Buy a Bandage - Haiti....
02-10-2010, 05:43 PM
#166
Banned
Thread Starter
Hi Mark and Ernest!!
Mark - all came through GREAT - thank you!!! I've been trying to finish up a few loose ends before leaving so I apologize at the late reply to your post and this thread, but please know how much your contribution means...
As well, Ernest - all looks like a "go" from here. I leave from Boston early AM (before the sun rises?
) and fly into Ft. Lauderdale, FL.. From there - get a ride to the private airport (Banyan) and meet a rescue flight into PaP later that evening...
Anyway - a few have asked privately what's on the agenda while I'm down there... This trip entails quite a few things:
- Assist some doctors in/out of PaP;
- Reset the food distribution we have going on from our school. I understand they are out of food (again..);
- Visit the orphanage and there are a lot of things going on there - food (again) being paramount. As well, I may have 6 high school & college kids meeting me - so if that's the case, they will be working at the orphanage to: create & plant the first garden, built a composting area, work through a plan with the children on recycling, etc...
- A month ago, I was going to announce another orphanage we were going to build.. I need to make a decision on several aspects of that immediately.. In short - it is planned to be a orphanage for little girls who were in process of being sold off as child slaves (google out: "haitian restaveks") and these little girls would be cared for by senior women who would otherwise be left on the street (think "senior assisted living" - which there is no such thing in Haiti..) as they are too old for their relatives to care for - if they have relatives at all..
As well - in light of all that is going on in Haiti - we need to make some difficult decisions on these issues, and I can't do it effectively from here in the USA.. So - those are the highlights of the trip to Haiti this week.
Anyway - if you see other threads that you think would be interested in my post/agenda - please copy it into that thread for me, OK?? My thanks if you do, as I have to get some last minute things set before I go....
My thanks to all of you - and I'll try to post while in Haiti over the next days, OK?
John
Mark - all came through GREAT - thank you!!! I've been trying to finish up a few loose ends before leaving so I apologize at the late reply to your post and this thread, but please know how much your contribution means...
As well, Ernest - all looks like a "go" from here. I leave from Boston early AM (before the sun rises?
) and fly into Ft. Lauderdale, FL.. From there - get a ride to the private airport (Banyan) and meet a rescue flight into PaP later that evening...Anyway - a few have asked privately what's on the agenda while I'm down there... This trip entails quite a few things:
- Assist some doctors in/out of PaP;
- Reset the food distribution we have going on from our school. I understand they are out of food (again..);
- Visit the orphanage and there are a lot of things going on there - food (again) being paramount. As well, I may have 6 high school & college kids meeting me - so if that's the case, they will be working at the orphanage to: create & plant the first garden, built a composting area, work through a plan with the children on recycling, etc...
- A month ago, I was going to announce another orphanage we were going to build.. I need to make a decision on several aspects of that immediately.. In short - it is planned to be a orphanage for little girls who were in process of being sold off as child slaves (google out: "haitian restaveks") and these little girls would be cared for by senior women who would otherwise be left on the street (think "senior assisted living" - which there is no such thing in Haiti..) as they are too old for their relatives to care for - if they have relatives at all..
As well - in light of all that is going on in Haiti - we need to make some difficult decisions on these issues, and I can't do it effectively from here in the USA.. So - those are the highlights of the trip to Haiti this week.
Anyway - if you see other threads that you think would be interested in my post/agenda - please copy it into that thread for me, OK?? My thanks if you do, as I have to get some last minute things set before I go....
My thanks to all of you - and I'll try to post while in Haiti over the next days, OK?
John
02-10-2010, 07:33 PM
#167
Owns the Streets
Needs Camber
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Needs Camber
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Was only worried about the travel plans cause the weather radar shows the storm hitting Boston area as well. Hopefully it's just annoying light stuff.
The Girls/Senior Women's Refuge sounds like a fantastic endeavor.
And I wish the garden bountiful harvest.
Seeds are easy to transport down to Haiti. Compost feeds the soil.
Clouds water the plants. Sun makes the plant grow.
