UPDATE: Rotary Race To Literacy Book Drive- May 1-7

An ordinary book drive will not provide mass quantities of special books for children.

BUT, thanks to publishers who have partnered with Rotary Race to Literacy, as long as YOU donate the funds, we have special preferential prices to buy some of the best books possible for children. Thanks to their Early Childhood Advisor, Rotary Race to Literacy Committee knows these books are ideal for early childhood education. And all the literature and research agrees that those years from 0-6 are the most critical to a child’s long term development – not only in IQ but also in socialization.

But there is more! Some of these books have very special features such as textures and flip ups that have been proven to be best for children with a range of learning disabilities. This is indeed an unusual opportunity to fill a real need.

If we are to have the kinds of quantities of children’s books we hoped for, we have to act ASAP – these books have to be ordered and shipped. Local books are here, but there are not in large quantities so we must act quickly.

We have an opportunity to shape an entire generation. Let us make the very most of it!


For more information about the publisher partners:

•Scholastic – www.scholastic.com
•Jackmandora – www.jackmandora.com
•Reggae Pickney - www.reggaepickney.com


To donate to buy these books:

•Cheques : “Rotary Race To Literacy Project”
•J$ Deposit: Bank of Nova Scotia A/C # 822269 (Hagley Park Branch)
•US$ Deposit: Bank of Nova Scotia A/C # 822271 (Hagley Park Branch)

Our wire transfer instructions --- US$ Account are as follows: -

Address

Instructions to: JP Morgan Chase Bank, 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York, NY, 10017. USA

SWIFT code: CHASUS33

Routing (ABA) Number: 021000021

For the initial credit of: Bank of Nova Scotia (JA) Limited, Hagley Park Branch, 128 Hagley Park Road, Kingston 11, Jamaica. W.I.

Account Number: 001058608
SWIFT Code: NOSCJMKN

Transit Number: 90175

For further credit to: Rotary Race to Literacy Project

Account Number: 822271

The Rotary Race to Literacy is also an Amazon Affiliate.

Buy not only a book, but buy ANYTHING through the Rotary Race to Literacy Amazon Link and the Rotary Race to Literacy receives a commission for EVERY purchase. 100% of these proceeds will go towards buying books for children.

For information in using this option or if you have questions or comments, please contact the Rotary Race to Literacy Committee at rotaryracetoliteracy@live.com

HAITI UPDATE: February 25, 2010 from PDG Dick

Photo source: Food for the Poor

Just a quick update covering my trip Tuesday to Haiti and the meeting with Rotary International President John Kenny, with the temporary head of the civilian side of the United Nations, and the head of the Red Cross. The trip there and back with Captain Paul Luehrsen in his Mooney aircraft was wonderful. It was just the two of us in a small but comfortable plane and a good time to talk to a very well informed and intelligent person to test our theories of the recovery. (about 8 hours round trip with an additional 5 on the ground), and Thanks Paul. All meetings were very successful and informative and the trip was worth every minute.

Our meeting with President John Kenny was to bring him up to speed with the recovery efforts so far and to give him some idea of what was needed in the future.

We must now bridge the gap between the acute relief stage, and the recovery stage. As UNDP Ms. KIM Bolduc, Regional Representative for the United Nations stated at our meeting, “We cannot fail at this or Haiti will never be fixed”.

The Challenge is that this period requires solutions which might only provide temporary relief and will make the lives of individuals a little better, but must also be consistent with the long term sustainable recovery plan recommendations derived from the Post Disaster National Assessment and ratified at the United Nations. We would recommend the following priorities be established, for the near term by Rotary International.

Food

· Seeds (landed next 2 to 3 weeks only due to planting season)

· Beans

· Rice

· Vegetable oil

Basic, uniform tents are used for shelter in Barbancourt, in the mountainous region outside Haiti capital Port-au-Prince, where a community of approximately 1500 dispalaced Haitians has relocated. PHOTO: UN News & Media

Shelter

· Large Tents

o 30’ X 30” through 60’ X 60’ for classrooms, recreation areas, community centers, therapy shelter etc.

o Semi permanent shelter buildings for families

· Awnings to create / build shelters

o 10” X 10’ and up to 30’ X 30’

· Tents

o Straight sides 6’ X 8’ to 10’ X 12’

Money

· Funds to allow us to get exactly what’s needed when we need it and where we need to get it from (to buy local or support local production whenever possible)

o Medical supplies and equipment

o Educational supplies and classroom needs

o All other random requests which meet the urgent priorities identified at the time

