ARTICLE - SYMPOSIUM ON ROLE OF NGO's

MESSAGE FROM LAURENT LAMOTHE AT THE SYMPOSIUM ON THE ROLE OF NGOs
(Haiti Libre) - On the occasion of the International Symposium on the Role of NGOs in Haiti, which was held in Montreal June 15, 2012, at the Plaza Hotel Holiday Inn, around the theme "The role of NGOs in Haiti: between good and evil", the Prime Minister delivered a recorded message at this event.

"Let me first thank the organizers of this conference for the invitation made to me, to express my opinion on the role of NGOs in Haiti. I would like at the outset, to say that I greatly appreciate the international solidarity and the contribution of NGOs in the economy of a country like Haiti plagued by difficulties of all kinds. In many cases, the activism of NGOs in Haiti, helped fight against extreme poverty and social exclusion. However, when the activities of NGOs are not subject to any control of the Haitian state and, that these activities are not executed by taking into account the government's action plan and priorities of the state, the contribution of NGOs can be harmful and even counter-productive.

When international aid is channeled mainly through NGOs at the expense of the State to which we do not trust, the result is only the weakening of the government's ability to meet its responsibilities [...]

My Government would like to encourage the international community to review its practices as the least efficient and unfair, for Haiti. If we trust in the democratically elected authorities, the best approach is to channel aid through the Government of Haiti, while demanding of course, a flawless transparency. Channeling aid directly towards the government, is to help more quickly the construction of schools, hospitals, roads, and the establishment of social protection programs and others...

Moreover, there is the necessity today to make a complete inventory of the NGOs operating in Haiti, and to evaluate their performance in their respective field of activity. Ultimately, these NGOs must apply themselves to the exercise of guiding their actions and resources towards sectors prioritized by the Haitian government.

Pending the implementation of reform on the operation of NGOs, I want to announce that my government intends to require of them, that they show firstly a greater transparency; this is the key of development in Haiti.

To repeat the old adage, "Solidarity poorly ordered never profits"; the international solidarity in Haiti must occur first in the confidence made to its leaders, and I invite all stakeholders to trust the Martelly-Lamothe government.

In less than a month of my taking office let me tell you, that things are going well, we made a good start. Indeed today, it is in a calmer political climate, a more serene social environment, which is calmer and appeased. The government is working hard on transparency, day and night, during the week and on weekends, to put Haiti on the path of sustainable development.

The task that awaits us will be hard, but we will be at the rendezvous of history.

Thank you for your attention and a good symposium to all, and thank you for this opportunity, Nancy Roc."

ARTICLE - 650 SOLAR LIGHTS

650 NEW SOLAR STREET LIGHTS
(Haiti Libre) -

Given the success and results achieved to meet the problems of insecurity, social life and education, the French NGO ESF (Electricians Without Borders) requested by municipalities, launches its new program called LPV2 with 650 new solar street lights for 16 municipalities of the Department of West. The cost of the operation is approximately 2 million U.S. dollars.

According to the will of the authorities, the municipalities will benefit from street lighting in neighborhoods, on public squares and in the communal sections lacking infrastructure. Each streetlight installed, becomes property of the respective city and has a maintenance contract for 5 years. The technical staff of municipalities will be trained by ESF to ensure the sustainability of the park lighting.

The deployment began in Port-au-Prince with the installation of 40 streetlights, including 26 for the lighting of Portail Léogâne, in Pétion-ville, 40 street lights of which 10 are on Place Boyer, in Léogâne, 36 streetlights, of which 7 are at the new taxi station...., at Petit-Goâve, 32 streetlights are for communal sections.

The establishment of the first 320 streetlights will be completed in June. Then will come the complement, following the timetable set between ESF and three Haitian companies selected by tender. Firms that have to adapt their products due to the requirements of ESF (quality of illumination, size of solar panels, batteries and especially the total security of works).

Learn More about ESF:In 1986, ten employees of EDF (Electricite de France) decided to put their skills at the service of international solidarity projects and created what became in 2002 Electricians Without Borders (ESF). Present in Haiti since January 12, 2010, ESF has already installed 350 solar street lights in 70 refugee camps in the cities of Port au Prince, Croix des Bouquets, Carrefour and Léogâne.

ARTICLE - BILL CLINTON - ' SOLAR KING'

BILL CLINTON, THE "SOLAR KING"
(Haiti Libre) -

The former President Bill Clinton, announced four new commitments to provide solar energy to Haiti by Clinton Foundation partners. The announcement came after a three-day trip to Haiti to visit project sites featuring solar energy installations. He was accompanied by senior executives of large energy corporations from around the world, including China, Israel, and Ireland, as well as directors of large foundations interested in supporting projects in the energy sector. The trip was co-hosted by David Crane, CEO of NRG Energy. Together, they toured sites in Haiti's Central Plateau to view the progress of solar power installations funded by the $1 million commitment made through the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) by NRG and their implementing partner, the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF).

