Haiti Solidarity Blog
Since the horrifying earthquake which struck Haiti on Jan 12th, the Scouts and CARE International have had the opportunity to join forces and strengthen their ties in order to help the victims of the Haitian catastrophe. Thanks to CARE International- which has been a great support for the scouts in Haiti- CNN reporter Moni Basu and Camera man Gabe Ramirez of CNN, were put into contact with Leogane scout, Joanie Yetsin.
On Feb 4th an article and a video were published by CNN, about this brave young lady, who continues to help her country and her immediate community- despite her personal tragedy- by waking up every morning, putting on her scout uniform and joining her troop.“I will do my very best to help others that is what I have been trained to do “, she said regarding her 5 years of training with the scouts, when interviewed.
Another encouraging statement was heard from Sophie Perez, the director of CARE Haiti, regarding scout action:“ The scouts are particularly important because its a youth organisation, more than 50% of the population in Haiti are young people, so it's very important to involve them right from the start in this long attempt at reconstruction of the country”.
By empowering the youth to play an active role in their society, the Scouts are proving to be a key player in the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase in Haiti.
To read the full article and view the video please click on the links below:
IOM (International Migration Organisation) and USAID (United States Agency for International Development), which are in charge of the distribution of non-dietary relief, have informed Haitian Organizations that there is a grave need for a Regional Association.The association would serve as a focal point for coordination, to help improve the efficiency, of providing the aid and support needed by the Haitian population . On the same note, the scouts plan to join some of these regional communication centers, which are yet to be determined and fully collaborated upon. They will for example, be in charge of organizing the food line-ups operated by the US Army in Port-au-Prince. As part of it's -Education- unit, UNESCO has asked the Haitian Scouts to integrate the assessment teams, in order to launch a scholastic census programme.
The Haitian Scouts have facilitated communication between the Dominican and Haitian Ministries of Youth, by maintaining the already established liaisons with the Dominican Scouts. Soon, a Scout conference is expected to take place in St. Domingo so as to outline, the efforts deployed for the reconstruction of Haiti and the various training tools that will be required. The greater objective of this conference, which is highly anticipated by the Haitian Scouts, is to put in place a network of Youth Associations in Haiti.
Immediately after his return to France, Fédéric Amiel, a logistcian sent to Haiti by the Scouts et Guides de France, was received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to present the results and outcome of his mission.
World Scouting Bureau.
You might expect to see Wilner Ulysse helping a little old lady cross the street. That’s the classic image of a dutiful Scout. But Wilner, age 23, has a much more important good deed for today.
He is one of the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Girl Guides of Léogane, a hard-hit town near the epicenter of last week’s deadly earthquake. Their town was all but destroyed -- most people here have lost homes or family members, and funerals have become a tragically frequent occurrence. But despite their own trauma and loss, the young people of Léogane are rallying to the aid of their fellow citizens.
Wilner and his fellow Scouts have joined the CARE team delivering urgent help near the center of Léogane. The telecommunications office, idle since phone service was knocked out by the quake, is serving as a temporary town hall and humanitarian aid center. Here, the CARE staff set up operations to deliver vital aid to the traumatized survivors, above all women.
The job of the Scouts is to provide security and comfort. The boys, tall and brave, stand guard at the entrance of the compound. The girls walk side-by-side with the women, softly touching the occasional arm or shoulder, as they walk to the distribution point. The women look exhausted, but a few smiles break out as they receive a precious gift – hygiene kits including soap, toothpaste, towels, and sanitary napkins, all packed in a five-gallon bucket that can be used to collect and purify water. Still, the faces at the CARE truck are tired, lined, and sweaty.
The bright young Scouts look serious – most have suffered grievous losses of their own – but their faces are full of compassion for the mothers and grandmothers they gently guide.
“We can only imagine how traumatized and heartbroken these women feel,” said Sophie Perez, CARE Haiti country director. “As much as material aid, they need to know that the world cares about them, and that they are not alone. To have these lovely young people literally standing by their side is a great comfort at this terrible time.”
Many of the women at Wednesday’s distribution have lost their homes and are living in the open, in tents makeshift shelters. Even those whose houses were left standing are often afraid to go inside, because of a series of terrifying aftershocks.
“To lose one’s home, loved ones, and then still to feel constantly afraid – it’s more than anyone should have to bear,” says Sophie. “We are committed to work very hard so that they do not continue to suffer needlessly.”
