On Giving Tuesday, Please Stand With the People of Haiti
As the New Year approaches, please make your tax-deductible donation at www.haitiemergencyrelief.org
Unlike the big NGOs, the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund has no paid staff and takes no cut. Volunteers do all the work, and every dollar we collect goes directly to Haitian organizations deeply rooted in their communities.
By contributing, you are aiding the growth of the democratic movement in Haiti in the spirit of solidarity. We hope you will donate generously.
Checks can be made payable to Haiti Emergency Relief/EBSC and sent to:
Haiti Emergency Relief Fund c/o East Bay Sanctuary Covenant
P.O. Box 4670, Berkeley, CA 94704
As the year 2024 comes to a close, people across the length and breadth of Haiti have been demanding an end to the terror unleashed by paramilitary death squads throughout the country. In the last year alone, over 4000 Haitians have been killed by these death squads and 700,000 have had to flee their homes. Nearly half the population is facing what is euphemistically called “food insecurity.” Tens of thousands of children have been unable to attend schools. Gang rapes have become the norm as paramilitaries aligned with sectors of the government and the business elite escalate their attacks on opposition communities.
The situation could not be more critical.
The Haiti Emergency Relief Fund has been standing with the popular movement in Haiti since our inception in 2004, following the coup that overthrew the democratically elected government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. We have maintained our solidarity through the deadly earthquake of 2010, the joyous return of President Aristide in 2011, the stolen elections of 2015 and 2016, the devastation unleashed by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, and the earthquake that struck the southern peninsula in August 2021. Now we are standing with the Haitian grassroots movement as it provides support to a population under daily attack and as it continues to develop and sustain programs to build a new, just and democratic Haiti.
Here are some of the projects your donations continue to support:
* University of the Dr. Aristide Foundation (UNIFA):
HERF is proud to continue our partnership with the University of the Dr. Aristide Foundation (UNIFA). Reopened after the return of former President Aristide and his wife and colleague, Mildred Aristide, from seven years of forced exile, UNIFA is now a beacon of light in Haiti, training thousands of young Haitians in schools of medicine, nursing, physical therapy, agriculture, law, architecture and continuing education. In addition, UNIFA has opened a teaching hospital which is training new medical professionals and providing low-cost care to a population so often excluded from access to any kind of medical care.
We are also providing scholarships for students who are receiving training at UNIFA’S School of Agriculture and Nature. These students will help their communities build local agriculture and regain food sovereignty with a special emphasis on protecting the environment against the impact of climate change.
* Women’s Organizations Combatting Sexual Violence:
One of the most horrifying aspects of death squad violence in Haiti is the wholesale rape of women and children. Gang rapes are rampant as paramilitaries use sexual violence to terrorize neighborhoods. HERF is providing funds for women’s organizations who give critical support to women victimized by these attacks and to the families that have had to experience this trauma.
* Peasant Association of the North:
HERF is providing funds for a peasant cooperative in northern Haiti to build a mill. By locating the mill within the farming community itself, the cooperative will be able to reduce the spoilage and losses due to dangerous travel on roads blocked by death squads. Peasant leaders also expect to see increased income from this project, as they will now be shielded from paying exorbitant fees to unscrupulous mill owners.
* Women Farmers’ Cooperative of the South:
During the first week of November 2024, unusually heavy rainfall caused massive flooding that destroyed the farms, crops and livestock of these women farmers. With no government support for agriculture, these farmers have been left to fend for themselves and have to take out loans at usurious interest rates. As they struggle to rebuild, HERF is providing support for irrigation, seeds, new farm equipment, improved grain and commodities storage facilities and micro-credit.
* Community-Run Schools and Tuition Support:
For many years, the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund has been providing funds for locally-run community schools in Haiti. These schools are often the lifeblood of communities, since government support for public education is minimal at best. We provide support for teacher salaries and equipment for primary and secondary community schools in the West and South Departments, including a vocational training school where young people are learning useful skills in construction, designing and producing clothing/apparel and basic computer science. We are also now providing tuition assistance for 82 students, including four who are attending college.
* Assisting Haitian Refugees:
HERF has been assisting refugees who have had to flee Haiti, as well as internally displaced families from urban and rural neighborhoods. These refugees have often been the victims of massacres, gang rapes, and home burnings. They need support as they attempt to rebuild their lives.
* Community-Run Independent Media:
With Haiti’s mainstream media dominated by the ruling elite, community-based radio and TV stations are an indispensable way for the grassroots movement to inform and educate the population. HERF is now funding independent stations in multiple departments of the country.
* Youth and Community Initiatives:
In many areas of the country, young Haitians are standing up against death squad terror and have formed youth and community organizations to engage in mobilizations and educational activities. These youth organizers represent the future of Haiti. We are honored to be supporting their work.
We Thank You For All You Have Done For Haiti! And We Send You Our Best Wishes For The New Year!
Haiti Emergency Relief Fund Board of Directors:
Walter Riley, Attorney at Law, Co-Chair
Sister Maureen Duignan, O.S.F., Co-Chair
Seth Donnelly, Educator and Long-Time Haiti Solidarity Activist
Nia Imara, Astronomer and Artist
Pierre Labossiere, Co-Founder, Haiti Action Committee
Marilyn Langlois, Human Rights and Community Advocate
Robert Roth, Educator and Co-Founder, Haiti Action Committee
