The last big Haitian earthquake in 2010 killed something like 300,000 people.
This one, a few miles farther southwest, glanced off the capital Port au Prince but devastated the southern part of the country and now repercussions radiate; no food, no fuel, communities cut off, hospitals overwhelmed. “Only” thousands were killed in short order, but many more now suffer.
One little-known story is how people here rallied and sent profound help to Haitians in 2010. That effort, using $40,000 raised mainly in a single night among Cape Codders, rebuilt a village.
Dollar for dollar, one focused local initiative accomplished far more than hundreds of millions of dollars that poured into Haiti via high-profile non-profits and the likes of Bill Clinton. Much of that big money vanished; Cape Cod support can still be accounted for, and a lot of it still allows people to live safely.
The model, created with Haitians, not superimposed by those who think they know better, could be applied today with great success.
Here’s what happened:
Within days of the 2010 quake, aftershocks still shuddering, a group on the Outer Cape mobilized, focused on a single village named Matenwa.
There was a long relationship in place -- an artist center established, support for a progressive school in the village, multiple visits from Nauset High School students during spring breaks, exchanges that brought Matenwa teachers here to see the American educational experience. Wellfleet’s Ellen LeBow inspired much of this, supported by Lisa Brown, a Nauset teacher who led the way linking the schools, and Arielle Berrick from Brewster, who became an invaluable connection between Haitian leaders and activists and Cape partners.
On a cold winter night people started showing up at one of the bigger restaurants on Route 6 in Eastham. The parking lot filled, cars soon lined the highway (to the chagrin of the cops), music and food was donated, updates from Haiti offered. One speech I remember well:
A big hope for building an arts center to drive economic sustainability was to create opportunity for people to stay in the village rather than migrate to Port au Prince’s hellacious slums in search of the mirage of a better life. The earthquake was starkest vindication: Hundreds of thousands lay buried under city rubble, while in Matenwa, with small homes and open space, there was much damage but not a single person killed by falling cement.
By night’s end, close to $40,000 had been donated, simple as that; no grandiose plans and elaborate specifics, because the people who gave trusted the people involved.
Here’s how that money played out:
After community meetings in Matenwa, it was decided that a village committee would fan out, on foot, and survey the earthquake’s damage house by house.
The committee included local builders – “bosses” as people call general contractors – as well as friends and neighbors.
A color-coded system was created; red for structures most damaged and in danger, yellow to green depending on severity and urgency.
A solid estimate of expense for each job was created; requests to add a room or even just some additional roofing were considered. The estimate per structure sometimes was as little as a couple hundred dollars.
All materials would be purchased directly by local builders, all work done by them and their crews.
There was no “overhead” other than some travel money to get Arielle to Haiti; the money would stay in the community as wages for local workers, circulating again to double impact.
It took weeks and in some cases months, but the plan rolled out. $40,000 supported hard effort to repair and fortify 42 homes, supporting hundreds of lives, while in Port au Prince, where hundreds of millions flowed, to this day people still sleep under blue tarps.
Could this model work in the southern part of Haiti right now? Of course.
But it takes a mentality far from top-down “philanthropy,” relationships already in place, and passionate commitment from people in both countries. And a giving community that trusts its own.
People who remember 2010, or know of my family’s long connection to Haiti, have asked if I have advice on how best to help now.
At first I was stymied because I believe support should be focused and direct, but the immediate devastation erupted in a part of the country outside my close connections and knowledge.
Watching the impact radiate, I soon realized that vetted help anywhere is help everywhere. So now I say find any organization you know and trust, with longstanding Haitian roots.
If medical aid to the area hardest hit is your preference, I’d look to Zanmi Lasante — this is Partners in Health, the amazing organization with Boston roots that has provided tangible, life-saving health care in Haiti for decades.
Nauset High School’s Human Rights Academy has been walking the walk for a long time, with support to Haiti as a major focus. They’ve done a “go fund me” and among other good projects raised money to send several people from Matenwa south to help in the hardest hit areas, no easy journey.
If ongoing Haitian social support makes sense, Art Matenwa and its Haiti Project remains a trusted, grassroots option. The Haiti Project is fiscally sponsored by the Provincetown Community Compact, Inc., a 501(c)3, non-profit, all contributions tax-deductible. Here’s a link; be sure to specify the Haiti Project:
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/QSLasGNQkt6H2jmKNpGgSw&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1629819613792000&usg=AOvVaw2vLwFa4bme7O4VUF0M6x3Z
Old-fashioned checks and snail mail work too:
"Art Matenwa/Haiti Project"
P.O. Box 5 Wellfleet, MA 02667
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Seth , A streamlined approach and yet so effective in it's simplicity.as contrasted by the Clintonocchio 's Just as the dust had settled from the quake of 2010 Clinton rode into Port Au Prince with what seemed at the time a sensible plan. Millions of dollars were pouring into Haiti from around the world so for the sake of organization these funds should be centralized into one entity, The Clinton Foundation with fair and proper distribution to better meet the needs from this catastrophe Promises made were encouraging ; hospitals, power plants, medical centers factories housing developments etc.etc. Hardly any of this came to fruition.. and the question remains to this day; Bill, Hillary ? Where's the money? Good god, cashing in on the devastation of this earthquake ! Have these people no sense of decency ?