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Update #16 -- An Urgent Message to Friends and Donors of Fonkoze Re: the Earthquake
Sun., Jan. 24, 2010 – 4:45 PM
In case you missed yesterday’s update, Anne Hastings reported that the 34 Fonkoze branches not shut down by the earthquake and located in every corner of the country now have enough cash to satisfy transfer and remittance needs without problems. This incredible story is something we hope that the mainstream media will pick up, and we hope to be pitching it soon. It deals with unprecedented cooperation from civilian government, the military, and civil society including Fonkoze – towards the end of ensuring that rural Haitians have access to their own resources so they could begin the process of rebuilding their country. More to come!
This was great news as most of the questions we have been receiving have been about getting money to family, friends, and churches and organizations hard at work in Haiti.
Today, we would like to share on-the-ground accounts of two members of our Fonkoze Family.
We reported in update #1 that Leigh Carter, Executive Director of Fonkoze USA, was working at Fonkoze’s Central Office when the earthquake struck on January12th, and subsequently we updated everyone about her spine injury and evacuation to a Santo Domingo hospital, and then about her eventual return to Washington, DC near midnight on Friday, January 15. Leigh has written a fascinating essay on her harrowing experience, which may be accessed on the Fonkoze web site at this link.
The second account is from Steve Werlin, who has been on loan to Fonkoze for several years from his faculty position at Shimer College in Chicago. Steve as been a very important part of the Fonkoze team in Haiti, especially in the development of the education program. Recently, he took on the challenge of turning the operations of the Marigo Branch around. He has written periodic essays on his observations and experiences as he assisted Fonkoze. His most recent report deals with the challenges of a Fonkoze Branch operating after the earthquake. It may be viewed at this link.
You may also be interested in the almost daily updated fact sheet that is posted on the web site of USAID, which may be accessed at this link.
Just a reminder:
If you have already contributed to Fonkoze’s Relief and Rehabilitation Fund, thank you so much on behalf of those who will benefit. If not, please contribute what you can. It will be used to:
- Help our staff members return to work so that they can stabilize their own lives and continue to serve our borrowers
- Open an emergency operations center to re-establish banking for the poor and transfer remittances to clients and numerous non-profit agencies serving Haiti
- Acquire equipment and facilities to replace what was destroyed
- Provide financial resources to ensure that new loans are available for women who have lost their businesses and need to re-establish them, and
- Assist clients who lost their homes with house building and repair financing.
Make checks payable to FONKOZE USA and mail contributions to:
FONKOZE USA
50 F Street, NW
Suite 810
Washington, DC 20001
Fonkoze continues to need your prayers and financial support!
Sincerely,
John Mercier
President
Fonkoze USA