And so is Wilner. In seven years as a Scout, it’s certainly the most important thing he’s accomplished.
Is there an Earthquake Merit Badge?
Text prepared from article by Rick Perera, CARE Communications Coordinator in Haiti.
For more information please visit CARE Website at the following address: www.careinternational.org.uk
To contribute to CARE's donations please follow this link
Day in and day out, the members of the National Association of the Scouts of Haiti (NASH) prepare themselves in Port-au-Prince as well as in several other important locations. The complications with transportation and communication make it difficult to reach the outer provinces struck by the quake. This nonetheless, does not prevent the Scouts from being of assistance to all those who may be in need of their help.
Yesterday, a team of 8 scouts proficient in French, English and Creole started working as translators in the hospitals of Port-au-Prince. A free international calling centre also benefits from translators to help manage the sudden surge of people. The Scouts of Marchand Dessalines are in charge of a refugee camp in Artibonite, and NASH is collaborating with the French Embassy for the set up of the Champs-de-Mars camp in Port-au-Prince.
Today, the Scouts will help Haiti's civil Protection to put up a refugee camp. Twenty scouts will join the Brazilian Embassy to help the Brazilians with their action. The number of allocated Scouts involved with relief efforts in the regions affected by the earthquake were of 250 in Port-au-Prince, 150 in Jacmel, 150 in Peit Goave and 150 in Léogane. An indefinite number is active, however no census has been taken. Many NASH members are involved in the reception of refugees in the Provinces.
During a meeting that was held on the 23rd January in Port-au-Prince, the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) incorporated the National Association of the Scouts of Haiti (NASH) in the humanitarian coordination. Scouts will be involved “ in all activities and tasks needing their support”, especially in the transit camps and displaced people camps. It will consist mostly of setting up the camp and the transportation of equipment.
The humanitarian coordination is composed mostly of local NGOs, branches of international NGOs as well as representatives of Haitian civil society demonstrating the capacity of the population to take charge of the larger part of the rescue and reconstruction efforts.
Saturday, Mr. Michel Chancy, special Secretary of State in charge of the distribution of the food aid, contacted the Scouts of Haiti to ask for their help in the national effort. The coordinators of the crisis cell of the National Association of the Scouts of Haiti (NASH) immediately met with the person in charge of this distribution in order to plan their support contribution. Scouts will reinforce teams in each municipality and will participate in the transportation of food stuffs. In each concerned community, a contingent of three ministerial delegates establish relations with the city hall and identify the needs of the area, accommodation sites and also establish the figures assessment that the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) requires. The townships concerned for the moment are Port-au-Prince, Tabarre, Cité Soleil, Carrefour, Pétionville, Delmas, Léogane, Petit Goave. To accomplish their mission the Scouts have a list of vehicle owners that are willing to put them at their disposal at any given time.
Moreover, on Saturday a truck sent by the Dominican Scouts and a convoy of four vehicles of the Haitian Scouts were able to link up at the border. Thanks to the solidarity of the Dominicans the NASH has gotten 2500 bottles of water, 1000 canned foods, and 500 milk packs, which will allow the nourishment of the volunteer teams. The President of the Dominican Scouts and the Deputy General Commissioner of the Scouts of Haiti also met during this occasion.
Upon returning from the North, Nicolas Clervil, General Commissioner, indicated that the Scouts have been very present as moral support for the refugees who are finding themselves far from their places of origin.
Today, during the opening of the 26th Arab Regional Scout Conference, World Scout Committee Vice-Chairman Mario Diaz started the first official speech of the Conference as follows:
"Mr Chairman of the Arab Scout Committee, dear Brothers and Sisters in Scouting, just a few days ago, a terrible earthquake devastated Haiti, leaving behind an unprecedented number of casualties. In God is the best consolation against every catastrophe, a substitute for every loss, and a replacement for anything that is missed. Let’s trust God, seek His aid, and be hopeful of His mercy. May God increase our reward, and grant us the best of consolation."
Some 200 Scout Leaders representing 19 Arab National Scout Organizations then stood up and observed a minute of silence to honour all victims of this natural disaster, and specially our beloved Haitian Scout brothers and sisters."
