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gclergefoundation
Jul 14, 20233 min read

Earthquake Relief & Recovery Update #7



Previous Updates

Pilot Home in Grand Duc-Cavaillon, Haiti


Home site of Mr. Jocelyn Letang and his family, in Grand Duc-Cavaillon, Haiti


In partnership with Haiti Renewal Alliance/OneDiaspora, GCF plans to provide homes for eight rural families whose lives were crushed, buried, or ripped apart by the catastrophic earthquake.


With much gratitude and a long delay due to the security situation in the Haitian capital, we were able to begin our housing recovery project for families left homeless by the natural disaster. The first pilot home began on March 27, 2023. Construction was completed the first week of June. In total, due to the high inflation rate in Haiti, we have had to reduce it to 8 beneficiary families in the countryside. Each house will have two bedrooms and one bathroom, they will also have a common area, a kitchen to cook in, and a front porch to enjoy.



The picture below is the pilot home that was built in the rural community of Grand Duc, Cavaillon. Initially estimated at $10,000 in 2022, the actual cost of the house is closer to $15,000, not including in-kind contributions provided by the beneficiary, friends, and relatives as sweat equity, transportation, and other services donated by local businesses - WeYa, Nira Varietés, in addition to Project Coordination by GCF.


Estimated cost per additional home in Flamand, Cavaillon and Geffrard, Maniche in July 2023: $18K-$20k (not including in-kind contribution from beneficiaries and community)



Mr. Letang’s 10-year-old daughter selected the colors for the home. Her Dad requested that she picked the colors, and she proudly said she wanted “vert pois france and rose pâle" (green and pink).


These houses are just one step towards repairing the communes of Haiti, the efforts are far from done. With continued support and donations from people like you, more families can receive housing, and together we can begin to repair the lives of those affected.


Next Steps


As Phase 2 of our recovery effort continues into 2023, we will focus our efforts on building 5-7 more homes in Cavaillon, Maniche, and Les Cayes. The number of homes built will depend on the cost of construction materials and available funding.


Challenges

  • Insecurity persists in PAP - transporting goods to Les Cayes remains a challenge. Though delayed, GCF has received all supplies that were shipped by a private shipping company. That has caused significant delays in our ability to work in Haiti.

  • Traveling by road to the South is still considered challenging due to fuel shortages and potential insecurity flare-ups.

  • The cost of material construction has significantly increased, making it financially challenging to rebuild homes.

Money Update - Thank you to all of our supporters!

To date, we have raised $371K. So far, we spent about $280K on phase I and Phase II, a water distribution system in Anse du Nord, and the pilot home in Grand Duc-Cavaillon, Haiti. We are planning to build 7 more homes estimated at $130K.


Please continue to support GCF and the communities we serve at: https://www.gaskov.org/join-donate


For a list of all our donors, please visit the GCF Earthquake Relief Fund


How can you help?

We originally anticipated $10,000 per home. With the unstable environment in Haiti, we anticipate each house will cost between $18K - $20K. We have $80,000 left for our recovery phase and need to spend $140,000 for the 7 other homes we have selected. If you can organize your friends, colleagues, and family to sponsor a recovery home for $18,000 - $20,000 that would be ideal. Otherwise, please contribute to GCF's activities (Klinik Fonfred, relief recovery, and scholarships) and invite your friends to join the journey and contribute to our work at: https://www.gaskov.org/join-donate . If you are in Florida, please come and celebrate our culture and drive change with our fellow GCFers at our upcoming Fête Créole Fundraising event on October 7, 2023.


SAVE THE DATE

By popular demand, we are bringing Fête Créole back. This year, our theme will be: "Celebrating Culture, Driving Change". This much-anticipated fundraising event will take place on October 7th, at 7:00 pm, at Hilton Palm Beach Airport, in Palm Beach, Florida.


Fête Créole is an extraordinary celebration of Haitian culture and a remarkable endeavor to make a lasting impact on the lives of underserved communities and deserving students in Haiti.