Medical supplies and support

· Medical supplies and equipment as specifically requested by specific location

· Physical Therapy equipment and resources to be specified

· Prosthetics

o Continued guidance and support by Jaipur with serious consideration of the Mobile units I have recommended

Agricultural and Industrial development support
(Click here for more information from the UN Food & Agriculture Organisation on this aspect of the recovery effort )
o Tools and supplies for agricultural production

o Lists to be specified

o Equipment and supplies for light industry start ups

o To be specified by defined need

Photo Source: PBS

I appreciate the need to provide everyone a list of very specific items so we can focus on only them in the short term but given the varied needs and the varied regions, this is not as straight forward as it might seem. The priorities are changing as the elements of a sustainable future are studied and tested against the master plan being developed. I am confident that we will have a clearer picture of the long term needs in the near future and at that time I hope that we can re-inspire those who can help to “step up” again to help us achieve a long term sustainable healthy future for the country of Haiti.

We are meeting in Miami this weekend during the District Leadership Training with many of the key “On The Ground” players and the District Leadership. I hope to share more information with you shortly.


Richard McCombe
District 7020


Check out The District 7020 Newsletter for how Rotarians all over the District have responded to the disaster in Haiti.

Rotary Clubs of Montego Bay have joint celebration for Rotary's 105th anniversary

On Tuesday February 23rd, 2010, Rotary International celebrated its 105th anniversary. To mark this occasion, the Three Rotary Clubs of Montego Bay had a celebratory joint meeting at the Sandals Royal Hotel, the usual meeting place for the Rotary Club of Mobay. Also at the meeting were members of the prospective Rotary Club of Rose Hall.

Presidents of the Three Montego Bay Clubs (L-R) Audley Knight-President Rotary Club of Montego Bay East, Michelle Daswani-President Rotary Club of Montego Bay and Manoj Ramchandani-Charter President of the Rotary Club of Montego Bay Sunrise.

The President of Cornwall College's Interact Club addresses the Clubs

at the Lunch meeting on Tuesday

L-R: President of the Cornwall College Interact Club, Rtn. Natasha Parchment Clarke and Rotary Mobay Sponsored Ambassadorial Scholar at Tuesday's meeting.

HAITI UPDATE: February 22, 2010 from Barry Rassin

Video Source: Doctors Without Borders

On Saturday February 20, 2010 a delegation of Rotarians (PRID Barry Rassin and PDG Richard McCombe) along with the Haitian Ambassador to The Bahamas Louis Harold Joseph (Honorary Rotarian) and Pilots Paul Pyfrom and Paul Aranha (mentioned because of the many, many relief flights they have volunteered to fly, especially Paul Aranha) flew from Nassau, Bahamas to Port au Prince, Haiti. Our purpose was to visit the epicenter and to meet with the Rotarian Leaders who have continued working tirelessly to bring relief to all they can.

We were met at the PAP International Airport by Rotarians from Haiti: PDG Amos Durosier and his wife Arlette, DGN Dr. Guy Theodore, AG Caleb Lucien, AG Dr. Claude Surena, PP George Nicolas, and Ted Lazarre.

First we met as a group for a briefing on the current needs in Haiti resulting from the earthquake on January 12 and the 54 subsequent tremors. We then joined the Prime Minister for Haiti, the Honorable Jean-Max Bellerive, and had a very cordial and accommodating meeting. He expressed his appreciation for what Rotary has done over many years in Haiti and specifically for what they continue to do now. He stated that all Haitians know Rotary and what they do.

The following is a synopsis of the two meetings:

1. It is believed that 250,000 have lost their lives to the earthquake.

A man carries a coffin through a street in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Behind him, a toppled building testifies to the strength of the earthquake that struck the capital on 12 January. Photo Source: United Nations News & Media

2. One million are homeless and need shelter and about 40% of the homeless are children.

3. Food, Water and Shelter are the priorities for all the country. The migration from PAP has placed a burden on all the other cities on top of the obvious burden in PAP.

4. For shelter there is still a major need for tents and/or tarps in order to at least provide some shelter for those who have been left homeless.

Photo: United Nations News Centre

5. Eighty Percent (80%) of the schools in PAP have been destroyed. On Tuesday, February 23 the government is meeting with the Association of all Schools in order to try to get them open to the degree that at least the children have a place to go and a meal to eat. (It may be their only meal of the day). If we can get larger tents (20 x 20) next to the schools then they can at least meet. The children are considered a priority by the Government. Many students have died, many teachers have died. 80% of the 80% were private schools but the government accepts their responsibility to get schools going to accommodate all the children. The consolidated education fund will continue to do everything it can to restart the schools. Clearly Rotary can help with the schools.

