sponsorandfeedachild.blogspot.com or write to us at
sponsorachildemail@gmail.com

More Than 300000 Haitian Children Are Hungry, Shelterless, Affected by Back to Back Hurricanes: Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike

2008-09-17T04:18:00.000-07:00

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said today that 650,000 people – some 300,000 of them children – have been impacted by back-to-back hurricanes that have recently battered Haiti, warning that ruined infrastructure has impeded efforts to deliver relief to those in need.

Hurricanes Fay, Gustav and Hanna, which passed through the Caribbean nation in a three-week period, have forced thousands of people to flee to their rooftops. Key bridges have been destroyed and landslides have blocked roads, obstructing aid delivery.

With Haiti having witnessed violent riots in April due to the global food crisis, UNICEF said the current situation has been further exacerbated by possible social and political unrest.

Yesterday, urgently-needed supplies were sent to Gonaives, the hardest-hit city with 70,000 uprooted by the hurricanes, by helicopter and boat. UNICEF and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) have provided drinking water and food, and UNICEF is also providing tarpaulins for shelter, water purification tablets and sanitation materials.

“The initial push to provide aid to Gonaives is a start, but there is a great deal more to be done to help children and families that have been affected by the storms throughout the entire country,” says Nils Kastberg, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.

UNICEF has made more than $1 million available to help hurricane victims, and a Flash Appeal from all UN agencies operating in Haiti will be launched in the coming days.

Neighbouring countries Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica have also been hit hard by the strong storms, and UNICEF is rushing assistance to those affected while assessing future needs.

“We are faced with a combination, once again, of severe natural disasters in a number of places which is stretching our resources,” Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes told reporters yesterday.

On 3 September, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) deployed a UN disaster and coordination team (UNDAC) to Haiti.

“This is very much the beginning of the operation and we're still trying to establish how bad it is and build up our capacity,” said Mr. Holmes, adding he was ready to assist with assistance from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

The world body's peacekeeping force in Haiti, known as MINUSTAH, is assisting in the aid efforts, including for evacuation and for the distribution of relief items.

“It was really, really difficult even for our troops to assist the population due to the level of the water,” MINUSTAH spokesperson Sophie Boutaud de la Combe told the UN News Centre.

“The situation in Gonaives is really critical and everyone is doing the best they can to support the national authorities,” she added.

So far, MINUSTAH troops have helped to evacuate more than 500 people to emergency shelters, Ms. Boutaud de la Combe said. In addition, hundreds of people have been treated by the Mission's doctors and its helicopters have been transporting food and other emergency relief supplies from the capital, Port-au-Prince, to Gonaives.

On the way back, the same helicopters have been transporting people who require urgent medical attention to the capital because the hospital in Gonaives is not able to treat them, she added.

As Flood Waters Recede, Haitians Are Descending from Rooftops to Find Corpses Burried by Mudslides

2008-09-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

Without any doubt, kids will not be able to return to their homes. They are displaced by the series of hurricanes. In many cases, schools are destroyed or under water.

So far, Sponsorandfeedachild Program is helping 5 kids. More children can be helped if you decide to do something today.

If you want to help sponsor a Haitian kid or a family, contact sponsorachildemail@gmail.com

Hurricanes in Photos: Haiti's Children, Schools and Other Infrastructures During the Hurricane Season

2008-09-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

Thus far, Hurricanes Left 137 or more Haitians Dead: Young and old Haitians are going hungry, wet and flooded out of their homes by the recent hurricanes. They have not had any break. They got hit by back-to-back hurricanes Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike and possibly Josephine.

Tropical storm Hanna has so far caused the deaths of 90 people in Haiti, 37 of them were killed in Gonaïves, the country's third city. Hundreds of houses have been destroyed and tens of thousands of Haitians have sought safety on rooftops and in temporary shelters.

Floodwaters frustrated efforts by Argentine peacekeepers to distribute food Thursday at orphanages in Gonaives marooned by Tropical Storm Hanna. The peacekeepers hunkered down in their base as people begged for food and water outside.

Half the homes in the low-lying city of 160,000 remain flooded in Hanna's wake, estimated Lt. Sergio Hoj, spokesman for the Argentine battalion, part of a United Nations contingent on the island. Many houses were torn apart. Families huddled on rooftops, overturned cars were everywhere, and televisions floated in the brown water.

At least 137 people died when Hanna struck Haiti, 102 of them in Gonaives and its surroundings, officials said Thursday.

Some 250,000 people are affected in the Gonaives region, including 70,000 in 150 shelters across the city, according to an international official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

Forecasters warned Hurricane Ike could hit the Western hemisphere's poorest country next week.

Hanna swirled over Haiti for four days, dumping vast amounts of water, blowing down fruit trees and ruining stores of food as it swamped tin-roofed houses.

Many of the thousands of people who fled to rooftops, balconies and higher ground have gone without food for days, and safe drinking water was in short supply as the fetid carcasses of drowned farm animals bobbed in soupy floodwaters.

Notes: Various sources

Microcreditcapital Promoter Discussed Small Business Idea with Single Mother, but She Needs Funds

2008-07-04T18:38:00.000-07:00

Single Mother Is Seeking Sponsors for Her Children. She wants to receive some infusion of cash for a small business. I talked to her about doing something that will bring some income to take care of the kids. Micro enterprises, microlending are the buzz words. They can help her build her microcredit before she can get something big. Definitely, that is a way to get out of poverty.