"These projects all show the power solar energy has to transform the lives of thousands of Haitians," said President Clinton. "They provide better opportunities for students to learn, entrepreneurs to create jobs, doctors to care for the sick, lower the cost of electricity and improve the environment. I am proud that my Foundation's partners have committed to provide even more solar power to the people of Haiti, and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to see this work in action."

Clinton Foundation partners announced four new commitments to provide solar energy to Haitians during these visits with President Clinton.

Trina Solar, working closely with NRG, has already donated solar power to support the Lashto Fish Farm and the Zanmi Beni Orphanage. Now, through their donation of 69 kilowatts (approximately 300 panels), they will provide solar power to approximately 20 schools in the Central Plateau region of Haiti. This will allow students to use computers and other technologies, and the schools to hold adult literacy classes and vocational training programs at night.

"The impact of getting like minded government representatives and industry leaders from around the globe focused on a common problem is evident from this trip," said Mark Kingsley, CCO of Trina Solar. "We remain committed to supporting these important efforts. It is not only important to make a great product, but to be a good company."

Matt Petersen, Global Green USA's President and CEO, announced a partnership with the SunPower Foundation to deliver 100 kilowatts of solar photovoltaic to help power schools and other community facilities in Haiti. Global Green’s local partners, including the Ciné Institute, the Artists for Peace and Justice school in Port-au-Prince, Habitat for Humanity, and Heifer International, will receive solar power to provide clean energy for their projects. The Clinton Foundation will continue to work with Global Green to identify additional partners and projects in Haiti in the coming weeks.

"Our commitment to provide solar power to Haiti will empower local schools and other community facilities, and give students a great place to study and learn while reducing dependency on expensive diesel power and polluting fossil fuels," said Petersen. "I look forward to partnering with the Clinton Foundation as we grow and identify new opportunities to harness the power of the sun by expanding the use of solar power in Haiti."

Jonathan Pickering, President of the America's Region, JA Solar announced that JA Solar will donate 94 kilowatts of solar panels (approximately 400 panels) to the Caribbean Harvest Foundation, a non-profit organization aimed at creating a commercial fishing industry for Haiti. These panels will be installed at the Caribbean Harvest fish hatchery in Croix des Bouquets, and will more than double their current solar capacity, increasing the hatchery's capacity to harvest fish and create new jobs.

Finally, Greif, in addition to providing a $125,000 grant to the pediatric wing of the new Partners in Health Mirebalais Hospital, will donate two fully equipped General Electric Habihut units that utilize zeeweed ultra filtration systems powered by integrated solar panels. These units will be able to generate all of their own power needed for water filtration purposes so they are completely self contained units. The Clinton Foundation will work with Greif to place these units in underserved communities in need of both solar power and clean water. These units create enough power to also serve as cell-phone charging stations, creating local entrepreneurship by providing individuals the ability to sell water and electricity. The site visits included the Boucan Carré Health Center, the first clinic to be solarized by SELF; the Lashto Fish Farm, a new extension of the fish hatchery that is now solar powered thanks to NRG Energy and SELF; the Bon Berger De Doman School, a Digicel-funded school with solar power; and finally the new Partners in Health Mirebalais teaching hospital. This hospital, when completed, will have the largest solar installation in the country and will operate almost entirely on solar power.

These projects reflect the Clinton Foundation's longstanding commitment to building Haiti's green energy structure. The Foundation has worked with a variety of green technology organizations in Haiti, including NRG and SELF, to address Haiti's high energy costs, low electrification rates, and high dependency on fossil fuels. Clinton Foundation partners are working on low-cost clean energy alternatives, creating recycling systems to help manage Haiti's waste, and developing new methods for cooking through effective cook stoves and recycled briquettes to replace charcoal.

President Clinton was joined by executives and directors, including David Crane, CEO, NRG Energy; Bob Freling, Executive Director, SELF; Paul Farmer, Founder, Partners in Health; Valentin Abe, Founder, Caribbean Harvest; Mark Kingsley, CCO, Trina Solar; Jonathan Pickering , President of the America's Region, JA Solar; Enda Kelly, Partner in Charge, C+F Green Energy; Josef Abramowitz, Founder and CEO, Gigawatt Global; Jerry Stokes, President of Suntech Europe; David B. Fischer, CEO of Greif; Amy Herskovitz, Executive Vice President, Pershing Square Foundation; Matt Petersen, President and CEO, Global Green USA; Aaron Charlop-Powers, Haiti Consultant, Pershing Square Foundation; Ambassador Timothy M. Carney, Executive Vice President, Clinton Bush Haiti Fund; Jean-Louis Warnholz, Senior Advisor to the Counselor, State Department; Pierre Noel, President, Haiti Fund at the Boston Foundation; Marianne d'Ansembourg, Senior Advisor, Haiti Adolescent Girl Network; Steve Toben, President, Flora Family Foundation; Joe Cashion, Energy Consultant, Industrial Revolution II; and Jim Ansara, Construction Manager, Mirebalais Hospital.