6. Rotary’s final NGO status will be complete in days but in the meantime The Prime Minister will give us a letter of authorization to clear customs efficiently and duty free. (This will only apply if advance notice is given to the local Rotary Leadership with details of the goods shipped, time and place of arrival and intended rotary destination). The priorities for incoming shipments will first be the NGO’s with proper documentation, second urgent commercial goods and lastly all other commercial goods. This is important as the customs duties have been restored in order to ensure that only appropriate items are received duty free.

7. While temporary shelter (tents and tarps) is critical work has to begin on sustainable housing. It must be done in a way that provides jobs for the short and long term as well as shelter and an infrastructure to support the residents (Homes, sanitation, water, agriculture, trade, transportation, etc.).

A resident of Haiti displaced by the 12 January earthquake builds a makeshift home in what used to be the stadium in downtown Port-au-Prince.

Photo Source: United Nations News & Media

8. The government appreciates the opportunity to sread out the population density to improve all facets of PAP life. With the support of the local population and the recognized needs along with international support, the government should be able to make the changes they could not make before.

9. It is clear that a caution light is now up for all to see with continued relief support for free food and water. A substantial part of the economy is small farms growing and small business along with street vendors selling produce, fruits, rice and other staples. With incorrect levels of free items distributed it puts the single family business in financial trouble spiraling the economy downhill. We must be cautious not to “kill” the economy through well intentioned donations. The economic balance needs to be enhanced through the efforts of Rotary and other NGO’s.

10. A Post Disaster National Assistance (PDNA) Committee has been formed and consists of local representatives as well as all significant international entities that are assisting in the restoration efforts. Rotary is included on the PDNA with Dr. Claude Surena on the committee. This committee is making an assessment of the damages and the resultant needs and will formulate priorities and prepare a plan. The plan is scheduled to be complete by March 15 and is intended to be presented to the United Nations around March 23 or 24.

11. The District 7020 Haiti Earthquake Relief Committee will continue to meet and assist with getting the final containers (40 to 50) to Haiti by the end of March. However, the committee is now turning to the planning for the longer term relief efforts. We have to consider:

a. Basic Education and Literacy – Getting the children back to school.

b. Disease Prevention and Treatment – Continue helping the hospital and health workers as well as developing comprehensive rehabilitation.

A mother at Delmas 33, an IDP camp in Port-au-Prince for Haitians displaced by the earthquake, comforts her child as he receives tetanus and diphtheria vaccinations provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). Photo Source: United Nations News & Media

c. Water and Sanitation – The clean water needs must be addressed and effective sanitation is essential with so many tent cities now in place.

d. Maternal and Child Health – We need to address the nutrition of the children and the mothers.

e. Economic and Community Development – We need to help to boost the economy providing micro credit for business start up and we need to enhance the community life for a positive economic growth.

A man sharpens his machete inside Port-au-Prince's Petionville Club, a golf and tennis resort where some 50,000 Haitians displaced by the earthquake have set up makeshift shelters. The residents of the sprawling camp have also opened barbershops, salons, and a market. Photo Source: United Nations News & Media

We are in this program for the long haul and will be proud as we stand beside Rotarians in Haiti and lend them a hand as together we rebuild a beautiful country and show our respect and admiration for the people of Haiti.

The Future of Rotary is in Our Hands and the future of Haiti depends on what we continue to do.



Barry Rassin
PRID 2006-2008
District 7020

RYLA Knox, Spalding, Jamaica 2010

Images from the RYLA Camp 2010 which took place recently at Knox, Spalding, Manchester.

Click on images for larger image.

Watch this space for more pictues!

Photos: Natasha Parchment Clarke

(c)

Haiti's Top Priority: Tents

Ulrigue Idal gave birth to 2 day old Edwige at the Centre D'Ebergement and is now staying in a ShelterBox tent. Photograph: Mark Pearson

It is now five weeks since Haiti was rocked by a catastrophic earthquake and there is still an urgent need for secure shelter which can stand up to the Haitian climate.

ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) member Jane Nash has just returned to the UK from Port au Prince. She says the importance of getting people into tents cannot be underestimated.

‘The rains are going to be really hard and it's going to take a long time to get transitional housing up and running. Our tents will withstand heavy rain. Would you want to be in a tarpaulin sheet in a torrential downpour when the ground will be soaked? The look on one woman’s face when I gave her a tent was like it was the best thing she had ever had, ’said Jane.

