Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive believes death toll from yesterday’s 7.0-magnitude earthquake will be in the hundreds of thousands. If you’ve been following the devastation in Port-au-Prince and might be interested in donating some extra cash to the relief effort, here, courtesy of MSNBC, is a list of reputable, charitable organizations currently active in the nation.
Or, a simpler and more immediate method:
Simply text “HAITI” to “90999” and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross
to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill (more information).
Lastly, some hopefully common sense tips from the FBI to avoid post-natural-disaster relief fraud.
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I am so happy #7 RB recommended Fonkoze. It is a truly special organization that helps poor women help themselves. Fonkoze was started by Father Joseph, a Haitian priest, and has been a place of employment for many Haitians. It’s an amazing, grass roots foundation worth donating to. Plus, it doesn’t have many of the issues that the Red Cross has in terms of layers of foreign bureaucracy and close ties with the US government.
PIH is also grass roots, Haitian, and a good place to donate your money to.
I am so happy #7 RB recommended Fonkoze. It is a truly special organization that helps poor women help themselves. Fonkoze was started by Father Joseph, a Haitian priest, and has been a place of employment for many Haitians. It’s an amazing, grass roots foundation worth donating to. Plus, it doesn’t have many of the issues that the Red Cross has in terms of layers of foreign bureaucracy and close ties with the US government.
PIH is also grass roots, Haitian, and a good place to donate your money to.
about “gangs with machetes”
http://www.racewire.org/archives/2010/01/please_dont_superdome_haiti.html#more
http://louisianajusticeinstitute.blogspot.com/2010/01/ten-things-us-can-and-should-do-for.html
about “gangs with machetes”
http://www.racewire.org/archives/2010/01/please_dont_superdome_haiti.html#more
http://louisianajusticeinstitute.blogspot.com/2010/01/ten-things-us-can-and-should-do-for.html
I think it makes sense to keep people informed of organizations that are ignored by most media sources. I think the site did a pretty good job of providing valued information about where orgs’ money comes from and where it goes, for the purpose of actively questioning how best to distribute resources in a way that interrupts patterns of inheritance, debt, and poverty. Some gangs are indeed part of the problem, as is the military. Some people do not feel comfortable about using the military’s resources (because of public-private partnerships, the history of U.S. complicity in various coups in Haiti, the drawing of decision-making power away from long-standing grassroots organizations, etc.), and the hyperlink was included to let them know that Yele is supportive of the military. Think about the causes of this human catastrophe and the long-term effects that military aid has had in other cities (New Orleans, for instance, where the National Guard ruled a military state after Katrina, restricting people’s movements when they had nowhere to go and shooting down uncounted residents).
I think it makes sense to keep people informed of organizations that are ignored by most media sources. I think the site did a pretty good job of providing valued information about where orgs’ money comes from and where it goes, for the purpose of actively questioning how best to distribute resources in a way that interrupts patterns of inheritance, debt, and poverty. Some gangs are indeed part of the problem, as is the military. Some people do not feel comfortable about using the military’s resources (because of public-private partnerships, the history of U.S. complicity in various coups in Haiti, the drawing of decision-making power away from long-standing grassroots organizations, etc.), and the hyperlink was included to let them know that Yele is supportive of the military. Think about the causes of this human catastrophe and the long-term effects that military aid has had in other cities (New Orleans, for instance, where the National Guard ruled a military state after Katrina, restricting people’s movements when they had nowhere to go and shooting down uncounted residents).
um, that enoughenough site is sort of silly. Wycelf Jean is advocating for the US military to step in because they are the only group that GET THE AID TO PEOPLE. GANGS WITH MACHETES ARE RUNNING AROUND.
that site lost instant credibility when they said no flat-out to military “intervention.” there’s no fucking oil there. we arent gonna take over Haiti. but I’d rather have a badass soldier with a GUN protecting the food aid than a random volunteer.
um, that enoughenough site is sort of silly. Wycelf Jean is advocating for the US military to step in because they are the only group that GET THE AID TO PEOPLE. GANGS WITH MACHETES ARE RUNNING AROUND.
that site lost instant credibility when they said no flat-out to military “intervention.” there’s no fucking oil there. we arent gonna take over Haiti. but I’d rather have a badass soldier with a GUN protecting the food aid than a random volunteer.
Please consider taking a look at this guide to POLITICALLY RESPONSIBLE donors, who are trying to fit the relief efforts into a longer-term struggle against imperialist structures:
http://www.enoughenough.org/2010/01/haiti-resources/
Please consider taking a look at this guide to POLITICALLY RESPONSIBLE donors, who are trying to fit the relief efforts into a longer-term struggle against imperialist structures:
http://www.enoughenough.org/2010/01/haiti-resources/
Helping our nations poor is a constant battle everyday something that many of us are fighting, including myself. But I think everyone understands how devastating a natural disaster or attack can be on a country. It happens suddenly leaving people confused lost and hurt- remember katrina? It was nice having other countries help us then.
Helping our nations poor is a constant battle everyday something that many of us are fighting, including myself. But I think everyone understands how devastating a natural disaster or attack can be on a country. It happens suddenly leaving people confused lost and hurt- remember katrina? It was nice having other countries help us then.