MIRACLE VILLAGE

'MIRACLE VILLAGE' A REFUGE FOR HAITI QUAKE SURVIVORS
(CBN) - By Stan Jeter

Two years after Haiti's devastating earthquake, hundreds of thousands of displaced people are still living in tent cities.

However, many amputees and other victims are finding new life in what used to be an orphanage.

One man known as Fritz lost his right leg during Haiti's powerful 2010 earthquake. He's rebuilding his life in the Miracle Village, a self-sustaining settlement for amputees and other earthquake survivors.

Love A Child Steps In

The village is the latest project by Florida pastors Bobby and Sherry Burnette, who moved to Haiti 20 years ago. They founded the Love a Child Center and began taking in orphans and running a school.

But when the earthquake shook Haiti's capital, they couldn't ignore the dead and wounded filling the streets of Port au Prince.

"The very next morning, Sherry and I were going down into Port au Prince with our trucks, with our staff, picking people off the streets," Bobby Burnette said.

The Burnettes quickly converted their orphanage into a clinic. Hundreds of foreign doctors and medical personnel arrived to treat the wounded who had flooded the grounds.

"Because they've heard that this is the place where they're going to get care," said Hilarie Cranmer, assistant professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, of the people who have come for help.

"We know that people who suffer horrible tragedies need peace and quiet, love and support," she explained.

"And it's not just medicines. It's for the soul as well," she said. "Somebody last night came when they brought 50 patients last night. They said this looks like an oasis in the desert."

One Little Girl's Story

One patient was 2-year-old Maria Ange. Her older sister was cooking when the earthquake struck. She grabbed the child and began to run.

"My heart was beating so fast. I heard a lot of noise," Siltana, Marie's sister, said.

Sherry Burnett recalled what she was told happened next.

"With the earthquake shaking violently under her feet and everything growing dark, the baby Maria Ange flew out of her arms and landed right in that pot of boiling water," she said.

"After I saw her burnt face I was scared. I was really, really scared," Siltana said.

For Francimene, the girls' mother -- tragedy followed tragedy. Her husband, a construction worker, was killed in the disaster. Their house was destroyed, and now one of her daughters might not survive.

A friend took Francimene to the Love a Child hospital. They sent Marie to a shipboard operating room for skin grafts.

Then the Love a Child ministry gave Francimene and her children a place to stay on orphanage property, along with hundreds of other survivors.

Permanent Village of Homes

But tents might not protect them during hurricane season. So just months after the earthquake, the Love a Child staff and volunteers began clearing 62 acres to build an entire village of permanent homes.

"We're building 50 houses. Three pads have been put in today and yesterday. Building it to a Florida hurricane code so that it doesn't blow away," Mark Ostrander, ministry director, explained.

"(The) ground is termite pre-treated. The lumber that's going in has a different chemical for pre-treatment, so we're really happy and confident that these are going to last a long time," he said.

The first houses went to amputees, and over the past two years, 400 more have been built.

Today 3,000 refugees live in their own houses in Miracle Village.

Francimene and her family live in a safe home and a loving community. They have playgrounds, basketball courts, a 24-hour medical clinic, and schools, along with the orphanage.

Every family cultivates a garden plot to grow food for their families and extra food to sell at market.

Future projects include a church and a public marketplace where residents can sell their crafts and produce.

Miracle Village is a miracle for hundreds of families that survived Haiti's deadliest earthquake.

ARTICLES - LIBRARIES WITHOUT BORDERS

300,000 BOOKS FOR UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
(Haiti Libre) -

This week, Library Without Borders (BSF) has signed with the Rector of the University of Haiti, a protocol for the construction of a central reserve of Haitian university libraries, where there will be stored and retained 300,000 books.

According to Patrick Veil, the Director of BSF, the French NGO, is currently in the process of identification of partners for the project whose total cost is estimated at 5 million euros, indicating that the collection of the books has already begun. The BSF Director recalled that currently the public library of the University of Haiti, has about 10,000 books scattered in the various faculties of the capital, and that the project objective is to increase this number to 300,000 in a horizon of two to three years. He indicated that this approach, is the new model that is developed currently in France [with the Technical Centre of the book] and in the United States, in universities such as Yale.