ShelterBox General Manager Lasse Petersen added: ‘At present the vast majority of people left homeless have yet to receive even plastic sheeting. These families need immediate emergency shelter rather than becoming caught up in policy debates.

‘A tent, as we’ve already seen, can be a life saving difference to many of the most vulnerable during what is likely to become a very lengthy wait for anything more permanent. It’s vital we continue our efforts in Haiti; tents are the number one priority.’

So far more than 7,000 ShelterBoxes and disaster relief tents have been distributed in Haiti and another 1,200 are due to arrive in Port au Prince, Haiti’s capital, by Friday. The SRT in Port au Prince already has a planned distribution in place for these boxes.

ShelterBox has committed another 5,000 tents to Haiti, which will provide shelter for another 50,000 people. These will start arriving at the end of February. ShelterBox tents undergo rigorous testing and will be able to stand up to the spring rains which will soon descend on Haiti.

Long-term commitment

On February, Tuesday 16, SRT members Mike Greenslade (AU) and Dave Ray (UK), who are in Port au Prince, worked closely with community leaders and the Red Falcon, US 82nd Airborne to distribute 180 ShelterBoxes.

Mike said: ‘We could not have achieved a safe distribution without the 82nd Airbourne. The soldiers of Red Falcon ensured that boxes went to the most needy in the camp.

‘Conditions in the camp are amongst the worst I’ve seen with people living cheek by jowl, camping out on piles of rubble, surrounded by rubbish and rotting waste. In this space people have to wash, cook, eat and sleep, many with no more than a bed sheet for overhead cover.

‘This picture is replicated throughout Port au Prince and the outlying affected by the quake. There are not enough tents to go round and the consensus is that when the rains come we will have a second emergency on our hands.’

The below video, shot by SRT member Tom Lay (UK) who returned to the UK from Haiti last week, features SRT member John Diksa (FR) and outlines ShelterBox’s work in Haiti so far:

ShelterBox will continue responding to the crisis in Haiti until the job is done. At the same time, we need to rebuild our stock levels so we have the capacity to immediately respond to the next disaster that strikes.

If you can help in any way, great or small, please visit ShelterBox.org

Article source:ShelterBox.org

Haiti Physcal Rehabilitation Programs

Photo: Shelterbox.org

Click Here to see the minutes of the February 10 Haiti Injury Rehabilitation and Disability meeting as well as the list of participants.


Our biggest coordination challenge at this time to have updated information.


For organizations already operational in Haiti or those that have plans to start rehabilitation activities, we kindly request your support to share this information by filling the attached form and sending it back to readaptationhaiti AT gmail DOT com for compilation.


Thank you very much.

Article Source : Haiti Physical Rehabilitation Programs Forum

Haiti : Tents & Shelter Boxes URGENTLY needed

Photo: CARE

Just so you are aware, we have put out a call for 200,000 tents for Haiti and clubs are working hard to find them. I am told there are not that many in the world but what is there Rotary will find.

We are aware that shelter is the urgent need and are also looking at longer lasting shelter as if a hurricane hits the tents will be gone.



Barry
Barry Rassin, FACHE
RI Director 2006-08
office 242-302-4765
cell 242-424-3650
ba...@rassin.org
Join The Caribbean Partnership at http://www.caribbeanpartnership.org/ and http://www.thinkcaribbean.org/


................................................

Sent: Tue, February 16, 2010 2:10:28 PM
>Subject: Re: Haiti update from Al Ingersoll Feb 16, 2010

Barry... Knowing that the ShelterBoxes are in limited supply, is call the that you folks have for 200,000 more ShelterBoxes? If not, what type of tents are you looking for?


Thanks for the additional feedback!... John


John N. Billock, Chair
Haiti Earthquake Relief Committee
Rotary International District 6650, Ohio USA

Humanitarian Services Committee
Rotary Club of Cortland, Ohio USA

............................

In a message dated 2/16/2010 2:21:22 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, barryj...@yahoo.com writes:-

A tent alone is less expensive which would allow us to get to more families. It needs to be strong enough to provide shelter for a reasonable period of time.


Barry

Barry Rassin, FACHE

...............

Sent: Tue, February 16, 2010 2:53:24 PM
Subject: Re: Haiti update from Al Ingersoll Feb 16, 2010


Barry... Thanks for the quick reply!... I will see what I can do from this end.


I assume someone has already talked with the ShelterBox folks about just being able to get tents, as I know what they use are of excellent quality and I assume they have the contacts to get them at reasonable price!


