Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Memoirs of a Haitian

We cannot express in words how we feel this week in Port au Prince, Haiti, during the one year anniversary of the earthquake! The devastation is as alive as it was 1 year ago... The smell, sight and sound of Haiti is indescribable....

We were at an orphanage Sunday, and attended church in the morning... We then saw what Haiti Arise is doing in Grand Guove, Haiti. They are putting Haitian's to work, and helping them rebuild their lives. We passed out home repair kits yesterday, and played an amazing soccer game with the children.... There are NO words to describe how we feel..... The Haitian's have been through so much, and not a lot has changed.... They stay so positive, dressing beautifully for church ever Sunday.  We as American's could never imagine this life, and they live it with such grace.  

Last night TSN interviewed my cousin Steve, and I translated for them. He said, "It feels like Haiti is done."  He commented that what organizations do is amazing, but Haitian's are SO desperate for help, that it's hard to see light at the end of the tunnel. He also described his experience during the quake, and we cannot imagine how it felt that day.

Today we are at Helping Hands in Port au Prince with disabled patients who were effected by the earthquake. They are sharing their stories and showing strength in their capabilities to overcome disaster! Keep Haiti on your heart this week! We truly take for granted the life we live in north America, including basic things such as running water.... Remember Haiti, and what they have been through...


Wednesday, GO TO PAPA'S PIZZA  in Corvallis AND 50% OF PURCHASES GO TO HAITI!!!!

Keep Haiti on your heart...

Friday, January 7, 2011

Go to PAPA's PIZZA January 12...

Go to PAPA'S PIZZA in Corvallis, Oregon on Wednesday January 12, 2011 and 50% of purchases go to Haiti!!!

Support Haiti by attending!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Countdown to Haiti... 6 days

Well, 6 more days to go, my bags are completely packed and we are ready to get on our way to Haiti. I'm really looking forward to getting down there and getting to work!  I spoke with my aunt today, and they are ready for us to get there.  The weather in Port au Prince is currently in the high 80's.

We have collected soccer balls, cleats, and school supplies to hand out to the children from the after school program we donate to! I'm excited to see their faces light up when we give them their gifts!

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare for our trip!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Secretary Clinton on Haiti's Independence Day


U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
December 30, 2010
STATEMENT BY SECRETARY CLINTON
Republic of Haiti’s Independence Day
On behalf of President Obama and the people of United States, I join with the people of the Republic of Haiti to honor the 207th anniversary of your independence this January 1.
When Haiti cast off the bonds of slavery and declared its freedom from France in 1804, it made history, setting a precedent for independence in Latin America and creating the first post-colonial black-led nation in the world. Today, we see the courage of that struggle – from the leadership of Jean Jacques Dessalines and Toussaint L’Ouverture to the strength and unity of the Haitian people – reflected in Haiti’s response to the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010. In the wake of a disaster that took the lives of more than 200,000 people, Haitians and volunteers from more than 140 nations came together overnight to pull survivors from the rubble and administer critical care and assistance. I witnessed this testament to our common humanity first hand in the days immediately following the earthquake, and I have seen it grow throughout the year as countries around the world continue to help Haiti recover and rebuild.
Despite all Haiti has endured, Haitians have shown an unflagging strength, will, and passion to forge ahead and build a more prosperous nation. The people and government of the United States stand firmly with the people of Haiti, and we are committed to helping ensure that your voice determines the way forward for your nation and government. We will continue deepening the partnership and friendship between our nations to achieve a brighter future for all our people.
I wish all Haitians a happy Independence Day and New Year. I look forward to working with you to make 2011 a year filled with peace and progress.
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://www.america.gov)

Haiti frees U.S. aid worker accused of kidnapping

Haiti frees U.S. aid worker accused of kidnapping


PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - An American aid worker has been released from a prison in Haiti more than two weeks after being jailed on allegations he kidnapped a 15-month-old boy from a hospital, a Haitian prosecutor said on Thursday.The boy's father had accused Paul Waggoner of stealing the baby boy, who was admitted to a hospital where Waggoner was a worker. 

