YMCA Haiti Response

Update on YMCA of Haiti Relief and Rebuilding Efforts

March 4, 2010

Gwénaël Apollon, General Secretary of the YMCA of Haiti reports that seven weeks after the January 12th earthquake “life in Port-au-Prince looks like an unfinished painting painted by a mad artist. Many continue leaving Port-au-Prince, Leogane, Grand Goave and Petit Goave for more secure places and others persist with their quest for a visa to leave for another country, while most of us are helping the survivors survive. Generally speaking, the foreign armies, the UN force, the 5,000 NGOs are busy. Ambulances and fire trucks are all over, heavy trucks and equipments create huge traffic as the demolition of cracked houses and buildings continue. Many people participate in massive numbers in a food for work program to sweep and remove debris on the streets.”

The YMCA of Haiti, with the support of international YMCA partners such as the YMCAs of Québec, the YMCA of Dominican Republic and the Latin American and Caribbean Alliance, successfully coordinated two aid convoys into Haiti from the Dominican Republic, carrying critical relief items such as food, medicine and other supplies. While immediate relief work continues, the YMCA of Haiti is quickly turning its attention to restarting YMCA community programs, particularly critical services such as psycho-social counselling and education for young people. The YMCA is working to obtain large tents to serve as temporary YMCA facilities.

The YMCA of Haiti Partner Support Group meets regularly to coordinate the relief work and the long term recovery plans of the YMCA. A small delegation is currently traveling to Haiti to assist the YMCA with the longer-term planning.

YMCA Canada joins with YMCAs around the world in taking action in support of Haitians and their YMCA. With the YMCAs of Québec and other global partners, the YMCA of Haiti had been providing a range of programs for children and youth such as English classes, after-school activities, youth leadership programs, and HIV/AIDS education programs, until the earthquake. Now, their efforts are entirely focused on meeting the most basic and immediate community needs.

__________________________________________________________________

The YMCA of Haiti, working in close cooperation with the YMCA of Dominican Republic and the Latin American and Caribbean Alliance of YMCAs, has mobilized YMCA volunteers and staff to provide emergency relief. The earthquake destroyed one YMCA facility and a second facility has been turned into a shelter for the homeless. The global YMCA network is mounting an international appeal to help the YMCA of Haiti in this urgent work. In the long run, Haitian YMCA leaders will turn their attention to rebuilding community as part of country’s recovery and rehabilitation plan.
Your donation will help provide:

• shelter, food, water, medical supplies, tents for housing, cooking supplies, blankets, and personal hygiene products
• fuel and other travel and living expenses for the international convoy organized by the YMCA of Dominican Republic to bring medical and food aid
• support for the long-term recovery and rehabilitation of the country and the YMCA of Haiti
  

Up until February 12th, the Government of Canada will match donor for donor Canadian donations to the Haiti relief effort. To make a donation to this effort please click on the “donate now” button located on this page.

Thank you for joining in the global YMCA effort to support the people of Haiti.

Sincerely,

Stéphane Vaillancourt
President and Chief Executive Officer
YMCAs of Québec

Scott Haldane
President and Chief Executive Officer
YMCA Canada