At GCF, our mission is to provide essential healthcare services to those in need via our community health center and foster educational opportunities for promising students in Haiti. With the funds raised through this event, we will continue to deliver life-saving medical care, medications, and health programs to underserved areas. Additionally, we will support scholarships that enable deserving students to pursue their education and empower them to become future leaders in their communities.




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Email us: info@gaskov.org

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With our deepest gratitude,

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gclergefoundation
Jul 26, 20224 min read

Earthquake Relief Update #6 - AKPA Donations

Updated: Jul 26, 2022




Previous Updates

AKPA Projects

This post is dedicated to the donations Animatè Kiltirel Pou Ayiti (AKPA) made to GCF on April 7, 2022. The donation consists of 3 components:

  1. $21,000 were transferred to GCF's US bank account

  2. Donation of collected supplies located in Hollywood, Florida - (dry food, clothes, diapers)

  3. Supplies purchased by AKPA in 2021. Those supplies were already shipped to Port-au-Prince and needed to be moved to the South of Haiti.


What is GCF doing with the $21K donation from AKPA?

Potable Water Project ($20K)

During our relief mission to Anse-du-Nord on Grande Cayemite island (Grande-Anse) earlier this year, the fishing village population shared that they have no access to potable water. They currently fetch brackish water from a hole dug in the ground. There are currently an estimated 600 people living in the coastline village of Anse-du-Nord. The village came together to rebuild their local school after the earthquake and wanted to know if through the relief efforts, GCF can help provide them with access to clean water. When AKPA offered to donate $21K to GCF, we immediately identified that water project as the best recipient for that donation. This water project is a win-win situation: 1) Over 2,000 people in neighboring villages will benefit from the potable water system; 2) AKPA and its fans get to make a tangible difference in an entire community for years to come.


With the $21K received from AKPA, GCF and its local partners will first pump, store and distribute the existing water, then it will send the water for testing and acquire the right filtration system to render it potable (We did this because the first logical step was to secure the water source from further human contamination). The solar-powered potable water system is expected to service over 2,000 people, and a local committee of elders is already formed to ensure its longevity and security. The project is expected to cost approximately $20,000 in materials and labor. GCF purchased all the materials including but not limited to: a solar-powered pump, 4 Solar panels 500W, 1 inverter 5K, 8 batteries, a 5k backup diesel generator, , 4 1000-gal water tanks, pipes and fittings. The filtration unit is being evaluated and will be purchased soon. On July 13th a team of volunteers from GCF and local community leaders from Grande-Anse traveled 4 hours by car and 1 hour by boat to Anse-du-Nord with all the materials to kick-off the project. The potable water system is being supervised and installed by a local engineer from Grande-Anse and by GCF's Board Members on the ground. Updates on project completion will follow.



What Happened to collected supplies from Hollywood, FL?


August Distribution in Camp-Perrin ($1K for transportation)

The supplies collected in Florida were shipped to Haiti in April 2022. They arrived to Camp-Perrin on June 30th, 2022. In general, GCF does not get directly involved in distributing clothes, diapers, and personal items. We decided to partner with Little Angels of Haiti (LAOH) for an orderly distribution in August 2022 in Camp-Perrin, one of the towns most impacted by the 2021 earthquake. Klinik Fonfred staff will return to Camp-Perrin for a medical mission with LAOH in August. We are planning to distribute those supplies in collaboration with LAOH during that medical mission.


More to come on both the medical mission and supply distribution in Camp-Perrin



Where are the Supplies purchased by AKPA in 2021?


Future Emergency & Backpack Distribution in September ($250 spent for transportation)

The supplies AKPA purchased and shipped to Port-au-Prince were picked up by GCF and transported to Les Cayes in July 2022. GCF received the following items and will redeploy them as follows:

  • Saved for future emergency

    • 68 tents - for future emergency

    • 104 cots - for future emergency

  • Backpack distribution in September 2022

    • 1 box of pencils

    • 15 small boxes of backpacks

    • 3 large boxes of backpacks

More to come on school supply distribution.


Money Update - Thank you to all of our supporters!