John

....................

Tom Henderson at Shelterbox is aware and just feels there are no tents available. I feel if Rotary Clubs try they will find them.


Barry
Barry Rassin, FACHE
RI Director 2006-08

For more information on "Shelter Haiti" go to the Discussion Forum.

HAITI: Race to the Rainy Season

Photo: ShelterBox

PORT-AU-PRINCE (February 11, 2010) - One month after the catastrophic quake that leveled most of Port-au-Prince, CARE and other aid agencies are in a race against time to get people waterproof shelter and decent sanitation before the rainy season hits at the end of March. Most people crammed into overcrowded temporary camps are huddled under bed sheets strung between poles or sticks – hardly enough to block out the sun, but useless against the torrential downpours of Haiti's rainy season.

"The coming month will be all about the rain. We need to get these people waterproof shelter. Acute respiratory infection is rising, because they are sleeping on the bare ground, and they get damp at dawn from the dew," said Lizzie Babister, senior shelter advisor for CARE in Haiti. "Drainage will be the next issue, partly because of excrement near the sites, and partly because they'll have rivers running through their shelters. It's going to be a real push to get this done in time for the rainy season at the end of March."

While tents might seem to be the logical solution, there simply isn't enough room in downtown Port-au-Prince's limited public spaces. The shelters that have sprung up after the quake are sandwiched in one next to the other, often using the same poles as supports.

"A typical family tent has a floor space of 16 square meters, which is four times as much space as people are currently squatting on in the urban areas," said Babister. "If we start distributing those in downtown Port-au-Prince, we're going to displace three-quarters of the population. The immediate solution for the congested areas isn't tents, it's tarps. Lots of them, and fast."

In the less-crowded rural areas, family tents are a temporary solution, as people have more access to open space. But shipping in enough family tents for all the people in need would take months – too late to beat the rainy season. By contrast, shipments of sturdy, reusable 6 meters x 4 meters tarps (plastic sheeting) can arrive in Haiti in days or weeks. This will keep people dry while aid agencies start implementing a longer-term solution to the shelter crisis.

Sanitation is the other half of the ongoing crisis in post-quake Haiti. While organizations like CARE are building latrines in the camps, we are doing "sanitation triage" in camps built on hills or areas without access to latrines, said Paul Shanahan, CARE's senior water and sanitation advisor.

"We're still fighting the latrine battle in the sanitation war, but we've also started the second line of defense, which is going into the camps and removing the excrement that is piling up. It's not pretty, but it needs to be done," said Shanahan. "Our biggest fear at this point is the outbreak of disease. It's one thing to see half your family die in an earthquake, but it's another to watch the other half die slowly from diarrhea. It's more than any flesh and blood can bear."

In addition to building 3,000 latrines, CARE is also providing hand-washing education, hygiene kits with soap and cleaning supplies and removal of excrement from the camps. For housing, CARE plans to provide emergency shelter for 8,500 families (42,500 people).

Despite the challenges, great progress has been made by the Haitian people and humanitarian community to assist the nearly three million people affected by the earthquake. To date, CARE has reached more than 184,737 people with food, safe drinking water, shelter, water and sanitation facilities, emergency supplies and reproductive health care for pregnant and nursing mothers. But more needs to be done.

The next looming hurdle is the hurricane season, which starts as early as June. Port-au-Prince is surrounded by mountains and therefore largely protected from hurricanes, but flooding is a huge risk as rain comes streaming down the mountains, bringing rivers of mud along with it.

"We have rubble from the buildings that we can use as flood defenses, but we need to start planning for this now," said Babister. "Everything is a race against time."

Article Source: CARE

Rotary Race to Literacy - May 1-7 2010

Photo: PBS

The Rotary Race To Literacy Book Drive Project was launched in Jamaica on Wednesday February 10 2010.

The project is inspired by the 2008 Rotary International Convention in Los Angeles, California where Rotarians set the record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the “Most Books Donated to Charity in Seven Days” with 242,624 books.

On the occasion of the 36th Annual Rotary District 7020 Conference in Kingston, Jamaica, we seek to have new and near-new books — of any kind — donated between May 1-7, 2010.

HOWEVER, donors are urged to start collecting books from now and drop off to project partners who are collecting on behalf of the public between February 10 and April 30 2010. This endeavour will be both a National and International Project.

Collected books will be donated to the people of Jamaica and Haiti.

In Jamaica, the primary recipient will be the Jamaica Library Service with its island-wide network of branch, school and mobile libraries. In Haiti, the primary recipient will be determined by Rotary at the appropriate time.

