ARTICLE - OAS-PADF RECEIVE 3 MILLION FOR HOME REPAIRS

OAS AND PADF RECEIVE DONATION OF THREE MILLION DOLLARS FOR HOME REPAIR PRGRAM IN HAITI
(Bahamas Weekly) - By OAS

The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), a cooperanting institution of the Organization of American States (OAS), received today a three-million-dollar grant from the Clinton – Bush Haiti Fund and the Caterpillar Foundation in support of the Haiti Home Repair Program in the Haitian city of Léogâne, the epicenter of the earthquake that affected the Caribbean country in January 2010.

In a ceremony held at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC, Secretary General Insulza stated that “this collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works is an excellent example of how the OAS and PADF are strengthening the Haitian government’s capacity and helping to address Haiti’s most immediate requirements for safe and secure shelter for thousands of homeless Haitians."

The highest representative of the hemispheric institution specifically thanked expressly the Caterpillar Foundation for its “continuous cooperation with PADF”and the Clinton – Bush Haiti Fund for “the support and work they do inHaiti."

The Executive Director of the PADF, John Sanbrailo, expressed his “appreciation to the contributors" and highlighted the ceremony as the continuation to a calling made by the Secretary General a year ago to become one of the leader organizations in give response to the humanitarian crisis in Haiti. “This ceremony represents clearly all that PADF is about: mobilizing donations," he added.

Clay Thompson, Corporate Government Affairs Manager of the Caterpillar Foundation expressed the “honor”of participating in this program and in a ceremony like this, while the Vice-president for the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund, Ambassador Timothy Carney, said that “it is a special occasion when an entity like the PADF with Caterpillar and the Clinton- Bush Haiti Fund do something so enormously worthwhile in the very epicenter of the earthquake last year."

The Permanent Representative of Haiti to the OAS, Ambassador Duly Brutus, expressed his thankfulness and said that “this contribution is proof that despite the continuing economic crisis, many Americans still remain sensitive to the idea of demonstrating concretely their solidarity with Haiti."

PADF’s project will fund the repair of 800 damaged multi-family homes in Léogâne, allowing 7,200 Haitians rapid and efficient access to safe and habitable housing. Furthermore, PADF with the Ministry of Public Works, will hire and train 214 Haitian engineers, masons, subcontractors and workers for the repairs. The goal is to teach them construction best practices and disaster risk reduction to ensure the safety and durability of the structures.

PADF is a non profit organization that was created in 1962 through an agreement between the Organization of American States and the private sector to promote, facilitate and implement economic and development programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at http://www.oas.org/ .