The central reserve will be built next to the campus of the State University, in the north of Port-au-Prince.

ARTICLE - WALKABOUT - 10,000 WHEELCHAIRS

THE WALKABOUT FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES A DONATION OF 10,000 WHEELCHAIRS
(Haiti Libre) -

Gérald Oriol Jr, the Secretary of State for the Integration of Disabled People, met last Thursday, Ms. Carolina Gonzales, co-founder in 2009, of the Walkabout Foundation, which took the opportunity to announce a donation of 10,000 wheelchairs, to the benefit of persons in lack of mobility in Haiti.

During this meeting, which took place in the presence of the First Lady of the Republic, Sophia Martelly, there was a question of the various problems faced by disabled people in the country. Established were the following objectives: develop a partnership to facilitate access to wheelchairs for disabled people, and consider the possibility of manufacturing in Haiti some of the wheelchairs promised.

Gérald Oriol Jr, sent on behalf of all persons with disabilities, his thanks to the Walkabout Foundation for this donation, and pledged to mentor more people with disabilities, so that thay can enjoy the same rights and privileges as all other citizens, according to the Constitution. For its part, the Office of the First Lady of the Republic has welcomed the assistance of the Walkabout Foundation, and reiterated the continued support of Sophia Martelly of people with special needs.

ARTICLE - GOOD OF 'CROWD-SOURCING'

TECHNOTALK - WHAT GOOD IS 'CROWD-SOURCING' WHEN EVERYONE NEEDS HELP?
(Reuters) - By Tim Large

In a recent blog post I referred in passing to some of the hype surrounding “crowd-sourcing” projects in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake.

That’s not to criticise the volunteers – mostly in the United States – who collectively devoted hundreds of hours to charting the needs of quake survivors on online maps, based on SMS texts sent from the disaster zone.

My point was that their gate-crashing of the relief response in Haiti posed a welcome challenge to the traditional humanitarian system – but also generated hyperbole about the effectiveness of crowd-sourcing in actually saving lives.

“There is, without question, a great deal of hype around technology,” BBC Media Action says in a new policy briefing on how communications are used in emergencies.

“Extravagant claims have been made in recent years for its ability to solve everything from election fraud to Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) management. Such claims are often based on little hard evidence, particularly on the practical use of communications technology in emergencies.”

This seems like a good time to ask: How useful is it to draw on the “wisdom of crowds” when mobilising a relief response after a big natural disaster?

The question matters because it’s now almost a matter of faith that crowd-sourcing platforms like Ushahidi will be key tools for aid agencies in future emergencies.

This belief feeds off two desires on the part of relief groups. One is to be more accountable to beneficiaries, which means listening to what disaster-hit communities are actually saying. The other is to embrace mobile technology in a world where even crisis zones tend to be “wired”.

Ushahidi, which means “testimony” in Swahili, started in 2008 as a way for Kenyans to report instances of post-election violence. Anybody could send a text to log an incident – rape, riot, looting, murder – and the system would plot it on a map.

Since then, the open-source platform has been rolled out all over the world. It has been used to map acts of war in Gaza, crime in Indonesia and socio-political developments in Egypt. It is now being used by U.S.-based activists to chart human rights violations in Syria.

All of which makes sense. You can look at those maps and get an idea of where trouble is brewing or hotspots developing. Individual reports are unverified, but like a pointillist painting, they add up to a useful picture.

The Haiti earthquake was different.

For the first time, the idea of bearing witness became confused with humanitarian needs assessment and relief response. Big claims were made about this new twist on crowd-sourcing.

“The service was able to direct emergency response teams to save hundreds of people, and direct the first food, water and medicines to tens of thousands,” says the website of Mission 4636.

Mission 4636 was a coalition of “crisis-mappers” and volunteer translators who mobilised in the United States around text messages sent by survivors in Port-au-Prince (4636 was the SMS “short code” the coalition used).

Hundreds of people saved? Aid directed to tens of thousands? This is where the rhetoric starts to look like hyperbole.

It’s worth backtracking to January 2010, when the unprecedented information ecosystem that would become Mission 4636 was first evolving.

Thomson Reuters Foundation was part of that ecosystem. I declare an interest: I was in Port-au-Prince setting up AlertNet’s Emergency Information Service (EIS). EIS sent out, in Creole, critical information from the United Nations, NGOs and Haitian government. Anybody could register to receive the free SMS alerts by texting 4636 (we publicised the service mainly by radio).

Survivors could also text their needs and locations to 4636, and the messages flowed to a variety of online platforms via RSS feeds.

