Australian Aid Organisations working in Haiti January 17, 2010
Posted by bohdan.warchomij in : Aftermath, Aid, Haiti, Relief , add a commentThe earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince has had the world scrambling to deliver aid to the Western World’s poorest country. Logistically it is an overwhelming task. The harbour is damaged and there are difficulties offloading ship supplies. Toussaint Louverture International Airport is running out of fuel and only one runway is operational. Some relief workers and medical crews are coming in via the Dominican Republic.
(Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of Hispaniola, which lies between Cuba and Puerto Rico.)
- Carolyn Cole LA Times
The following aid agencies are working in the devastated country: The list, by no means exclusive, gives a guide to the established agencies working on the ground in Haiti. Please use personal discretion if donating to the appeals listed.
Medecins Sans Frontieres suffered damage to some of its own buildings in the earthquake, including its main hospital facility and a maternity facility. It is running makeshift medical centres in tents around the capital while it attempts to locate some of its staff missing since the disaster.
You can donate to MSF’s effort in Haiti through its Australian office’s website or by phoning 1300 13 60 61.
Save the Children has estimated that many children have been orphaned and have been made homeless.
The charity has said cash donations are what is most needed at the moment.
You can donate to Save the Children’s Haiti Earthquake Emergency Appeal at this link. Donations can also be made at NAB branches or by phoning 1800 76 00 11.
Australian Red Cross has launched an appeal. The charity says the money raised will be directed to the relief and recovery efforts in the devastated capital and other areas. Specialist aid workers will also be sent there.
You can donate to the Australian Red Cross Haiti Earthquake Appeal online or by phoning 1800 811 700.
World Vision provides temporary shelters, hygiene kits, cooking utensils, clothing and water containers and medical teams to deal with earthquake victims. To donate visit www.worldvision.com.au or call 13 32 40.
Oxfam has 100 staff on the ground in the quake zone, providing water and shelter supplies. “Any country would have difficulty withstanding this disaster, let alone one with deep poverty and minimal infrastructure,” the charity has said.
You can donate to Oxfam’s Haiti Earthquake Appeal online or by phone at 1800 034 034.
CARE Australia has said the biggest challenge facing aid groups on the ground is reaching all those who need their help. CARE’s staff have been handing out food and other supplies.
The agency has said a donation of just $50 can provide water sanitation kits to homeless families. You can donate to CARE’s Haiti Earthquake Appeal online or at 1800 020 046.
The Australian Government has committed $10 million in emergency aid to the Haiti relief effort. The Department of Foreign Affairs’ 24-hour consular emergency centre can be reached on 1300 555 135.
The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund has allocated $10 million in relief aid. Individuals and businesses can donate to the CERF at that link. Donations can also be sent to UNICEF’s Haiti Emergency Appeal.
Haiti January 11, 2010
Posted by bohdan.warchomij in : Documentary, Haiti, Photojournalism , add a commentJessica Phelps is a young photographer from Ohio currently working in a community center in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Santiago, Chile. She received her BFA in Media Studies from the Columbus College of ARt and Design before heading out on a mission that was more than simply traveling the world. She is committed, has a mission and wants to give back to the communities who take her in and share their stories with her.
In her own words, she “wanted to give back to the communities I visited, and subsequently tell their stories to those who otherwise would not have heard it”. In this manner, people from around the world could truly understand our innate connection to one another, and (realise) that despite our differences, we all desire the same basic things from life. My personal mission is a small step, but I believe that in our age of dividing war and hate, we have a great opportunity to stand peacefully together on common ground.” She is to be commended and admired.
- Car Parts for Sale Photo Copyright Jessica Phelps
Jessica Phelps received her BFA in photography from the Columbus College of Art and Design. After Graduation her travels took her to a remote town in the Italian Alps where she worked as a goat herder. From there she went to Milan for one year, doing a variety of jobs from teaching English, to gardening and house painting. After traveling through Europe some more she moved back to the US, and settled in San Diego CA for a few months. Jessica continues to travel and document the places she visits including Haiti in January.
- Fountain in Carfour Copyright Photo Jessica Phelps
R E F L E C T I V E J U D G E M E N T
Flying over Haiti, I saw mountains but all was brown. The land had been stripped bare as deforestation has swept across this country. Coming in lower I saw houses, cinder block squares really. Many of them missing floors and roofs with partially completed walls. Closer still and I could see people working in the fields, people walking along the streets in colorful clothing often carrying loads on their heads. Posture perfect, slow paced and in no hurry, it seems time was not what enslaved these people. Now over Cite Soleil, considered the worst slum in the world, the poverty is apparent even from above. The long descent lends the ability to take in the whole scope of the shanty housing and the random fires burning. I watched as the smoke disappeared into the evening sky.
It’s dark by the time we disembark the plane and begin driving through Port Au Prince and on into Petionville. The streets are jammed with cars, their fumes clogging the air we breathe. The jumbled sound of Haiti is energetic, vibrant, colorful and full of movement. But the landscape could not be more different. Roads in Haiti are often flooded and if they happen to be paved, they are so full of potholes it makes driving impatiently slow, tedious. Driving out of the city is a depressing sight. Garbage is piled high on the sidewalks and even in the nearby canals. It is common to see people scavenging amongst the refuse alongside goats, pigs and chickens. The animals eat the trash and soon after the people eat the animals. Our pick-up truck kicks up some dust as I am casually informed that mixed in with the garbage are discarded body parts, rotting, waiting to be burned.
In Haiti there is a hierarchy to the poverty. This is most commonly deciphered by taking notice of the footwear. Shoes with laces or straps are at the higher end of this hierarchy. Moving down the line are flip flops, and finally the poorest having no shoes what-so-ever, instead running barefoot through the city streets.
Experiencing Haiti requires use of all the senses. Amid the unceasing sound of cars and honking horns is a Creole spoken with more fervor than any Italian I can remember. Roosters crow incessantly, from dusk to dawn. The smell of exhaust fumes and burning plastic barrage your nostrils. The feel of the sun envelops you, while the dust and grime permeates your skin and hair. The grime is there to be tasted, always hanging heavy in the air. It is swallowed. It sticks in your teeth. And you find yourself overwhelmed just at the sight of it all.
The bright colors of houses set against the dust and piles of garbage seem to accentuate the energy of a people who laugh so as not to cry. There is a dignity with which they carry themselves through every day. As you stand reflected in the gaze of the Haitian People, there is judgment void of condemnation. Here an unspoken knowledge exists. Even children reek of wisdom beyond their years and seem to mirror and match any present preconceptions.
Jessica Phelps
- The Pharmacy Photo Copyright Jessica Phelps
Jessica Phelps