The international mission arrived last night as planned, at the Port-au-Prince airport in the Red Cross convoy and with dominican escorts. After a brief visit to the French embassy, the mission reunited with Haitian scouts at the scout base, where the bestowal of the transported equipment took place. The equipment consists mainly of tools that help facilitate the logistical organization and communication of the Scout Movement: two solar panels with two undulator to generate electricity, thirty dynamo torch-lights, two laptops with extended battery life, A VHF base with antenna and 5 portable transmitters. The Mission also provided, canned food, bread, milk and water. This provision was made possible thanks to the generosity of our first benefactors.
Upon arrival, Joseph-Emmanuel Saint-Amour, the president of the National Association of the Scouts of Haiti (NASH), was accompanied by Lyonel Laviolette, General Secretary, who is in charge of the organization of the HQs and by Gerard-Marie Tardieu, Assistant General Commissioner in charge of the management of stocks.
Thanks to NASH, the Scout delegation and its Dominican representatives were able to meet the Haitian Minister of Youth and Sports. They discussed the re-launch of youth programs and activity, with the prospective support of the Dominican Government.
In the present situation, the NASH is coordinating to entities: a crisis management unit that was put in place by the Western department, immediately after the earthquake, and the National Bureau. A meeting between the different troop leaders should take place today in order to improve the field coordination. Since the 12th of January, like many other Haitians, Scouts are also sleeping outside and are roused early in order to get to work. Alone, within a group or together with humanitarian NGOs they do not miss an opportunity to be useful. The NASH is positioning itself to be a facilitator between the population and the humanitarian entities. Being close to the population, Scouts are capable of identifying the needs and to communicate these to the humanitarian agencies, whilst also passing down hygiene and security instructions in the neighborhoods. The French Embassy has proposed to the Scouts that they participate in the reception of refugees in Inche (central plateau).
A list of emergency needs is being drafted under the supervision of the General Commissioner, Nicolas Clervil. The list will be quickly transmitted to the International Scout Aid coordination. The day's agenda also foresees another meeting with the French Embassy and a visit of the United Nations headquarters.
The reconnaissance mission sent by the Scouts et Guides de France, supported by World Scouting, left Santo Domingo at 6:00am (local time) this morning. It is part of the International Federation of the Red Cross convoy. The convoy will meet up with the representatives of MINUSTAH (UN) at the border. Their arrival at the Port-au-Prince airport is expected at around 17:00pm. The mission's transportation is assured by a vehicle that has been by the Youth Ministry of the Dominican Republic, who has also sent a special envoy with them,who will serve as the link with the haitian Youth Ministry.
Upon arrival, the mission will link up with the representatives of Haitian Scouting and proceed to confirm partnerships with the UN agencies on site. The MINUSTAH representative in Jacmel has stated that “Scouts are the only efficient youth association that they can work with. This efficiency will be bolstered by the logistical materials being brought by the French Scout mission, the initial support being put at the disposal of the Haitian Scouts thanks to the donations received after one week. It is to be noted that the French Scout association has decided to cover the expenses for this particular mission, in order not to affect the integrity of the donations. On the same note, a secure means of transferring funds, is being put into place with the re-establishment of the Haitian banking system.
In the coming hours, the analysis of the immediate emergency needs will be confirmed and circulated to the National Scout Organizations, who have expressed the desire to assist in the collection of the necessary materials. In the next few days, the Scout coordination will also perform a post emergency analysis of the needs so as to establish an action plan for the reconstruction efforts.
During the last 2 days, the Dominican Scout Association has been working on the preparation of this mission, in direct relation with the Scouts et Guides de France and the World Scout Bureau. Its high level contacts with state officials and the United Nations system has allowed the objectives of the mission to be assured.
In Geneva, WOSM works to provide support through the natural partners of the Movement that are the United Nations agencies (OCHA, UNICEF,UNHCR) and the Red Cross, as well as continuing the international call for donations.
The young man's name was Pierre Kesny. His membership card to the National Association of the Scouts of Haiti was found on his body in the Saint-Pierre corridor a few feet away from the French Embassy in Port-au-Prince. He was the secretary of his local group.
He is part of the tens of thousands victims that met their demise during the earthquake. Looking at his face we reflected on the injustice of a catastrophy of this magnitude and we thought, in prayer, about all the scouts who are combining their efforts, for the past week in the collective action to offer some kind of relief to the suffering of the haitian people.
