In April of 2009 I spent a little more than a week in Haiti. The country is very dear to my heart and I miss it very much.
Today a 7.2 earthquake hit Haiti. There were twitter posts from a group called Hands and Feet Project that said they actually saw the mountain crack down the middle. People are crying out in the streets and under the collapsed hospital. The city of Port au Prince is in chaos and the palace is destroyed. To Haitians, that means there is no more government.
I made many friends and held many little hands during my visit to Heartline and thank God they are all OK. They are sleeping outside tonight because of aftershocks and structural damage to buildings that wouldn't exactly live up to standard US building codes in the first place.
The needs to be met are still unclear and the midwives and program directors are still in the midst of chaos, but one thing I am sure of is the need for money. Their security walls, which are 100% necessary in Haiti (along with a guard armed with a semi automatic weapon) all fell at the women's center, both orphanages and all the homes of those working for Heartline. That's just the start. When the shock of this disaster has worn off (and their internet is back up) I'm sure we'll hear the full extent of the damage. But a quick image search on google is eye opening enough.
In lieu of what's happened, I've added a PayPal account button. All money donated will go straight to Heartline.
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3 comments:
Man, it's devastating. I just read before that there's no-one of authority around, so it's just pure chaos. How terrifying.
I read your comment on Tea Leaves and man, I am *so* with you on being disappointed about the lack of response on the blogs. Or at least, design/home/cooking/creative blogs.
Thanks so much for posting about Haiti. Another awesome way to help:
Text “HAITI” to "90999" to make a $10 donation to American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. I posted about a hospital that could use immediate funding, if you want to check it out.
Cheers, xo.
now, a couple weeks later, I think it's important for the world to remember Haiti is going to need them for years to come.
Thanks for posting this. I've been touched by the words of so many bloggers, and especially so because of your personal experience.
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