Early on, we ourselves had big ideas about crowd-sourcing. The EIS platform allowed us to map incoming messages and categorise data. The idea was that this could be useful information for the “Clusters”, the different sectors of the U.N.-led response – food, shelter, water and sanitation and so on.

Nice idea, but there were problems. For one thing, few people in the quake zone had the bandwidth to use the maps. For another, it set up false expectations on the part of survivors, who reasonably expected the information they sent to be acted upon, or at least responded to.

I can still feel the wincing pain of watching those heart-rending appeals for assistance roll in, knowing few people would receive replies.

On the radio, I did my best to explain that 4636 was not a hotline for help. Rather it was a means for people to say what they needed so aid workers could build up a rough picture. But inevitably, people turned to it as a lifeline.

It’s not that incoming messages fell into a void. In the United States, plenty of people were pouring over them.

Scores of volunteers mobilised by crowd-sourcing organisation CrowdFlower and social enterprise Samasource were translating the Creole texts into English. They categorised and geo-tagged them too.

Then Ushahidi volunteers mashed the data onto online maps and performed a kind of triaging service, sending high-priority messages to the U.S. military.

Anecdotal evidence suggests some of this information may have been acted upon by U.S. Southern Command, which by virtue of proximity was involved with early emergency operations.

A member of the Marine Corps wrote that crowd-sourced data “was saving lives every day”, without specifying how. And a member of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency Task Force told Ushahidi: “No matter what anyone else tells you, don’t stop mapping. You are saving lives.”

An independent evaluation of the Ushahidi Haiti Project said the section of its work concerned with assessing the impact of the initiative was “supported with the weakest evidence base”. It lists a handful of “possible” and “probable” examples of people being rescued, taken to hospital or sent supplies.

Why isn’t there more evidence of impact?

One very simple reason – the crowd-sourcing efforts happening in living rooms in the United States were completely disconnected from the U.N.-led relief response in Haiti.

It wasn’t the U.S. military who coordinated the search-and-rescue teams piling into Port-au-Prince, or the many U.N. agencies and NGOs who followed in their wake. That was the job of the United Nations, led by the Office of for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Even MapAction, OCHA’s official crisis-mapping partner, didn’t know about what Ushahidi and the other crowd-sourcers were doing. Camped in their tents, first at the airport and then at U.N. Logistics Base, they didn’t have the bandwidth either.

Of course, it’s possible to imagine a future in which things are more joined up, and much is being done to make sure that happens. For example, the interagency Communicating with Disaster-Affected Communities (CDAC) Network is trying to bridge the divide between the humanitarian sector and new info-tech players.

The real problem isn’t coordination. It’s a flaw in the model of response that crowd-sourcing seems to promise.

Think of this model as “retail relief”, in which specific services – food or water distributions, say – are delivered to individuals based on individual needs (assuming they have a mobile phone to text in those needs).

In fact, the vast majority of disaster relief is delivered wholesale. This makes sense, because in a crisis zone like Port-au-Prince after the quake, nearly everybody has needs.

If you look at the Ushahidi maps of Port-au-Prince, or AlertNet’s EIS maps, you saw the same kinds of messages everywhere. All they told you was that the whole city was in trouble.

Getting food, water, shelter and medical care to hundreds of thousands of people in an earthquake or tsunami zone is not a series of surgical strikes, made on a first-call-first-served basis. It’s a grinding, blunt, often slow process, involving massive needs assessments over wide areas.

It means overcoming huge logistical hurdles. It involves coordinating hundreds of aid agencies and NGOs across a broad sweep of sectors.

That’s why the job falls to the United Nations – assuming the sovereign government of the country concerned calls for international help, as the Haitian government did.

Many traditional humanitarian players see crowd-sourcing as an unwelcome distraction at a time when they are already overwhelmed. They worry that the noise-to-signal ratio is just too high.

Committed crowd-sourcers counter that the solution is not less technology – but more.

Patrick Meier, director of crisis mapping at Ushahidi, writes that the Syria project is leading the way with a mixture of automated data mining and crowd-sourced human intelligence.

At a CDAC Network “media and technology fair” last week, John Crowley, a research fellow at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, said such approaches were the Holy Grail. The trick is to combine sophisticated algorithms with human feedback loops.

“That’s where the cutting edge is, and ultimately we’re not there yet,” he said.

Until then, the jury is still out, at least for me. I’d be happy to be proved wrong, and would welcome real evidence of lives saved.

If aid agencies are to invest time and resources in handling torrents of crowd-sourced information in disaster zones, they should be confident it’s worth their while.

