26 Search Results for "haiti"

• Re: Upcoming trip to the Dom. Re: Upcoming trip to the Dom. Rep.

  • From: ecureuil
  • Description:

    My aunt has traveled to Haiti a few times with a non-profit organization, and the women on the trip almost always wear long skirts, somewhat for modesty, somewhat for coolness, and a large part for being able to pee in fields without exposing anything!   It's something to keep in mind!

  • 4 days ago
  • Views: 59
  • Forum: Make a Diff...

• SNGs, IGPs, and Education SNGs, IGPs, and Education

  • From: LindseyR
  • Description:

    I am really quite into projects these days! I just got back the info on Khayrunnesha's SNG and educational funds, which got her a beautiful red bicycle, school uniform, tuitions (private tutoring) in 2 subjects for the 10th grade year, and aluminum cooking vessels for her family. I was so excited to get this back. She needed it in June/July so she can get the most out of the school year. The 10th grade (or standard, as they are usual called in India) final exams are very important so that she can move on to the upper highschool grades of 11th and 12th. Now I will begin saving up for her 11th and 12th grade tuitions, fees and texbooks so she can continue on. I hope all goes well so she can get to 12th grade before graduating from the program.

    For those of you less familiar with the Indian school system, children have final exams every year (even when they are very small!). They have to pass these exams to move on to the next year. Khayrunnesha has been doing great in school, thought I think she may have started a bit late. She has some older sisters and one still lives at home but is marked as married now. She is 20! Hard to believe she is only 3 years old than Khayrunnesha. I have been discussing the education system with my fiance Vivek, who is Indian. He seems to feel that if Khayrunnesha studies hard and does well, she can have a decent chance of getting into a good university, like Jalwahar Nehru University in Delhi. This is a top, government run university that has many majors in different languages. Khayrunnesha expressed interest in becoming a teacher and majoring in English. If she would like to stay in contact with me after she leaves the program, Vivek and I could keep in contact with her and even help set her up at University (if she was in Delhi). This university also has low fees and scholarship for students from poor families. In my last letter to Khayrunnesha I just sent yesterday, I asked her what her plans were and if she considered a university such as J.N.U. We'll see what she says in her reply!

    Another SNG going out right now is to Saba (She is currently 11). Last year I was able to get funds to her to get her tuitions for second grade. Unlike Khayrunnesha, a Bengali speaker, Saba (who speaks  Urdu and goes to an Urdu school) has been struggling in school. She has been in second grade for quite a few years.

    Last year I inquired about it, and found out that she would benefit from a tutor. We got that arranged (along with school supplies, uniform, a backpack and a fan and emergency light for the family) last year, but around promotion time it still appeared that she was stuck in 2nd grade. I was so disapointed! Not because I felt she isn't trying, but because I am worried she will get discouraged and lose her enthusiasm for school. I thought perhaps there were some other problems going on. Could be she has dyslexia or some other learning disorder? Did she have no one to help her with homework at home? Was the school of poor quality?

    I decided to send out a request about her school (It is called a "school report" for those who don't know, I never knew I could ask for those before!). I got it back and found she was indeed still in grade 2, that her mom had decided to switch her to another school (so perhaps the other school was not so good?) and that while she was a hard worker, her grades are poor. I had also asked what grade her siblings are in (She has three brothers, all listed as "SK", one is 16, and there are twins who are 9). I thought maybe I would do some sleuthing-- to see if her siblings were in the same boat. I got back a message from Saba that "My brother is in 3rd grade". Now this really confused me... brother? Where all those other "SK"s typos or was it a translation error? If it was a translation error, which SK was it, the 9 year old twins or the 16 year old? Hmmm, mysteries remain!

    I decided that whatever the answers were-- Saba would still benefit from further private tuitions. So for this year, I sent an SNG amount in again (A little more than last year-- $125). (I think I may have missed the first few months of school, though the SNG I sent in last year was around the same time, so maybe it was enough to keep the tutor until now? We'll see). I asked that the money first be used for any education related things that can help her-- which could be tuitions, education tools, school supplies, books (text books and fun reading books). I said if there was some left over it could be used for her siblings for educaitonal needs they may have (maybe this will help me learn more about how they are doing too?) and lastly anything else the family might need (if there is any left over). So that is freshly sent out, and I really hope to see some benefit to Saba through this-- she is a sweet, loving girl and I would love to see her able to succeed in school.

    Lastly, quite a while back I send a small SNG ($50) to Semran, my youngest who is 6. Her family report says they speak Hindi, but her letters so far have been written in Urdu. I am hoping her school (I believe she has just begun and is in grade 1) is good quality. I am considering asking for a "school report" before any signs of trouble so I can help her if needed. I have no idea what her family got with the SNG, or if I will know, but I just read another sponsor's post that she got a letter thanking her with details of what was bought-- so I have hope.

