As I am sure is true for most of you, Catherine and I have been researching ways to make a meaningful and effective contribution to the situation in Haiti. We will soon send information about a possible approach for Builders Without Borders, and you, our members, to be directly involved. In the meantime, we would like to forward to you information about a small number of effective, established organizations, which you might not hear about otherwise. We promise not to stuff your mailboxes, but expect two or three mailings over the next few days. Catherine Wanek and Derek Roff Co-Directors, Builders Without Borders In response to the Earthquake destruction in Haiti, Builders Without Borders would like to recommend these avenues to contribute: Solar Cookers for Haiti: One of Haiti's most serious problems in the coming months will be access to safe drinking water. This combined with a serious and growing shortage of fuel has now reached crisis proportions. With a solar cooker it is possible to pasteurize several liters of drinking water every day using only the light of the sun. Friends of Haiti Organization is working with U.S.-based Sun Ovens International to provide the people of Haiti with solar cookers. Sun Ovens Intl has been operating in Haiti for the past eleven years. Donations marked (For purchase of Sun Ovens) will be used only to buy solar cookers that will be distributed in Haiti. On January 28, 2010 FOHO in partnership with Feed My Starving Children will be sending a shipping container with 270,000 meals and Sun Ovens to Port au Prince Haiti. There is room for additional Sun Ovens to be included with this shipment and additional shipments are being planned. Contributions to Friends of Haiti can only be sent by check. (FOHO is a 501C3 nonprofit organization so all donations will be tax deductable. 100% of the donation will go directly to sending Sun Ovens to Haiti no administrative expenses will be deducted. FOHO has been working in Haiti for 45 years and has sent over 1,400 Global Sun Ovens and 12 Villager Sun Ovens to Haiti.) Checks should be made payable to the: Friends of Haiti Organization, PO Box 222, Holland, OH 43528 (Please note the donation is for the Sun Oven project.) If you prefer to give on line, you can send a donation to Solar Cookers International's Haiti Project . Our colleague Patricia McArdle has served on SCI's board of directors for the past three years. SCI is collecting funds for solar Cookits, pots, and reusable Water Pasteurization Indicators that will be added to this month's and future shipment of Sun Ovens to Haiti. Architecture For Humanity: AFH had been set to send a design team to Haiti this month to partner with local NGO < http://www.yele.org> Yele Haiti but have put this on hold until they can get a full assessment of the situation. AFH is connected with both Yele and AIDG (Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group) at < http://www.aidg.org/> . AFH is commitmented to supporting both their efforts in the long term rebuilding of affected areas. They have launched an appeal for supplying construction and design professionals and supporting earthquake resistant housing and community structures, according to Cameron Sinclair, Executive Director of Architecture for Humanity. A donation to AFH will contribute to these efforts. All Haiti updates will be via this link: http://www.architectureforhumanity.org/node/1314 Contact AFH at: cameron@architectureforhumanity.org W: 415 963 3511 Mail contributions to: Architecture for Humanity, 848 Folsom Street, Suite 201, San Francisco, CA 94107-1173 In addition, to support the AFH appeal, please link to their site with your social network accounts and/or blogs. |
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