ARTICLE - SEEING RED

SEEING RED
(Catholic News Agency) - By Deacon Patrick Moynihan *

When it comes to Haiti, the Associated Press appears to be able to turn over stones other news services either miss or cannot handle. In late 2010, the AP broke the story on the likely connection between the cholera outbreak in Haiti and the Nepalese military personnel serving in the country under the UN. This time, the AP has brought to light an odd multi-million dollar real estate purchase made in the midst of the international relief effort.

According to Martha Mendoza and Trenton Daniel of the AP, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) used $10.5 million of the charitable funds the organization received on behalf of the quake-stricken people of Haiti to purchase what is known locally as the “Hilton Property”, for its headquarters. The emergency relief organization has occupied the partially constructed buildings of the failed hotel project since Haiti’s earthquake on January 12, 2010. The story, published on March 26, adds that this purchase is just part of the $754 million dollars the IFRC has spent to date in Haiti.

This is not the first time that I have heard about this peculiar real estate project. Just months after the earthquake, I was contacted by a KPMG accountant. On a phone call in lieu of a meeting that would have sunk me in traffic for hours, the accountant informed me that the firm was helping its client, the IFRC, evaluate the benefits of buying the property they were currently leasing. As part of the calculation, he informed me that the emergency relief organization was contemplating being in Haiti for 5 to 10 years.

You might wonder why a missionary would get a call from a Big Four accounting firm to confirm real estate values. Well, not long before the inquiry, I had published a column on land values in Haiti. In the article, I stated that land was more expensive in Haiti than one would expect. I think my price perspective fit their needs.

While not a professional appraiser, I did have enough knowledge and contacts to give an informal, uncompensated opinion on the price—which I did. I also let the caller know that while I felt the price was acceptable, the idea that the IFRC would be able to purchase a headquarters before the government of Haiti had secured even temporary offices was not. I still think that.

I am also a bit puzzled by the IFRC’s plan, revealed this week by the AP, to convert part of the facility into a hotel and conference center. This was not mentioned in my conversation with the accountant. I wonder if this may have been added later as a cover story to mitigate the danger of negative PR for purchasing such a large property while the country remained crippled. The purchase has to be a bit embarrassing to say the least.

Even if the hotel and conference center is an actual idea, it is an alarming example of mission creep. Since when is it acceptable to build a hotel with relief funds? How does hotel operation fit with flood fighting? Could they be thinking of housing their own aid workers instead of paying for four star rooms up town?

The story’s revelation that the IFRC has spent over three-quarters of a billion dollars alarms me more than the hotel plan. This admission certainly gives support to President Martelly’s concern over the lack of visible results from the billions that have been spent in just over 24 months. This past September, Haiti’s belabored president lamented during a CNN interview, “… they’re saying that it was about saving lives. So you can’t really tell what money was properly used.”

The story also makes me feel obligated to relate my only real experience with the IFRC in Haiti. On December 18, 2010, just eleven months after the earthquake, I visited the IFRC’s “Hilton Hotel” compound. A friend and I were in search of assistance with transporting a corpse to the morgue from a nearby tent city. Not only did we not find help, we found 163 vehicles sitting idle. It was the weekend; the landlords or tenants, whatever the case at the time, were out until Monday.

This latest story from the AP is the kind that makes a missionary’s head spin and, I hope, charitable donors see red.

ARTICLE - 76 FARMERS TRAINED

76 YOUNG FARMERS TRAINED IN AGRO ECOLOGY, RETURN HOME
(Haiti Libre) -

After a one year exchange promoted by Via Campesina, a group of 76 young Haitian farmers (54 men and 22 women) will return to Haiti Wednesday, September 14, 2011, with a greater knowledge of the practices in rural areas. Participants during their stay, were able to access among others ... techniques of agroecology, the cooperative structure, and the operation of camps and colonies...

These young Haitian farmers, are social movement activists in Haiti, from the ten departments of the country.

Gean Paula de Souza, member of the teaching staff, responsible for the exchange, stated that the first month the young Haitians were able to learn the Portuguese language by taking courses at the National School Florestan Fernandes (NSFF) of the Movement of Landless Workers (MST), and have had contact with the peasant movements in Brazil and other Latin American countries.

They were then divided within eight Brazilian states [Rio Grande do Sul, Parana, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Espirito Santo, Bahia, Sergipe et de Pernambuco]. This second phase lasted five months. "The idea was to let them know about the operation of cooperatives, how they are formed, how they organize workers and to teach them the strategies of movement and organization. Thus, they can return to Haiti and guided by these methods, strengthen their organizations" reported Geanie Paula de Souza.

"For the last step, the group was split into two groups in the states of Parana and of Sergipe, where the young farmers have taken courses in agroecology techniques. They learned how to treat the soil and protect the environment, and how to treat water sources; to ensure their conservation."