The court was shown evidence the baby had died in hospital.Waggoner, who co-founded the aid group Materials Management Relief Corps after the quake, was freed on Wednesday when a judge granted a request from his lawyer, Enock-Gene Genelus, the prosecutor in the case, told Reuters.Genelus said the judge had not issued a final ruling.
 However, Waggoner's release suggested he will likely be cleared of the charges.
A judge opened an investigation to determine whether the baby had been kidnapped or died at a hospital in the aftermath of Haiti's devastating January 12 earthquake, which killed more than 250,000 people and prompted one of the world's biggest international relief operations.
Tens of thousands of aid workers are in Haiti, the Western Hemisphere's poorest state where some 1.3 million earthquake survivors remain homeless and a cholera epidemic has killed more than 2,700 since mid-October.
In a statement posted on its website, the group said it presented an affidavit from a doctor who had treated the child that stated the boy died at a community hospital in February and the father had been shown the body.
"We are so glad this is finally over," said Paul Sebring, the aid group's other co-founder.
Waggoner suggested he might be ending his personal involvement in aid efforts on the ground in Haiti but urged relief workers to continue.
"I could have continued working in Haiti and would've been happy," he said.
"I love Haiti and fear this incident will stop many aid workers from coming to help."

(West Australian: Reporting by Joseph Guyler Delva; Writing by Kevin Gray; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Countdown to Haiti...

Well hello everyone, I wanted to tell everyone why I'm traveling to Haiti and why Haiti is so dear to my heart.  I was born in Florida to Haitian parents, and I was raised in Haiti as a child, my first language was even creole, Haiti's native language.  When the earthquake January 12, 2010,  happened the first thing I did  was make sure my family, who still reside in Haiti today were okay. This earthquake was bigger than life, so I wanted to give back my time and efforts to help out Haiti. Last spring I started a fundraiser in Oregon where I played college football.  We collected over 24,000 pounds of donations in the form of clothing, medical supplies and food!  I traveled to Haiti to deliver the goods, to visit my family and to volunteer my time. 
When I got invited to join the CFL trip to Haiti, I was ecstatic.  I later found out that none of the other players' have ever been to Haiti. I'm looking forward to showing them Haiti, and to help them get their feet wet. This trip is creating awareness of the devastation, and I couldn't ask for more.  Hopefully the guys will continue to help or even create their own foundations supporting Haiti.
On this specific trip, we are volunteering with Oxfam, volunteering at the tent sites and we are traveling to a little village in the mountain's that hasn't gotten much relief.  We will be staying with my family at their home in Port au Prince. 
No one can imagine the pain and suffering Haitian's are enduring, still today. If I could ask for anything, it would be that us as American's and Canadian's would continue to be thankful everyday for what we have, the education and healthcare that we have access to,  and even something as simple as clean water. 


Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Huddle For Haiti

Yvenson Bernard has his itinerary in hand, his bags are packed, and he is ready to get to Haiti! He will depart from Florida to Port au Prince on January 8, 2010 for the anniversary of the earthquake which devastated the country he grew up in. He will spend over a week volunteering with organizations such as Oxfam. The trip will be covered by media via TSN.





The devastating earthquake the slammed Haiti last January was chosen top news event of the year by Postmedia Network editors and canada.com.

But it only narrowly beat out second-place votes for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and the Vancouver Winter Olympics, taking four votes out of 10 media organizations, compared to three apiece for the spill and the sporting spectacle.

The Haiti disaster, said senior Postmedia editor Neil Haesler, "may resonate deep, deep into 2011 and beyond. Canada's involvement, from donations, to aid, to (former governor-general) Michaelle Jean, gave it the push to the top for me."

Calgary Herald managing editor Monica Zurowski named the Olympics as story of the year. "This was an event that united the country like nothing before. It was a celebration of being Canadian and Canadians embraced this."

"The BP spill (in the Gulf of Mexico) had the horror of an uncontrollable disaster, fire, death, corruption, callous disregard by top players . . . " noted Gerry Klein, Forum pages editor of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. "It also captured the world's attention longer than any other story for the year."


Read more: http://www.canada.com/news/Postmedia+editors+pick+Haiti+quake+news+story/4030175/story.html#ixzz19Rgzo2Cp