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Update #18 —- A Timely Message to Friends and Donors of Fonkoze Regarding the Earthquake
Tues., Jan. 26, 2010 – 10:00 PM (EST)
On a conference call earlier today, Anne Hastings reported the following:
- Anne, as CEO of Fonkoze Financial Services, is the contact for the international community, and Carine Roenen is the main contact within Haiti.
- Fonkoze needs more gourdes (they have adequate US dollars), but the Central Bank was expected to solve this problem earlier today.
- Fonkoze’s Central Office is functioning in some borrowed space.
- Negotiations are in progress for permanent new space for Fonkoze’s Central office.
- Locating, communicating, and scheduling Fonkoze employees is a challenge because so many of them are difficult to contact as they are living on the streets.
- A financial assistance program is being worked out for clients who lost their homes and for those who need to rehabilitate their homes.
- Fonkoze is in need of people or a team that can enter damaged structures that reclaim equipment, records, etc. She asked for help in identifying potential sources.
- There is widespread fear that Port au Prince may receive another earthquake, so owners of many buildings (including those of our present Central Office) are hesitating to rebuild.
- Microfinance business continues as usual, including new loans being issued.
- Five branches are gone and beyond repair, but some branches are open outdoors. (See the photographs below).
- The first priority for Fonkoze is to get their whole network up and running.
- The second priority is to address the needs of Fonkoze clients
Contributions are needed to fund Fonkoze’s Relief and Rehabilitation effort that will:
- 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
- assist clients who lost their homes with house building and repair financing
Donate online at this link using Visa, MasterCard or American Express.
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