At the end of this cycle of one year, notes Geanie de Via Campesina, the youth have made a fairly positive assessment of this course. "There was a lot of learning and solidarity. For us it is very important because it shows, for those who believe that in Haiti there is nothing, there are many interesting things and that there are some people struggle for a better country.

According to Geanie Paula de Souza, the first group of Haitians was originally planned to be a group of 150 people, but the high cost prohibbeted the achievement this goal. However, the idea of the ​​movement is to continue the action. A new group of 30 young Haitians should arrive in Brazil in early 2012.

Learn more about La Via Campesina :
La Via Campesina is an international and intercultural organization that co-ordinates national and regional organizations of small farmers, of rural dwellers, landless peasants, agricultural workers, indigenous peoples, fishermen, artisans and immigrants.

This autonomous movement, multicultural, multiethnic and pluralistic seeks first to change the agricultural production, consumption patterns, the role of women, education, health, environment, etc...

ARTICLE - 2ND INFO SESSION OF IHRC AND HRF

2ND INFORMATION SESSION OF THE IHRC AND OF HRF
(Haiti Libre) -

The Projects Department of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC) and the Haiti Reconstruction Fund (HRF) held another information session as part of their information series for partners in reconstruction, initiated in mid-August.

Around 20 representatives from different sectors including civil society, the private sector, academia, NGO’s, etc, participated in this session and received information concerning the structure and workings of the IHRC, its project review cycle, and its project financing review and approval mechanisms. The session was concluded by a productive question and answer exchange.

This session was led by the Projects Department of the IHRC, representatives of the HRF and representatives of the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation (MPCE) The first information session was targeted at international and local NGO’s; the second towards journalists, and media owners. These sessions will take place two times per month.

Learn more :

The Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC) was created by presidential decree on April 21, 2010, in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. The mission of the IHRC is to undertake expeditious planning, coordination, and facilitation of development projects and priorities, including reviewing and approving projects and programs funded by bilateral and multilateral donors, NGOs and the private sector. The IHRC is co-chaired by Prime Minister of Haiti Jean-Max Bellerive and President Bill Clinton and is guided by a Board of Advisors, which includes Haitian and non-Haitian stakeholders in reconstruction efforts.

The Projects Department of the IHRC is responsible for managing the review and aproval projcess of all projects submitted to the IHRC. This entity is responsible for informing partners of the reconstruction policies of the IHRC, as well as providing information concerning protocols and standards for projects, programs and implementing agencies, and managing relationships with partners from the pre-approval of their projects until their completion.

The Haiti Reconstruction Fund (HRF) is a partnership between the international community and the Government of Haiti to help finance the post-earthquake reconstruction. The HRF mobilizes, coordinates and allocates contributions from bilateral and other donors to help finance high-priority projects, programs and budget support. All applications for funding from the HRF must be approved by the IHRC in accordance with the Plan of Action for the rehabilitation and development of Haiti.

ARTICLE - 3,381 STREET CHILDREN SUPPORTED

3,381 CHILDREN AND YOUNG OF THE STREET SUPPORTED BY PU-AMI
(Haiti Libre) -

The Jamaica base is located opposite the airport of Port-au-Prince. Young people between 10 and 17 years on average, are gathered here to survive. The bases are makeshift shelters where children are organized into a micro-society often led by a leader who imposes the rules of life.

Première Urgence – Aide Médicale Internationale (PU-AMI) (First Emergency - International Medical Aid) is active in 17 children bases of children in the city of Port-au-Prince since 2004.

These young people are named Leon (aka Jumeau), Michel, Islande or Marie-France. Their stories, which led them to live on the streets, are often a tragic likeness: abuse, death of parents, very poor family... A relationship of trust was established between the medical teams and PU-AMI and the street children. They have collected their testimonies.

Marie France is 21 years old, and has 2 children, 7 and 1 years old. She has lived on the streets for 10 years. "I do not like the street but because of my miserable situation, I have to live in this mess. My mother could not afford to help me go to school. I know the importance of school. I dreamed of becoming a business woman but life does not allow me to. I hope one day that God will speak in the heart of the country's leaders so that finally I can get out of this situation. My greatest pain is to see my children living the same tragedy."

Michel is a beneficiary of the program "Children and Young of the Streets" of PU-AMI since 2006. He begs and cleans the windows of cars of the faithful at Sacré Cœur. He is young and intelligent. Parishioners helped him to integrate into a Presbyterian school. His mother is still alive, and she lives near Léogâne; a small town an hour's drive from the capital. With his odd jobs, he can buy clothes, food and bring some money to his mother. He visits his mother a few hours each weekend.