To date, GCF raised $371K. So far, we spent about $200K for phase I and Phase II.. Current and future projects are projected to cost an additional $200K: an additional $30K to finish all repairs at Klinik Fonfred; $20K for a potable water system at Grande Cayemite, Grande-Anse; $50K for repairing 2 dispensaries; $100K to build 5-6 homes. At a minimum, we need to raise an additional $30K, anything over that will be applied to phase3. Hence we have set a new goal to $400K.


Please continue to support GCF and the communities we serve at:


https://www.gaskov.org/join-donate


THANK YOU!




For a list of all our donors, please visit the GCF Earthquake Relief Fund


How can you help?

Please help us raise funds to help execute phase 3 of this relief effort and Klinik Fonfred. To help solicit donations on behalf of GCF, please share this link with all your friends and family https://www.gaskov.org/join-donate



Follow us and share our posts:

Instagram: @gaskovclergefoundation

Email us: info@gaskov.org

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With our deepest gratitude,

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gclergefoundation
Jul 19, 20225 min read

Earthquake Relief Update #5




Previous Updates

Fix Klinik Fonfred's damages


The August 14, 2021, earthquake damaged Klinik Fonfred’s infrastructure and also did not spare the homes of some of the employees.


The earthquake wreaked havoc on countless perimeter walls in Southern Haiti. Klinik Fonfred lost about 100 linear meters of its security wall. Cinder block walls can be very expensive to build or replace so we set out to build back a better security wall without breaking the bank. With the help of many volunteers and a local foreman, we rebuilt the destroyed wall for about $13,000. We are confident the work was done well and that rebuilt section of the perimeter wall should be able to sustain future earthquakes and/or hurricanes.


Klinik Fonfred's warehouse was also damaged by the earthquake. Until GCF rebuilds a warehouse in Fonfred, several container warehouses in Les Cayes have been made available to GCF, free of charge. That allowed us to assign a lower priority to building a new warehouse which targeted to cost $30,000.


In addition, Klinik Fonfred’s portable ECG machine was rendered unusable when it fell from a table during the earthquake. It was replaced with a new Fencia portable machine and assorted electrodes and paper for $607.88. GCF paid an additional $225.30 in shipping costs to send this and other clinic supplies to Port-au-Prince, plus $129.99 to arrive.


Lastly, to better adapt to the new post-earthquake requirements, and to fix issues that surfaced on the roof at the clinic after the earthquake, we needed to reposition the solar panels and secure them on new metal stands on the roof. This also required some rewiring as the existing wires became too short. The cost for fixing the leaking roof and the solar panels was $1,478.00


Thanks to the support of United Way Miami, we will complete all the required repairs. They donated $50,000 specifically to repair the damages at Klinik Fonfred.




Assistance for the staff at Klinik Fonfred


GCF Board and Klinik Fonfred Management are still assessing the best way to support KF staff and their attempt to rebuild their homes. Four 2-bedroom apartments are available for affected members of the staff and their family to use, if needed, free of charge for a full year.


Relief Mission to Anse Du Nord, Grande Cayimite, Pestel - Haiti


Thank You Christ church!


On behalf of those we serve, we express our deepest gratitude to our brothers and sisters at Christ Church. Thank you for your compassion and your support!


Thanks to the generosity of Christ Church, GCF’s earthquake team provided relief to the population of Anse-du-Nord, a small fishing town in Grande Anse, Haiti. Anse-du-Nord has a population of about 600, with women and children of child bearing age making up the majority of the population. The town was severely impacted by the earthquake. Their only school was destroyed. The team traveled to Pestel by car for 3 hours, then traveled for another hour by boat to get to Anse-du-Nord. GCF was the first and only organization that provided relief for that town. When the team got there, all the children, regardless of age, were attending school at the town’s church. When we visited Anse-du-Nord in March 2022, many homes were destroyed and at least 150 families still had no temporary shelter. With the funds donated by the congregation of Christ Church, GCF distributed 200 tents and lanterns to the community, which were purchased at $50 each


CLÈ Haitian Sisterhood (Hygiene Kits)



CLÉ: Haitian Sisterhood’s vision is to be a rich source of empowerment for the community in which Haitian women, regardless of income level or social status, are nurtured and empowered to reach their full potential. CLÉ is a non-profit, 501c3 organization, committed to promoting Haiti’s history, culture and traditions for Haitians living abroad globally.


