Philanthropy

Good News! Upon having their generator stolen by a gang, the situation was grim for the Saint Croix Hospital in Leogane and the many people who depended upon it.  With the support of Miami Herald readers, a new generator was purchased and transported to Leogane by boat in order to avoid having it stolen by gangs again.  With their generous support the gang lost, the hospital re-opens, and much needed care can be provided to pregnant women.  A small group of people committed to Haiti made a real difference in this situation.  

Interaction, the largest coalition of U.S. based international nongovernmental organizations, recently launched the Haiti Aid Map, an online application that graphically represents which organizations in Haiti are doing what and where.  Interaction welcomes feedback on this pilot initiative.  Contact them if you would like to learn more, submit data, or share your thoughts concerning the kinds of information that should be highlighted or the features you would like to see in the future.

When people think of Haiti, they often think of hunger, and not without reason. Though there has been significant progress over the past year, hunger remains a pervasive problem.  Achieving food security is fundamental to nutrition, health, education, economic growth, stability and all the other issues we lump under “development.”  There are well intentioned groups, such as this one from Kansas, that often try to send packages of food to Haiti.  It might make one feel good, but in reality, it does little good. There is much that we can do to promote food security in Haiti, but it is up to us to ensure that our time, energy, and resources make an actual, and not just a perceived, difference.

Strong arguments can be made that sacking Prime Minister Pierre-Louis was a mistake.  Still, she served Haiti well prior to becoming Prime Minister and will no doubt continue to do so.  Jean Max Bellerive has since been confirmed as the new Prime Minister.  He has stated the increasing foreign investment and reducing poverty will be amongst his highest priorities.  He has a much different style than Pierre-Louis, but faces the same challenges.  This includes promoting food security thoughout Haiti.  

The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights has announced that Wyclef Jean and Bono will receive the organization's 2009 Ripple of Hope Award. The award, which will be presented at the Center's annual dinner on November 18th, recognizes bold leadership demonstrated by the two honorees on humanitarian issues.