Haiti Relief Efforts: More than Kits
Brittany Jonap is one of our volunteers on the ground in Haiti. Here she shares what CMMB has been able to do because of generous, immediate support from donors in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.
Today I want to give you a chance to embrace a mission that I think we all can agree on.
I have been inspired this past six weeks by those of you that have shown support to me,my organization andHaiti in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew. So many friends and acquaintances, from different political parties, of different races and religions, from all around the world came together in solidarity and donated to my causeor shared my posts. To all of you, THANK YOU!
Based upon myposts it might seem like all CMMB has been doing is makingrelief kits. In reality, CMMB has been involved in several other relief activities and I would like to share some of those with you now.
POWER: The first thing anyone said to me when I arrived in Jérémie was, “You were the only organization that immediately responded when we needed gas. They had been doing emergency surgery at night with a headlamp. Thank you.” This was in regards to the gasoline that we purchased to provide power to the hospital in Jérémie. Additionally, we have been providing portable solar panel charging systems. These provide light in addition to providing energy to power electronic devices, such as cell phones.
BUILDING MATERIALS: After our assessment of Grand’Anse, the need for shelter moved up on our priority list of relief needs. In Côtes-de-Fer we have already provided construction materials and a small monetary donation to the most impacted families.
GARDENS: We are also utilizing the expertise of our agronomist, Lunis, as immediate agricultural development will be necessary, in an attempt to recover the massive losses. He will be traveling to Gebeau next week.
WATER: In our relief kits we have been providing Aquatabs, which are water purifying tablets. However, we have also invested in some medium to long term options. We are purchasing water-purifying systems from a local company in Leogane that can provide up to 295 gallons of clean water per day. Many have already been delivered to our Côtes-de-Fer team and training has been initiated on proper use to ensure longevity of these filtration systems.
Haiti is still healing, replanting and rebuilding all while continuing to be hit with deadly flooding and disease. If you haven’t had the chance to support Haiti, I encourage you to make a donation. CMMB just launched a campaign with Johnson & Johnson to provide water filtration systems to families in Haiti, which helps prevent cholera outbreaks. For a limited time, Johnson & Johnson will match every gift made.
A recipient of a water filtration system in Côtes-de-Fer uses it for the first time after completing training.