And nature provides bounty to feed the hungry.
The Girls/Senior Women's Refuge sounds like a fantastic endeavor.
And I wish the garden bountiful harvest.
Seeds are easy to transport down to Haiti. Compost feeds the soil.
Clouds water the plants. Sun makes the plant grow.
And nature provides bounty to feed the hungry.
02-20-2010, 10:09 PM
#168
Banned
Thread Starter
I'll try to add some perspectives about some topics as I have time, but there are many articles about failures in the international relief effort that are substantially accurate.. Being home now, I am amazed, discouraged and frankly very disillusioned about what is happening in Haiti. If folks knew the story from inside Haiti, and from the view of the Haitians - you would feel as I do..
On a positive note however - I took a while to create a Gallery from the village we fed - Bomachan. Again, this village of about 1500 children, men and women has no water, no electricity, no food, no school, no doctor, no nurse, no hope and to illustrate this - people walk for about one mile each way to fill their buckets with water - twice a day - to a well that has water. As well - twice a week some walk to the "market" which is about 10 miles (each way) to try to buy whatever they can to exist.
Next Tuesday, I have a Haitian well digger going into this remote village to asses what it will take to fix their well and pump, which failed in 2003. I'll add it to the Rennwish Project Pages in a day or two. In the meantime - these links are for the picture gallery I set up. When you see the pictures, you will see complete and utter desperation and the blank stares of harrowed human beings living in absolute poverty inside a poverty stricken country.
Later in the album - when Adrein and I showed up with more food two days later - you will also see some of those blank looks have started to become feint smiles - as people began to believe that someone cared about their fate... Those of you who have supported Rennwish are responsible for those traces of smiles - as we are just starting to reinvigorate their hopes and lives...
The slide show: -> http://reutterwerk.com/gallery2/main...2_itemId=15637
The Main Gallery: -> http://reutterwerk.com/gallery2/main.php/v/Haiti2010/bomachan/
John
On a positive note however - I took a while to create a Gallery from the village we fed - Bomachan. Again, this village of about 1500 children, men and women has no water, no electricity, no food, no school, no doctor, no nurse, no hope and to illustrate this - people walk for about one mile each way to fill their buckets with water - twice a day - to a well that has water. As well - twice a week some walk to the "market" which is about 10 miles (each way) to try to buy whatever they can to exist.
Next Tuesday, I have a Haitian well digger going into this remote village to asses what it will take to fix their well and pump, which failed in 2003. I'll add it to the Rennwish Project Pages in a day or two. In the meantime - these links are for the picture gallery I set up. When you see the pictures, you will see complete and utter desperation and the blank stares of harrowed human beings living in absolute poverty inside a poverty stricken country.
Later in the album - when Adrein and I showed up with more food two days later - you will also see some of those blank looks have started to become feint smiles - as people began to believe that someone cared about their fate... Those of you who have supported Rennwish are responsible for those traces of smiles - as we are just starting to reinvigorate their hopes and lives...
The slide show: -> http://reutterwerk.com/gallery2/main...2_itemId=15637
The Main Gallery: -> http://reutterwerk.com/gallery2/main.php/v/Haiti2010/bomachan/
John
02-26-2010, 01:22 PM
#169
Banned
Thread Starter
For those that are interested... As a few know, Adrien & I had the privilege and honor of escorting a group from Southern CA last week - touring our projects and programs. One of the young women - "Dani", a middle schooler in Southern CA sent me a video last night of her view of Haiti and all we do... It is her perspective of Haiti, the tradegy of Port-au-Prince - and the wonderment of the children, our orphans, foster families, schools, etc... As well, many of the scenes are from those same projects - and the food we distributed at Bamachin is also captured...
Here is her video (Quicktime):
http://rennwish.org/dani.htm
Or Windows Media Player:
http://rennwish.org/dani2.htm
I wish there were thousands of children like her in the world...
- John
Here is her video (Quicktime):
http://rennwish.org/dani.htm
Or Windows Media Player:
http://rennwish.org/dani2.htm
I wish there were thousands of children like her in the world...