Drop off points identified for now are : -

1. The Gleaner Company's Head Office at 7 North Street, Kingston

2. Any Jamaica Money Market Brokers Branch islandwide. For Branch Locations click here.

Persons can also contribute through cash to the drive. Money raised will go towards buying special books for children. Persons can make a donation to the Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaican Account Number 822 269 or to US Account Number 822 271.

Karen McDonald Gayle (left) acting CEO of the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica, hands over a cheque to Errol Alberga, District 7020 Governor at the Launch of the Race to Literacy Book Drive Project at the Spanish Court Hotel on Wednesday. Looking on is Deika Morrison, chief organiser of the project - Photo & label : Jamaica Gleaner

WHY ?

Literacy is the cornerstone of sustainable development.

The vast majority of Jamaican children do not enter Grade 1 as emergent readers. A significant cause of the problem is the severe deficiency in appropriate reading material for the early childhood age group, and for children with special needs.

Photo: Ellen in Liberia

Haiti was already struggling to meet literacy targets before the devastation from the earthquake. In the absence of major intervention, the situation will only deteriorate. As the country in Rotary District 7020 most in need, Haiti will also be a beneficiary of appropriate English, French and Haitian Creole books.

We can make a real difference.

Photo: Liam Quin

HOW TO HELP

H is for “Home”. Please donate at least one (1) book from home. You must have even one!

E is for “Explain, Enlighten and Encourage”. Please be an ambassador for the book drive. Tell your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues here and abroad about the book drive and why it is important. Spread the word in person, at work, social events, by phone, mail, email, instant messenger, Facebook, Twitter etc. Join the Facebook Fan Page, follow us on the blog and on Twitter. Share the links!

L is for “Lend a Hand”. This project needs enabling partners. If you can, please be a drop off point, offer storage, shipping, customs brokerage, transport, media etc. Corporations and Non-Governmental Organizations can be key enabling partners on a large scale.

P is for “Pocket”. Please make a financial contribution to the Rotary Race to Literacy Project to purchase special books for children as your donation. The general public, Diaspora, Corporations, Foundations and International Development Partners can all make a significant difference to early childhood education, environmental education, bilingual materials, Braille, and special needs for learning disabilities etc.

Cheques : “Rotary Race To Literacy Project”

J$ Deposit: Bank of Nova Scotia A/C # 822 269

US$ Deposit: Bank of Nova Scotia A/C # 822 271

Online : Click here
---

LINKS

Email: rotaryracetoliteracy@live.com

Blog: http://www.rotaryracetoliteracy.org/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/racetoliteracy

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/rotaryracetoliteracy

Haiti's TB outbreak could affect the world

Video : CNN

Rotary Club of Carrollton Farmers Branch partners with Rotary Club of Mobay to bring Medical Supplies to the Cornwall Regional Hospital

A big THANK YOU to The Rotary Club of Carrollton-Farmers Branch in Texas who will once again partner with the Rotary Club of Montego Bay to provide Medical Supplies for the Cornwall Regional Hospital.

The Carrollton-Farmers Branch Club has partnered with our Club almost every year providing over US$200,000 worth of medical supplies and equipment to date. Past President Regina Edwards of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Club will take time out from her vacation in Jamaica with her family on the 28th of April to make the presentation to the Hospital with our Club.

The Cornwall regional Hospital is the premier public health care facility serving Western Jamaica and our own PP Bhagwan who acts as laiason with the Hospital was advised that its current urgent requirement is medical disposables.

Regina's son, Luke, convinced the Director of his pre-school, Mary Barter to get his school mates at the Bent Tree Child Development Center in Addison, Texas involved in the project. Luke and his friends made a poster (see photo above) to raise awareness and funds for the mission trip. Funds raised will go towards purchasing the disposables.

Says Regina, "We also found several Snoopy stuffed animals that the boys want to bring to give to the kids in the hospital. (They have a Hawaiian looking shirt on so they seem just right for Jamaica.)."

Special thanks to Regina, her Club and the Bent Tree Child Development Centre for their gracious act of kindness and taking this initiative once again to bring supplies to Jamaica!

Update from Haiti: PDG Dick - January 7, 2010

Rotary Water-Survival boxes being distributed in Haiti after the Earthquake.

Photos: WorldWaterWorks

Dear all,

I have just concluded our assessment of the situation in Haiti, and have just finished making a number of lengthy calls with the team on the ground in Haiti. Based on this I wanted to share with you the situation as I understand it today.

