Many families on the island of La Gonave enjoyed a white Christmas this year. This white Christmas did not happen with snow, but with rice graciously donated by Florida Crystal Food Corporation. Last year, 2008 was a devastating year for Haiti. In January price of gas and goods started to escalate, with the price of rice increasing by 80% and rice being a basic staple of Haitians, starvation took roots which was the root cause for the food riots which the country experienced in early April 2008. Following the riots, the Prime Minister was ousted and it took the country a little over 5 months to name a new Prime Minister. Prior to the new Prime Minister was being selected; the country experienced the unusual event of four hurricanes hitting the entire country. These catastrophic events caused over a thousand deaths, scores of injured people, over a million refugees, over one hundred thousand acres of crops washed away, major bridges destroyed, roads damaged, many water and electrification systems destroyed or damaged, and many public buildings destroyed or damaged including schools, health clinics, and police stations. Following these events which took place at the end of summer, the world economy collapsed and this caused a major impact on Haitians. Ramping unemployment, foreclosure, price escalation of gas and food hit the Haitian community living abroad extremely hard. This of course has impacted millions of Haitians who rely entirely on transfers from family members living abroad to support them economically.
La Gonave, the largest of
the seven islands which belong to Haiti has been one of the hardest hit places
in Haiti. The people of La Gonave
suffered heavy losses of personal effects, agricultural crops, fishing equipment
including boats, and damages to infrastructures and buildings both public and
private at the caused by the hurricanes.
This situation has been exacerbated by the current economic crisis that
has hit the world due to the fact that over 80% of the island population relies
on transfers particularly from Haiti and Canada. Food insecurity is highest in La Gonave than
other places in Haiti as more than 60% of the population is under and this
number is increasing at a rapid pace. By the end of the year, the people of La
Gonave were in despair. Local
authorities found themselves helpless in the face of mass hunger and hoped that
Gonave Development Corporation (GDC) their development partner could help.
Learning of GDC’s program to
obtain contributions for La Gonave, Carey Marine International (CMI), a partner
of GDC who aimed at the development of marine infrastructures on La Gonave,
helped securing some 24,000 pounds of white rice through its contacts with Florida
Crystal Food Corporation. Michael Carey also traveled to Haiti with me
to make arrangements for the shipment to be delivered. Many people became instrumental assisting GDC
to bring the rice to Haiti. Firstly
Commissioner Wayne Richards donated beans to Haiti and helped us secure
transportation for the rice and beans to Haiti.
The Teeters Agency & Stevedoring, Inc., a Marine Transportation
Company in West Palm Beach was generous and gracious enough to transport the
rice and beans free of charge to the Port of St. Marc, a city located at about
50 miles from Port-au-Prince. Many other
entities generously contributed to this event specially the Banker’s Insurance
of America and many other individuals.
Their monetary contribution helped pay for inter-islands and on-island
transportation to deliver the food to all corners of La Gonave as well as
storage fees and stevedoring in St. Marc, the port of Carriess which serves La
Gonave and the port of Anse-a-Galets in La Gonave. The Centre d’Appui a la Jeunesse (CEDAJ), a
Haitian non-profit organization recognized as an organization of public utility
and a partner of GDC, was the organization that helped GDC gets the rice and
beans out of customs free of all charges.
Their assistance was phenomenal as it took very little time to get the
rice and beans out of customs and to specific destinations. Special recognition is given to the Reverend
Thomas Masters, Mayor of Rivera Beach and Ms. Stephanie Lee, Communications
Manager Port of Palm Beach. Special
recognition is also given to Roger Pierre who is GDC’s fund raising specialist,
and Ms. Sabine Millien, Esq. of GDC who coordinated with all entities to make
this event possible. As we say in
Haitian min ampil chai pa lou (with many hands, the load is lightened).
About
70% of the 24,000 lbs of rice and beans went to La Gonave while 30% went to
Cabaret and Croix des Bouquets where CEDAJ made food distributions to
orphanages and the neediest. Pierre R.
Leger, the Chairman and CEO of GDC had gone to Haiti to see that taking the
goods out of customs and delivery of the food to La Gonave efficiently. Effectively, the food was taken out of
customs on Christmas Eve where it finally reached Carriess at 8:00 pm, unloaded
from the truck and stored in a warehouse for transportation to La Gonave the
following day.
On December 26th,
over 600 hundred families were selected for being the poorest of the poor to
receive a 10 lbs bag of rice and 5 lbs of pinto beans. Rice and beans were also given to several
associations that fed the poor to include:
the feed the poor association which holds a meal for the poor of the
city of Anse-a-Galets every January 1st, the Association of
Handicapped with a membership of some 600 physically and mentally Handicapped,
and the St. Therese and St Francis Orphanages in Anse-a-Galets and
Pointe-a-Raquettes. More than 10,000
people in La Gonave benefitted from the donated rice and beans. As indicated by the Mayors of La Gonave, the
rice and beans could not have come at a better time as many people will have
food for the remaining days of the year 2008.
GDC congratulates the
Communal Governments of Anse-a-Galets and Pointe-a-Raquettes for having
organized a very efficient and clean distribution event. GDC can attest that the food was delivered to
the poorest of the poor who should have received more than 98% of the donated
food. It should be noted that the
Communal Governments conducted a survey to identify the potential
recipients. A list of families was then
developed and the six hundred families were invited to attend distribution
events at specific locations on the island.
At distribution centers, families were called from the list and received
their portion of food. At the request of
the Mayors, GDC was asked to oversee the distribution process to the selected
institutions and families.
The distribution of food to
the people of La Gonave brought mixed feelings to GDC. While GDC members and its partners in the
development of La Gonave are elated to have helped many needy people on the
island, they were yet saddened as they would have preferred to bring jobs to
the people. GDC hopes that at the end of
2009, it will see many La Gonavians holding jobs and capable of affording their
own food. While the losses of 2008 will
create a very high state of food insecurity in La Gonave, GDC will seek
assistance from its friends to help deliver more rice and other goods.
GDC and the people of La
Gonave thank from the bottom of their heart all those who have contributed to
making this white Christmas with rice in La Gonave. May god bless all of you and have a
Very happy New Year
We wish you all the best for 2009
We count on you to continue to help the people of la Gonave