In January 2010, over 100,000 people were killed and 1.3 million people were left homeless in a matter of a few minutes when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti. Government and emergency relief organizations built 21 camps around Port Au Prince to shelter the homeless from the elements, organize food distribution, and to treat the wounded. Public health in the camps was carefully monitored to prevent widespread disease. The earthquake severely damaged the airports, roads, electrical grid, communications, and ports making the task of transporting life saving supplies and relief workers extremely difficult.
Before the earthquake, many of these now homeless people lived in poverty. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty. With their homes, businesses, jobs, churches, schools, and other support systems completely destroyed by the earthquake, the homeless found themselves living in hopelessness. Mass corporate grieving could be heard in the camps as the people mourned the loss of family and friends who were buried alive in the rubble.
Life’s Hope responded to this disaster by transporting men and equipment who installed water treatment systems in or near the camps, at hospitals, and relief supply warehouses. These self-contained systems deliver large quantities of clean, safe, drinking water using solar panels that recharge a battery that supplies power to the purification system. The installations were strategically located to serve the largest number of homeless people. Even after the camps are emptied, these systems will continue to serve the people as they are located in public areas.
Life’s Hope offers volunteers the opportunity to serve others by organizing two types of humanitarian relief trips.
- An Exploratory Journey is a trip to ground zero after a natural disaster. Only able bodied, experienced travelers are considered for this type of trip. The mission of these trips is to discover and report back to the organization where Life’s Hope can deploy assets to save the largest number of lives.
- A Discovery Journey is a trip to an area around the world where volunteers install water treatment systems, offer medical relief, distribute food, clothes, and other humanitarian relief, and teach personal hygiene courses.
Volunteers must make a tax deductible donation to be dispatched on a Discovery Journey. Some volunteers make monthly donations to apply toward a future Discovery Journey while others use fund raising tools provided by Life’s Hope to raise funds for their trips. Discovery Journeys are restricted to adults; however children over the age of 12 are allowed on certain trips when accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Life’s Hope organized a “Behind the Scenes” volunteer program that gives people the opportunity to serve others without the travel.
Life’s Hope initial response to the disaster in Haiti was to dispatch Exploratory Journey teams. The teams departed the US without any knowledge of how or when they would return to the US. They traveled in the cargo holds of transport carriers, single engine private airplanes, and corporate jets. They slept on bed rolls, and had little food during their stay. They witnessed overwhelming destruction, human suffering and death. They coordinated with other relief organizations, the United Nations, and local government, hospital, school, and church leaders.
The conditions in Haiti are still very difficult, but Life’s Hope is ready to dispatch Discovery Journey teams to Haiti. The teams will tackle the massive job of cleaning up debris, repairing or building structures, and offer medical relief. The trips will be 5-14 days in length with travel on commercial airlines. Lodging is provided at one of several dormitories. Local organizations are coordinating transportation, duty assignments, and meals.
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Testimony
Tony DoKoter, an administrator at Quisqueya Crisis Relief Center http://qcsrelief.quisqueya.org said, “we are indebted to Life’s Hope for giving us a water treatment system. It supplies thousands of people with [clean, safe] drinking water. Thank you, Life’s Hope!”
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The people of Haiti are very friendly and appreciate the work of relief workers. They speak Creole and/or French. Many of the medical professionals also speak English.
Life’s Hope has hundreds of thank you messages from the leaders in Haiti; but there are also thousands of requests to return. Why? There have been 7 significant earthquakes since the one that struck Haiti and the global recession consumes the daily news reports. The crisis in Haiti is no longer published on the front page, yet the conditions have not significantly improved for most homeless Haitians. The emergency relief work is over but the reconstruction has just begun. Life’s Hope plans to continue to send people and supplies to relieve the human suffering in Haiti.
About Haiti
The Caribbean island nation of Haiti is a 1:05 flight from Miami. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty.