My Nonprofit Reviews

I really appreciated an email I received from Trees, Water & People
10-15-10 titled Sebastian Speaks from Haiti. It was beautifully written and I felt connected to what was happening there.

Notes from the field: A Sobering Account of Haiti
Sebastian Africano, TWP's International Director, sends this personal account from Northwest Haiti, reminding us of the epic challenges faced by the Haitian people each and every day. Sebastian has been in the country since November 8th visiting TWP partners and assessing the current situation in this debastated county.
"crazy day - went to visit some AMURT project sites, and as we left were greeted with a dead body in the street three houses down from us first thing in the AM. Cholera is real and is spreading. We are being extra cautious to be sure, but there is no fear from our side, just respect. We saw another body in Okap - in the back of a pickup truck with family wailing at full bore in the street. It hits suddenly, and takes people quickly. Sure enough, after our site visits and a quick trip to a beach near here, we came across a procession of vehicles coming downhill from Source Chaude - probably 15 - 20 people jammed in a Izuzu Trooper, all screaming like they were being kidnapped. A procession of motorbikes and walkers followed. Nuts. SC is cool, pitch black and over-run by goats, pigs, clouds of mosquitos, and feisty Haitians. Remember that this is where Paul and Andrew came down with severe malaria - it's full on roulette. All water in the taps, etc...comes from a sulfurous steaming hot spring, but we filter it, chlorinate it and re-filter it in a Brita just to be sure. I'm sleeping in a woven hammock I bought in Honduras, behind one of AMURT's buildings, in a windier area, free of mosquitos. I woke up this morning at dawn to the sound of marching, and uncovered my face to find myself completely surrounded by a sea of goats. Got to watch the newborn kids chase each other around all morning - clumsy and clueless as to their eventual purpose. The country side is nice. Our people at AMURT are doing some strong strong work, and are definitely inspiring to be with. Tomorrow I'll follow them during an actual work day, and then head back to PAP on Tuesday morning, with a potential stop through the waterfall I mentioned yesterday (glorious). I'll meet with who I can on Tues and Wed, then leave for DC on Thursday morning..."

Then there was a link to learn how you can help bring clean cookstoves to the Haitian people, helping them to fight the spread of water borne diseases such as cholera.

It meant a lot to me to be able to read an email from someone who was actually there. And could describe the wonderful along with the awful.

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