The position we took last week in which we said to hold off on further deliveries of medical supplies not already in route was the correct one. Currently in the Port au Prince area there is no shortage of these medical supplies. In fact the challenge is now the sorting and the distribution of these items. This is at a critical stage because of the volume of random medical inventory received and specific needs that may currently be outstanding. As far as medical supplies are concerned the advice from the team is, "Do not send anything else unless it is specific in terms of the location and the product". We need to be sure we co-ordinate this so we do not duplicate the supply chain and add to the problem.

There are a number of private Hospitals in the rural areas that are in need of some specific things, but there are also others that have an excess of supplies. We are in the process of balancing this as best we can now. After that specific orders will be processed as they come in. I am told that most of the Government Hospitals are getting the supplies they need with the exception of a few specifics which we are trying to address on their behalf through the Rotary Leadership in that area. That seems to be more equipment related than medical supplies.

Photo : Neil Van Dine, Haiti Outreach

The food and shelter needs are still very high on the priority list. The challenge we have on the ground now is the storage and distribution logistics of the food and shelter items. In Port au Prince in particular there are numerous International Organizations that are distributing food in the quake region. For the most part their capabilities for this are better than ours so most of those efforts should be left to them. Our Rotarians on the ground are doing some food and shelter distribution as well from the supplies Rotary has sent. It is important that they continue to do this and that we continue to supply them. Not only is it helping the most needy, but it seems to be providing our Rotarians a purpose on the ground in their respective communities.

Keeping the Rotarian alive in spirit is essential at this difficult time and it must be rewarding for our Rotarians to be able to help their neighbours and their communities through this. I will try to get further specifics to you on what we should continue to supply, but bulk rice, beans, flour, proteins, vegetable oil etc and Tents are a safe bet for now.

There are in excess of 10,000 Shelter Boxes in Haiti and most of them set up or in the process of being set up. The distribution is being done through a number of international organizations. Rotary has had an allocation of them for the use of Rotarians and their families in need. As of today there are about 45 in our possession still not distributed but they will be sent out in the next couple of days.

Photo: Neil Van Dine, Haiti Outreach

There has been a great response with Water Boxes, Purification Systems and water supply. In many instances these resources have been sent directly to Rotary in Haiti for distribution. In my discussions with the team on the ground it appears that the distribution of these assets would be best handled by the Haiti Water Commission and the selected agency it is working with for the distribution. They are better equipped to know where the camps are set and what the needs are. They also know what supplies are available to each of them from the organizations currently on the ground. My advice to Claude was to help train the group doing the distribution on the use of the equipment before they deliver these units to families and groups. And then assist by providing the assets to them for distribution.

Photo: Neil Van Dine, Haiti Outreach

The rural situation remains the same. The need is for shelter, food, school supplies and the support for secondary medical assistance, education etc. The bulk food supply is still available in most areas in the country. Our best help there is to fund the purchase of the basics while it lasts. This is what we have been doing and will continue although this can be very expensive and a little more difficult to manage.

I am expecting a specific request from our leaders for their regions that will identify the exact number of Schools, families and students we are talking about.

Photo: Neil Van Dine, Haiti Outreach

The consensus is the rural areas have each grown by in excess of 20% since the earthquake.The response to this has varied from funding bulk shelter and feeding camps, providing international NGO's that provide food and shelter with bulk food, to each Rotary family committing to look after a specific number of displaced families.

There is the potential for hoarding and other issues with this, but we are taking all precautions practical and possible at this time. Long term we will need to be better at this if we want to continue with it.

The long term response to this disaster is going to be an enormous drain on our human and financial resources for some time to come. I believe that we should begin discussing our role in the long term recovery and rebuild effort right away. I think our response going forward should be more and more in line with what we ultimately identify as our long term sustainable strategy. To do this we will need to get a sense very soon of where we are going to fit in the grand scheme of things in Haiti. Will it be an emphasis area, will it be communities, will it be in the planning? Who knows!

Aid workers open boxes of food provided by Numana in which warnings against human trafficking are provided to raise awareness of vulnerable Haitians.

Photo:Salvation Army Blog Usa

I have approached a well respected international investor and business man who has developed a sustainable settlement tradition in The Bahamas. He has a concept and some ideas that I believe could well be at the core of our response to the future development of Haiti. His concept addresses the creation of a sustainable settlement that takes into account social, financial, cultural, health, and environmental elements. I believe this is an opportunity that needs to be explored as a possible Rotary solution in its long term response. I will keep you posted on the progress of this idea when I hear back from those I have sent it to.