- John
03-01-2010, 07:22 PM
#170
Banned
Thread Starter
The folks in Haiti can't catch a break.... I am at a loss for words... The only good news is that your school (if you have supported Rennwish) is being used as a public shelter...
http://rennwish.blogspot.com/
please bookmark the above link, as I'll try to post updates there, OK???
John
http://rennwish.blogspot.com/
please bookmark the above link, as I'll try to post updates there, OK???
John
03-01-2010, 07:41 PM
#171
Still plays with cars.
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Thanks John. The blogspot is compelling. As you say, they need a break!
03-04-2010, 02:49 PM
#173
IB Staff
Inspiring stuff. Thanks John for the updates & blog. Powerful imagery.
04-05-2010, 06:48 PM
#175
Banned
Thread Starter
Hi Kyle and all..!
My sincerest thanks..! I mean that... The folks on all the sites - especially Rennlist - have been simply amazing with their support and encouragement... I can and will tell you - it's more appreciated than you may realize...
As well - I'm trying to continue to update the Rennwish site and BLOG (http://rennwish.org/ & http://rennwish.blogspot.com/ ) on a regular basis now that I'm home for a few weeks... For that - i should have some neat new updates to tell you about soon (please keep your fingers crossed, OK??
)
My sincerest thanks!
John
My sincerest thanks..! I mean that... The folks on all the sites - especially Rennlist - have been simply amazing with their support and encouragement... I can and will tell you - it's more appreciated than you may realize...
As well - I'm trying to continue to update the Rennwish site and BLOG (http://rennwish.org/ & http://rennwish.blogspot.com/ ) on a regular basis now that I'm home for a few weeks... For that - i should have some neat new updates to tell you about soon (please keep your fingers crossed, OK??
)My sincerest thanks!
John
05-01-2010, 06:45 PM
#176
Banned
Thread Starter
I just posted about finishing Pastor Vilnor's school on the Rennwish BLOG:
http://rennwish.blogspot.com/
For that, if you are reading this post and contributed to our efforts, I would like to thank you personally for "making this happen". All of you have perhaps have no idea how appreciated your support has been through the construction and this project. I wish you could meet the 200 or so students of the school - and listen to them as they say "Thank You".
Next year, if you read the post I just made - well, hopefully, we'll give another 100 or so children an opportunity for an education. Kids who wouldn't have one otherwise - without your support and your belief that we can, indeed - make a difference
As for our other projects? Pastor Andre's Orphanage, the village at Bamachan, the foster children we care for and provide life necessities, the students we have enrolled in the University, the.. Well - so many projects.. We have done so much together... And we will continue to do so given your support..
Thank you for that - your belief we can make a change... Each of you on this e-mail list deserve huge "bragging rights" to be able to tell others - family, friends, business associates - that you, indeed, have made a tremendous difference to the people in Haiti... That is to your credit, not mine.
And you have done so with my sincerest thanks and the thanks of so many who believe in all you have done,
Thank you to all,
John
http://rennwish.blogspot.com/
For that, if you are reading this post and contributed to our efforts, I would like to thank you personally for "making this happen". All of you have perhaps have no idea how appreciated your support has been through the construction and this project. I wish you could meet the 200 or so students of the school - and listen to them as they say "Thank You".
Next year, if you read the post I just made - well, hopefully, we'll give another 100 or so children an opportunity for an education. Kids who wouldn't have one otherwise - without your support and your belief that we can, indeed - make a difference
As for our other projects? Pastor Andre's Orphanage, the village at Bamachan, the foster children we care for and provide life necessities, the students we have enrolled in the University, the.. Well - so many projects.. We have done so much together... And we will continue to do so given your support..
Thank you for that - your belief we can make a change... Each of you on this e-mail list deserve huge "bragging rights" to be able to tell others - family, friends, business associates - that you, indeed, have made a tremendous difference to the people in Haiti... That is to your credit, not mine.
And you have done so with my sincerest thanks and the thanks of so many who believe in all you have done,
Thank you to all,
John