CLÉ Sisters had a Sip and Paint Meetup in which they provided over 40 hygiene kits for young girls and women affected by the earthquake. Each string-bag contained hand-made cloth hygiene pads, panties, towels, soap bars, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner. The girls and women receiving the kits were instructed on how to maximize the use of the hand-made hygiene pads. They were all grateful for the gesture and sent their thanks to the sisterhood.





Rehabilitate 2 community health clinics (on hold)


GCF prioritized working with MSPP to rehabilitate 2 community health clinics (dispensaires), so they could continue to provide services to their local communities. We estimated $50,000 for this initiative.


The public dispensaries of Melon (Maniche) and Ferme Leblanc were identified during the feasibility phase of this project. The project document for the renovation of the dispensary of Melon was presented to MSPP for approval as it obligaties MSPP to facilitate the presence of a doctor (resident) and a nurse 3 to 4 days a week, post-earthquake.


One of the main issues with the public dispensaries in rural Southern Haiti is the absence of qualified medical personnel. The facilities usually contain labs, pharmacies, a solar energy system, and running water. However, they do not have doctors and nurses to actually provide medical services to the rural population. The solution is to rehabilitate these dispensaries, and include dormitories to house the visiting staff.


Expected results of this project: Renovated dispensary with functional dormitory; Presence of doctor and nurses 3 to 4 days a week; Healthier rural population; Decongestion of reference hospitals.


Next Steps for Phases 2 & 3


As Phase 2 of our response continues into 2022, we will focus our efforts on the following:

  1. Fix Klinik Fonfred's damages and assist KF’s employees to restore their homes. We are estimating $50,000 for that project. We rebuilt the walls, fixed part of the roof, secured the solar pannels. Next we will be re-building Klinik Fonfred's warehouse.

  2. AKPA donated $21K for a clean water distribution systems for Ile Cayimite, including Anse-du-Nord. We will focus on executing that project in Grand-Anse.

  3. Prioritize working with MSPP to rehabilitate 2 community health clinics (dispensaires), so they could continue to provide services to their local communities. We estimated $50,000 for this initiative. This project is on hold until MSPP confirms the Physicians who will be stationed at the 2 community health clinics.

  4. For phase3, we raised $100,000 through HRA-One Diaspora for Phase3. We have been meeting with different partners to understand the optimal model to help rebuild 10 - 12 permanent para seismic homes. We are being deliberate about making the best use for the funds raised.

Challenges

  • Insecurity persists in PAP - transporting goods to Les Cayes remains a challenge. Though delayed, GCF has received all supplies that were shipped with a private shipping company.

  • Traveling by road to the south is still considered unsafe due to social and political unrest, and fuel shortage.

  • The cost of material construction has significantly increased, making it financially challenging to rebuild homes.

Money Update - Thank you to all of our supporters!

To date, we have raised $371K. So far, we spent about $200K for phase I and Phase II.. Current and future projects are projected to cost an additional $200K: $30K to finish all repairs at Klinik Fonfred; $20K for a potable water system at Île Cayimite, Grande-Anse; $50K for repairing 2 dispensaries; $100K to build 5-6 homes. At a minimum, we need to raise an additional $30K, anything over that will be applied to phase3. Hence we have set a new goal to $400K.


Please continue to support GCF and the communities we serve at: https://www.gaskov.org/join-donate


THANK YOU!




For a list of all our donors, please visit the GCF Earthquake Relief Fund


How can you help?

Please help us raise funds to help execute phase 3 of this relief effort and Klinik Fonfred. To help solicit donations on behalf of GCF, please share this link with all your friends and family https://www.gaskov.org/join-donate



Follow us and share our posts:

Instagram: @gaskovclergefoundation

Email us: info@gaskov.org

###


With our deepest gratitude,

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