There are some immediate needs that will come up that we must still fulfill but we must also begin to recognize that response must move from the immediate to the medium and long term.

PDG Dick

Photo: Neil Van Dine, Haiti Outreach

UPDATE from Haiti: PDG Dick: January 31, 2010

Photo source:Rotary District 7020 Haiti Updates Blog

Dear all,

Sorry about the delayed update but we are working on a number of issues and none of them seem easy right now. As you know we are re- evaluating the situation with an emphasis on our Haitian Family of Rotary and where we need to go from here. We obviously have many of the supplies and assistance that was originally called for still coming in and are processing it through onto the ground daily. The status reports by region and for our Quake Zone clubs should be in by later tomorrow so a clearer update will be posted then. We have Dr. Greg Hoeksema, a fellow Rotarian from Cayman on the ground doing a medical evaluation of supplies and equipment. He is done in the Pignon area and is going to Cap Haitien tomorrow and onto Port de Paix Tuesday evening.

Infants from a Port-au-Prince orphanage.
Photo Source:The Salvation Army Blog USA

President Shaun Ingraham, and Tyson from the Eluthera Rotary Club are on the ground and on their way into Port au Prince tomorrow morning with the Director of Habitat for Humanity. He is going to be texting out information to us, so that should help with our insight. I just spoke to him and he will be providing me with his sense of the situation later on today.

The entire education system in the country has been shut down. Not one child anywhere going to school. There is slow movement now to begin to reopen Missionary and Private Schools although the Education Ministry has not officially permitted that yet and they have no clear strategy to do so. The transient population with children arriving in their respective new communities may well never get back to school unless we do something. I have a call out for BIG Tents, Circus or MASH type tents. There were in excess of 300 schools destroyed in the PaP area alone so this challenge is a big one. The children, orphaned or not, need a place to get together and play and socialize at the very least soon, so keep that in minds you search for the tents.

Haitians gather to receive food and water distributed by The Salvation Army.
Photo Source: The Salvation Army Blog USA

Food and Shelter is still a core need. For food be sure its more in the way of beans, rice, protein supplements, baby formula etc. Tents, sleeping matts, blankets, clean clothing etc. We have our Florida Rotary Friends setting up 10 40ft containers throughout the State to collect food and shelter items. We are hoping to ship 8 containers from Nassau as well this week. We are still at the point where we can buy supplies in Haiti so money still works. Certainly for the long term and for the bigger longer term projects, money will be the most necessary.

Through the high tech capability of our District I was able to go live on REACH radio in the BVI's yesterday thanks to Don. Good job Don.

Transportation into and on the ground is a difficult and an ever- changing process. The last flight we sent in was met by a road block and an unruly crowd with sticks. The UN, police, and Dr. Guy put down the unrest but it is getting more complicated and difficult there as you can imagine. The people are getting more and more desperate as the population numbers in these rural communities increases and supplies dwindle. There are also Political factions now using the opportunity to try to build a constituency and some control by having the goods in their possession. More to come on this as I better understand it.


We had some issues with some of our supplies being taken yesterday by force by the French Army. It's a clear sign that the coordination of all the relief in Haiti is and will continue to be a BIG challenge as we go forward. On a good note, 40,000 lbs of supplies from the Sint Maarten / St. Marten area clubs got through to Rotary's storage in PaP after a very complex transportation route, so we can get it done.

A Salvation Army volunteer helps a woman with food and water at a food distribution.
Photo Source: The Salvation Army Blog USA

We are setting up a more permanent and defined response committee for the ongoing relief. Our 1st meeting is 4:00PM tomorrow and I will share the structure of it with you after the meeting.


Have a good day
PDG Dick


PS: Here is a further update on the "Goods taken by force" issue:
An update on the Shelter Box issue from this morning's update.


What happened was the Shelter Boxes were sent into a Rotary warehouse in error and they (Shelter Box and French army) had come to get them back. Those in the warehouse as I can tell did not realize this recieving error and accepted the supply, and were not happy that they were being taken away from them.


Shelter Box and the Rotarian Haiti ground team met this morning and have sorted out the issue and should be good going forward. Understand that there is a lot of confussion on the ground given the circumstances and Shelter Box has been working extraordinaruily hard to get the boxes to where they need to go in the midst of this confussion and in very difficult circumstnces since the very begining.


They are doing a great job.
PDG Dick

Children enjoy returning to school, which helps them escape from the trauma of the earthquake. Photo Source: The Salvation Army Blog USA