So I might have to take back what I said about Yele? Gawker has an article about the charity based on docs The Smoking Gun got a hold of. There’s some shady stuff that happened with their finances over the past few years….
http://gawker.com/5449166/is-wyclef-jeans-charity-the-best-one-to-help-haiti
Please read this before you donate to Yele! There’s also some interesting info in the comments section that could be helpful in making donations to Haiti relief orgs in general.
So I might have to take back what I said about Yele? Gawker has an article about the charity based on docs The Smoking Gun got a hold of. There’s some shady stuff that happened with their finances over the past few years….
http://gawker.com/5449166/is-wyclef-jeans-charity-the-best-one-to-help-haiti
Please read this before you donate to Yele! There’s also some interesting info in the comments section that could be helpful in making donations to Haiti relief orgs in general.
why are we so willing to millions of dollars to Haiti, and don’t direct more money to our own nation’s poor?
why are we so willing to millions of dollars to Haiti, and don’t direct more money to our own nation’s poor?
join Wesleyan Students for Haiti http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=251199029835
join Wesleyan Students for Haiti http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=251199029835
Here is an article about the red cross which makes me not donate to them in times like these: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/us/nationalspecial/05cross.html
I totally agree with the Partners in Health suggestion and also http://www.care.org/ an organization that has had a presence in Haiti for years and http://www.fonkoze.org/ a Haitian MFI
Here is an article about the red cross which makes me not donate to them in times like these: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/us/nationalspecial/05cross.html
I totally agree with the Partners in Health suggestion and also http://www.care.org/ an organization that has had a presence in Haiti for years and http://www.fonkoze.org/ a Haitian MFI
I’ve not worked in Haiti, but I have worked with Partners in Health, and will second (third?) the recommendation.
#3, Arielle…Agreed. I too have spent time in Haiti and believe PIH, especially, is a great organization that needs your support. Avoid donating by text because as #4 says, alot of your money may get lost in the bureacracy…
#3, Arielle…Agreed. I too have spent time in Haiti and believe PIH, especially, is a great organization that needs your support. Avoid donating by text because as #4 says, alot of your money may get lost in the bureacracy…
in selecting donation agencies. the yele site says that 100% goes straight to relief “operation” meaning parts of it will go towards funding the donation-promoting body, transaction fees, paying workers, etc. as shameful as this sounds, i’m not too familiar with donation-accepting entities, but there must be some (may be americares?) that actually sends 100% of the money donated straight to ‘activities’ such as purchasing medical equipment or whatever. a good start might be donating to a 100% volunteer entity.
in selecting donation agencies. the yele site says that 100% goes straight to relief “operation” meaning parts of it will go towards funding the donation-promoting body, transaction fees, paying workers, etc. as shameful as this sounds, i’m not too familiar with donation-accepting entities, but there must be some (may be americares?) that actually sends 100% of the money donated straight to ‘activities’ such as purchasing medical equipment or whatever. a good start might be donating to a 100% volunteer entity.
I have spent time in Haiti and I would suggest donating to Partners in Health or Doctors Beyond Borders.
I have spent time in Haiti and I would suggest donating to Partners in Health or Doctors Beyond Borders.
another text message donation option:
text “Yele” to “501501” to donate $5. I’m partial to the Yele organization because it’s founded by Wyclef who is Haitian and he’s apparently already on his way there to help out. Yele has been doing some great things in Haiti before the earthquake and through all of the other natural disasters that have hit the island in the past years- you can read more about it at Yele.org. You can also donate more money at the website and it promises 100% of your donation goes straight to relief.
Oh, and if you are having a hard time deciding which organization to donate to keep in mind that the most serious emergencies right now are medical and a lot of hospitals have been damaged. Medical agencies are probably in need of the most immediate aid.
Also, if you are interested in sending over food, clothes, or other goods you should hold off until organizations on the ground can figure out how best to receive and distribute your donations due to the conditions of the roads and such.
another text message donation option:
text “Yele” to “501501” to donate $5. I’m partial to the Yele organization because it’s founded by Wyclef who is Haitian and he’s apparently already on his way there to help out. Yele has been doing some great things in Haiti before the earthquake and through all of the other natural disasters that have hit the island in the past years- you can read more about it at Yele.org. You can also donate more money at the website and it promises 100% of your donation goes straight to relief.
Oh, and if you are having a hard time deciding which organization to donate to keep in mind that the most serious emergencies right now are medical and a lot of hospitals have been damaged. Medical agencies are probably in need of the most immediate aid.
Also, if you are interested in sending over food, clothes, or other goods you should hold off until organizations on the ground can figure out how best to receive and distribute your donations due to the conditions of the roads and such.
although the red cross has made it really simple to donate, a lower percentage of your donation will be used than if you go through other organizations like americares which uses 99% of every dollar for direct relief. also, since this text donation plan is being publicized everywhere, most people will be donating to the red cross and there are plenty of other organizations out there that also need the help.
but hey, a percentage of $10 is still better than nothing!
although the red cross has made it really simple to donate, a lower percentage of your donation will be used than if you go through other organizations like americares which uses 99% of every dollar for direct relief. also, since this text donation plan is being publicized everywhere, most people will be donating to the red cross and there are plenty of other organizations out there that also need the help.
but hey, a percentage of $10 is still better than nothing!