Rotary begins plan of action in Haiti

By Ryan Hyland
Rotary International News -- 3 August 2010

Rotarian Stephen Cooper (rear); Pamela
Solman, member of the Good Samaritan Foundation
of Haiti; and Joseph Phelix, founder and director of
the foundation, distribute food to residents of Île à
Vache in June. Photo courtesy of Stephen Cooper

 
More than six months after Haiti sustained a
massive earthquake, Rotary clubs and account
holders of the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund are
beginning to allocate resources to help rebuild
schools, provide prosthetics, and equip thousands
with adequate shelter.
Despite assistance from around the world, the
situation in Haiti remains bleak. An estimated 1.5
million Haitians still live in tent cities, while billions
of dollars in aid from foreign countries has yet to
materialize. Debris from 280,000 destroyed
homes and buildings clogs the streets of Port-au-
Prince.
Rotarians have contributed more than US$2
million to the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund, a
donor advised fund set up by The Rotary
Foundation.
"By beginning the work on many of the projects,
we anticipate that additional funds will be
contributed by Rotarians who are motivated to continue that help," says Past RI Vice President Eric
E. Lacoste Adamson, an account holder and member of the Rotary Club of Front Royal, Virginia,
USA. "We also hope to encourage other partners and NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] to
match these funds so that we can double or triple the impact of the funds in Haiti."