Konbit Pou Ayiti

REBUILD A VILLAGE

Haiti is the country in this region that is least able to weather a storm of any size. Even just a hard rain can result in death and destruction. Over the last week, two major storms hit Haiti. Hurricane Gustav was a Category Two hurricane when it made ground in Jacmel, bringing ninety mile per hour winds and pounding rain to the area. At the beginning of this week, Hurricane Hanna took a second swipe at the island, leaving the towns of Gonaives and Les Cayes underwater.

Sometimes it can be hard to believe that Mother Nature is not cruel. Looking across the flattened fields of our neighbors in Haiti’s southeast region, it is hard not to flinch at the image of the mountains trapping Hurricane Gustav over the most vulnerable population in our hemisphere. Twenty-four hours of rain drenching the huts of the poor, perched on the cliffs, and drowning the slums, huddled on the edge of the sea. Homes were washed away by overflowing rivers, and others had flash floods tear through their walls. Fields of plantain trees are now stagnant puddles – breeding ground for mosquitoes – and  agricultural fields were destroyed throughout the region. Almond trees floated into the sea and coconut trees were uprooted.

The Jacmel region was one of Haiti’s most wooded areas, but many communities are now facing complete deforestation. The village of Cyvadier, headquarters of Haiti KONPAY, exemplifies the destruction of the region. Families have lost their homes, their fields, and everything they own. As you know, Haiti was already in the midst of a food crisis, where four out of five families go hungry everyday. In the aftermath of the recent storms, the Jacmel region will be facing widespread famine. Schools will be forced to delay opening and most families will have no hope of sending even one child to school this year.

Haiti KONPAY is in the heart of this crisis, and our neighbors are in desperate need of your help! We are requesting your emergency donation, and your funds will be used for direct assistance. Donation of any size can make a huge difference; please consider giving a larger gift at this time if you can because the need is so great.

Our program to Rebuild a Village is seeking donations to:

•    Purchase emergency food supplies;
•    Buy construction materials and pay workers to rebuild homes;
•    Rebuild the Youth for the Development of Cyvadier (JDS) tree nursery, and meet our goal of 50,000 seedlings this year;
•    Pay the entry fees and tuition for members of JDS to attend school;
•    Replant thousands of trees from reforestation greenbelts;
•    Purchase soil and seeds to replant fields, especially plantains; and
•    Devise and construct a canal system to prevent future flooding of fields and homes in the case of heavy rains, tropical storms and hurricanes.

Thank you for being part of our work supporting Haitians and the renewal of their environment. You can help even more by spreading the word about what we’re doing and invited your friends and colleagues to support Haiti KONPAY. Have friends over for dinner and tell them about the situation in Haiti, asking them to donate if they can. Or ask your local church/place of worship to hold a collection or spaghetti dinner to raise money for hurricane victims. For more ideas or help planning your event, contact Elise@konpay.org.

For a reforested and green Haiti,

Melinda Miles
Director, Haiti KONPAY

P.S. Please don’t wait for another day to respond! Hurricane victims in Jacmel, Haiti need your help today, so please make a donation if you can! You can read updates from Haiti and donate online at www.konpay.org.