Many people will have heard the tragic news that on Tuesday, January 13 Haiti was hit by a devastating 7.0 earhtquake. Information on the suffering and damage are only just coming in with reports of massive destruction and possibly thousands killed. The Toronto Haiti Action Committee recognizes that this is a critical time for our solidarity. We will be gathering information in the coming days and will post updates on how people who wish to make donations for emergency relief can funnel their aid to grassroots movements in Haiti.
For donations consider:
Partners in Health
Paul Farmer’s pioneering health organization is based in the Central Plateau in Haiti and delivers health care to a population area of one million people, including the education and training of Haitians as doctors and health professionals. Partners in Health’s principal health center survived the earthquake and is moving to deliver aid to the disaster zone. You can donate via the Partners in Health website:
http://www.pih.org/home.html
Sawatzky Family Foundation-SOPUDEP School
SOPUDEP is a pioneering school in Petionville with an enrolment of 600 students from elementary to senior high school grades. The school was not in session when the disaster struck; we do not know if the building survived. The resources of the school and its teachers are being fully mobilized to assist the neighbouring population. The Sawatzky Family Foundation is a registered charity in Canada. To donate: http://www.sopudep.org/donate
Haiti Emergency Relief Fund
This fund was launched in 2004 in response to the human rights calamity created by the February, 2004 coup d’etat that removed the elected president Jean Bertrand Aristide from office. Endorsers include Danny Glover, Harry Belafonte, and attorney Walter Riley. Working closely in association with the Haiti Action Committee in San Francisco, this fund delivers resources directly to grassroots organizations in Haiti. You can donate via a Paypal link here:
http://www.haitiaction.net/About/HERF/HERF.html
Or, cheques can be made out to "Haiti Emergency Relief Fund/EBSC" and sent to:
East Bay Sanctuary Covenant
2362 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA 947
Cuban Medical Brigades
Donations to Cuban Medical Brigades, which were already active in Haiti before the earthquake, and which train Haitian doctors to work in Haiti, can be made through:
Make cheques out to “The Mackenzie-Papineau Memorial Fund” and mail to: Attention: S. Skup; 56 Riverwood Terrace; Bolton, ON L7E 1S4