Developmentally Disabled Haitian Boy Left to Himself: No State-funded Services for Him

2008-07-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

Luckner's parents do not know much about why their son ends up being like this. They feel the stinging shame of having a "KoKOBE," a son who is handicapped. They do not know where to turn to get valuable information on Down Syndrome. They have never heard about that word before even though their son is 14 years old. Information would equip them to face the people who are putting them down. They know what many other people do not know about their son. He is easy to please. He is a hard worker. His sense of safety and awareness is low. He is very sociable. He accompanies his father to the fields. He is his main companion. Even though he is non-verbal, his presence is sufficient. Luckner practically receives no special services at school. No wonder he has been falling behind.

Luckner has no annual or triennual IEP meeting. He has no advocate. People are busy trying to avoid him instead of making time for him. He felt comfortable being around me while I was there. Others were telling him to go away while I intervened and advocated for him. I explained to them the type of services he could qualify for if he was born in California among other states.

Could there be some type of foundation that provides counseling and information to parents of kids born with clear disabilities? This boy may have been too old by then. But other children born with his condition could benefit from such services in Haiti. Besides the food, nutrition and education problems faced by this family, they have to deal with lack of information on a condition that a state like California entitles parents to receive services for. It's many worlds away. Until now, his mother keeps repeating the fact that her son was born this way because she had seen a disabled kid while she was pregnant with him.

Luckner's parents are also seeking a sponsor for their son. Are you ready to help him out?

List of Haitian Kids in Need: They are Seeking a Sponsor

2008-07-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

Each one of these two sisters needs a sponsor. Imelga is older than Florence as the picture shows. They have other siblings too. After the death of their mother during childbirth, the kids stick together with the help of many family members and friends. The needs are mounting. Father's work does not bring much income to give them a good life. All 11 surviving children need to be clothed, go to school and be cared for.

The Laporte Children Need Sponsors

Due to numerous work-related accidents, their father is now bed-ridden. The last time he worked was about 6 years ago. Besides, the hotel where he used to work exists no more. Finding work is almost impossible. It is not easy to find work in this community. Since he is sick, he would not be able to do much any way. His wife manages to do odd jobs to feed and clothe the kids. Yet, despite all the nutrition problems, the kids show their aptitude in school and other extra-curricular activities. JoAnn Laporte, 14 years old, is the older of the girls. She is superb soccer player.

Daniel Laporte is 18 years old. He helps his parents a lot. He needs help to keep attending his school. Buying uniform and school supplies is a yearly challenge. Eating some good meals is also a problem.

Johnyson Laporte is 10 years old. Per his parents, he is a good boy who is very helpful

Stephany Laporte is 8 years old.

Betina Laporte is 4 years old. She is the first kid to have a sponsor in SponsorandFeedaChild Program history!

Priest Gerard Jean-Juste Is Feeding Kids in Cite Soleil

2008-04-22T07:51:00.000-07:00
Haitian school children expect to get a meal, a hot lunch at school. Haitian school principals report they have no problems of absenteism, attendance issues such as cutting school and violence. Students come to school to learn and get fed. Many times, the meal they receive from school is the only one they are going to have for the whole day. Now with diminishing food donations, schools and church-based schools may not be able to help feed the hungry students. International organizations are looking for food donations. Churches are asking for help from whomever can understand the crisis. SponsorandFeedaChild wants to give you the opportunity to help. You can decide to support this organization with your donations. You can sponsor just one child and make sure that he/she goes to school where he/she'll receive a meal.

Other organizations that are working with children in this crisis are:

World Vision International etc.

Haitian Children Are Eating Mud Cookies to Survive; Let's Break the Yoke of Poverty and Hunger

2008-04-22T07:20:00.000-07:00

Many women start preparing mud to make mud cookies to feed their family. They dry them in the sun on the the roof of their houses.
Rising prices and food shortages are threatening Haiti's fragile stability, and the mud cookies, made of dirt, salt and vegetable shortening, are one of very few options the poorest people have to stave off hunger.

For the price of a Starbucks, for what you would spend at any fast food restaurant, you could help a child eat a meal and get educated. If teachers are not paid, if they have to worry about what to feed their children, they are not able to teach these young minds.

If you are seeking to help solve the Haitian food crisis, here is your opportunity to do it right here. Your donation will go to a church-based school where teachers can get paid and children can continue to attend classes.

Kids should not be reduced to eat mud, dirt to survive. Check out the food riots in Haiti.

Welcome to Sponsor and Feed a Child: The Blog That Covers News for Social Change and Combats Hunger and Ignorance

2008-04-19T19:58:00.000-07:00
SponsorandFeedaChild's goal is to bring awareness of the huge problems of hunger and illiteracy that exist in many Latin American countries such as Haiti, Salvador and others. SponsoreandFeedaChild covers some of the organizations that are helping make a difference in these parts of the world. On this blog, you will find pictures of needy children and parents who want help to start a small business that may be able to help their families. You will find pictures of children who need to be fed, clothed and sent to school. You will also find ways to help these children. You will be able to break the yoke of poverty one child at a time. SponsorandFeedachild will travel to countries such as Haiti and the Dominican Republic to document the dire situations of children and their parents. It will give you the means and mechanisms to help more than one of them if you choose to do so. For just what it will cost you to eat at a fast-food restaurant in the U.S.A and other European countries, you will be able to make the difference in these kids' lives.

Now that many countries are facing with a major food crisis, many parents will have nothing to feed their children. They will have to go without for many days. The limited food donations provided by some churches and schools will not be sufficient. Here is your chance to help today!

If you want to contribute to SponsorandFeedaChild, you can use the link below:

Help Feed a Child Now