In view of the massive international relief effort that is underway, as a volunteer grassroots organization that focuses on rural areas of Haiti, our goals are (1) in the immediate is to help complement this larger relief effort by helping to assist rural communities which have traditionally lacked access to resources and thus far, have received little to no aid, (2) build capacity and implement long-term sustainable development projects and (3) continue the leadership work we have traditionally conducted with children. We will post updates directly from Haiti on our blog page as frequently as possible. Please check our site for updates in the upcoming days.

Earthquake Relief & Development Projects

Communication

Disseminate information on Jacmel and its surrounding areas (south east) and Sibert, Cul de Sac (west) and about other rural areas when feasible.

Help families abroad obtain information and help to find ways for people with different areas of expertise to get involved.

Raise awareness via online communications, community meetings and fundraisers.

AID

Work with local communities, clinics and hospitals to coordinate and help distribute food, first aid kits and gather information for long-term projects.

Long -Term Projects

Acquire and send food, medical supplies and other donated goods to clinics, hospitals and community coordinators on an ongoing basis.

Send volunteer medical experts to clinics and hospitals in Haiti on an ongoing basis.

Acquire and help establish water purification systems in communities.

Acquire and help establish renewable energy power stations.

Architectural/Re-Building Committee. The Rural Haiti Project has established an architectural committee to plan design and reconstruct homes and public buildings in rural communities.

*We will resume the programs below as soon as possible.

Les Enfants et La Planete

“Les Enfants et la Planète” (The Children and the Planet), an ecological education series which includes the maintenance of a community garden and reading and writing lectures on ecology and nature conservation and workshops that focus on ways that the children can help take care of their local ecology.

Tuition Assistance & School Supply Program

With 80% of the Haitian population living under the poverty line and parents spending more than half of their income on school tuition, Rural Haiti Project wants to ease the burden on parents by providing school supplies and tuition assistance to as many children as possible based on need. Last year, 35 Rural Haiti Project participants from Terre Rouge and Sibert received tuition assistance. This year we intend to increase this number and also help older children who have never gone to school enter the education system.

Eye Care Program

Not only is there a desperate lack of general medical practitioners in Haiti, there is also an extreme lack of eye care professionals.  Of the few ophthalmologists in Haiti, rarely are they able to take the trek to rural areas of the country.  This lack of routine eye care has resulted in an abundance of Haitians with chronic eye problems.  The Rural Haiti Project will work with an ophthalmologist in Jacmel and the international community to provide a mobile eye care clinic in La Montagne to conduct screenings, provide medication, prescription glasses and eye surgery by Fall 2010.

Annual Summer Workshops

We will continue our annual Creative Leadership Workshops this summer with children in Haiti.  The workshops will focus on the use of creative mediums, such as painting and drawing to inspire the imagination and foster creative growth and change in youth.