Islande is 19 and has lived on the streets for five years. An orphan since early childhood, she was raised by her aunt. She was a victim of abuse. She had to leave her hell home. Islande says that she does not want to stay on the street. Her greatest desire is to find her family: "If my mother was here, I would never have taken the path of the street; because here I am a victim of all evil. I would like to rebuild my life, learn a trade so that I can ensure my own survival."

Today a team composed of four nurses, three doctors and five street teachers regularly visit the bases to provide care to nearly 3,400 young people but also to lend a sympathetic ear and take care of their health and psychological state. Some of the most seriously affected are referred to hospitals and supported entirely by PU-AMI.

The priority for Premiere Urgence - Aide Médicale Internationale remains the support of these young people but also their integration. Placed in the margins of society, there are very few local structures to accommodate them. Partnerships with local organizations are rare, but without their involvement, it will be difficult to counter the street phenomenon and to see a better life for these children and young people.

ARTICLE - 1.4 MILLION FOR PROJECTS

CLINTON BUSH HAITI FUND ANNOUNCES $1.4 MILLION IN FUNDS FOR INNOVATIVE REBUILDING PROJECTS
(MarketWatch) - Source - Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

Funding to Boost Construction Sector, Promote Vocational Training and Increase Access to Sustainable Energy

WASHINGTON (BUSINESS WIRE) - In its continued effort to support Haiti as the country builds its own prosperous future, the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund today announced $1.4 million in new commitments for three new projects: a franchise-based housing program, a vocational training program, and a sustainable energy initiative.

As part of this announcement, $1.08 million in traditional and recoverable grants is committed to GaMa Entreprises, S.A., a Haitian company that will use the money to implement a franchise-based housing solution. This new GaMa venture plans to take advantage of unprecedented opportunity in the construction sector while meeting Haiti's critical housing needs. Under the brand name KayTek ("House Technology" in Haitian Creole), GaMa's housing enterprise will manufacture steel-frame housing kits at a factory in Port-au-Prince. KayTek will provide a selection of ready-made and custom designs for homes in a range of markets, as well as a one-stop materials solution for buyers to customize their homes. The program will train engineers and general contractors, who can in turn train general tradesmen. With this technical training in steel home construction and entrepreneurship, those selected as franchisees will be prepared to start and manage their own home-building businesses throughout Haiti.

"Together, GaMa/KayTek and the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund are supporting long-term reconstruction by promoting jobs, cultivating entrepreneurship, and building capacity in construction -- forecast to be the nation's predominant sector over the next five years. Simultaneously, we are addressing the needs of more than 800,000 individuals still seeking permanent housing," according to GaMa President, Mathias Pierre, named a 2010 Digicel "Entrepreneur of the Year" and a Caribbean "Pioneer of Prosperity" in 2009.

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund is also announcing its commitment to grant up to $225,000 to equip temporary classrooms at the earthquake-devastated Salesiens Professional School, immediately benefiting 620 at-risk youth who will be trained and certified in construction trades. Salesiens is the oldest and largest vocational training school in Haiti and among the few to hold accredited status and a strong reputation in the job market. This grant gives students the equipment they need to resume their studies, complete their certification, and enter jobs in a sector vital to Haiti's rebuilding.

The Fund's third announcement addresses Haiti's lack of access to sustainable energy, an impediment to economic opportunity and educational achievement. The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund will provide $150,000 in seed funding to Arc Finance, a global nonprofit organization whose mission is to build the income and assets of poor people around the world through promotion of and access to financing for energy, clean water, and other basic needs. This new program, undertaken in partnership with the Multilateral Investment Fund, a member of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, will allow members of the Haitian diaspora living in the US to directly purchase low-cost and energy efficient products, such as stoves and lamps, to send to Haiti. Haitian-owned goods-remittance company FoodExpress will then deliver the products. This innovative remittance transfer program will make sustainable sources of electricity more widely available throughout Haiti, decrease energy costs, and reduce pollution currently caused by the use of charcoal, diesel, kerosene, and wood in both urban and rural areas.

"These investments create the economic opportunities required for successful reconstruction. Today, we are fulfilling current needs with lasting solutions," said the Fund's Executive Vice President, Ambassador (Retired) Tim Carney. "These programs will help provide housing, job training and access to clean energy right now. What's more, these are sustainable business models that will provide jobs and invigorate Haiti's economy for the long term."

Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded after Haiti's January 12, 2010 earthquake, when President Barack Obama asked former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to lead a major fundraising effort to assist the Haitian people to "build back better." The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund initially responded to the catastrophe with millions in humanitarian relief. By the time the Fund began independent operations in May 2010, it transitioned to primarily serving its longer-term mission of sustainable reconstruction efforts designed to promote job growth and economic opportunity, and enabling Haiti to chart its own successful future. To learn more visit www.ClintonBushHaitiFund.org .