    For Magda, our group sponsored child in Guatemala, we are hoping to fund an IGP for her family to raise chickens, which I am excited about.

    Still in the works, and I am not sure if everyone can donate now, but hopefully we can get it done soon. It would be the biggest project I have been involved in with CI, and the only IGP, so I would really love to be involved with the process and see how it works out for her and her family.

    And last but not least, I am attempting to start one IGP-ish type project for my partner Sandia in Haiti (not sponsored through CI). She often asks me about plants and trees, and likes to hear about my vegetable garden. She also told me that the slum she lives in has no plants as all and that it is like a desert. I noticed too from her drawings that she seems to have plants on the mind! I asked the staff guy (I can't remember his official title but his name is Cajuste!) about the possibility of starting a small vegetable/fruit garden for her family outside her home. He told me that the soil in that area is not good, and it is salty (due to proximity to the ocean, I suppose). Around that time I was talking about my idea with my good friend and she sent me an article on urban gardens in potted plants, and how it works well in tropical areas because it also contains the water. I sent Cajuste the picture on the left and asked if such a thing would be possible. He said it would be, so I sent a letter online to Sandia, suggesting the idea and asking her to discuss it with her parents-- if it would be practical-- if there is enough room and sunlight-- and if it is easy enough to get the water to water them. Now I am just waiting on a reply, but I hope it works out-- even if it is just a few plants, it can give them some beauty and food. I am eagerly awaiting her reply!

    I have to say-- helping your sponsored children and their family really feels great. I am not eagerly waiting for updates and letters!

  • Blog post
  • 1 week ago
  • Views: 157

• potted plants idea potted plants idea

  • From: LindseyR
  • Description:
  • 1 week ago
  • Views: 60

• Dreaming of Plants Dreaming of Plants

  • From: LindseyR
  • Description:
    Sandia's drawing of potted plants
  • 1 week ago
  • Views: 32

• Re: the 90-day letter rule Re: the 90-day letter rule

  • From: LindseyR
  • Description:

    I only sponsor girls from India, so I can't say for other places, but I have never really had a problem with letters-- Usually I write, and I get nice responses. Sometimes they contain repetitve phrases (i.e. My family is well. I hope you are your family are well) in all of them, but usually they share some nice things about their lives. I also feel like the more I write and share, the more they want to share (sending pictures and hand written letters definately seems to help with this!)

    At the o

  • 1 week ago
  • Views: 100
  • Forum: Make a Diff...

• Video: Package to Sandia Video: Package to Sandia

  • From: LindseyR
  • Description:

    I sent a package to Sandia (I sponsor her through another organization) in Haiti. Here is the video of her receiving it.. she looks very serious, I don't know of it was because of the camera (and if it took a long time, too) but there is a nice smile at the end (with a picture of food purchased for her family).

     

  • Blog post
  • 2 weeks ago
  • Views: 183

• Dates on letters Dates on letters

  • From: ecureuil
  • Description:

    This one has always befuddled me--why do none of the letters have the dates written on them?   I store my correspondences chronologically in a binder by child, and it would be nice, at least for my purposes, to see at a glance when they were written.   Since the letters from CI do not have a postage cancelation on them I can't use that as a guide, either.

    Haphazardly I will write the day I receive the letter on the back of them, but I won't lie--the act of sticking things in a binder is

  • 1 month ago
  • Views: 73
  • Forum: Q&A...

• Sandia- 9 (Haiti) Sandia- 9 (Haiti)

  • From: LindseyR
  • Description:

    Sandia, now my partner, in her school uniform!

  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 287

• Yay, books! Yay, books!

  • From: ecureuil
  • Description:

    It's been on the back of my head to ask this as I love these kinds of books.

     

    Here are some of my suggestions: 

     

    Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson, if you haven't read them already!   Greg has brought edication to 50,000 girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan, although not with many speedbumps.

     

    How to Be an Everyday Philanthropist, 330 ways to make a difference in your home, community, and world-at no c

  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 65
  • Forum: Poverty...

• Measles outbreak in Zambia Measles outbreak in Zambia

  • From: jawspope
  • Description:

    Yes - I was just on the WHO website as well as the CDC and neither show any information on the outbreak.  So, I don't know why - is it that they don't post anything until the #'s are a certain amount?  But it does lead me to wonder - and now I have to call CI back - how much $ would it be to get these children immunized?  I'm going to talk with my sister (who is a doctor) about this.  The US Embassy says that any US child under the age of 5 should get the measles immunization who is l

  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 27
  • Forum: Sponsoring ...

• Super sweet mail day (and week Super sweet mail day (and week!)

  • From: ecureuil
  • Description:

    I really should say evening as the mail didn't show up until 6:30pm.  Like Lynn Marie, it just felt like it was going to be a good week.   I spent several hours this afternoon assembling packages and writing letters, and now I am going to have to provide supplements to a few!

    Today's postal roll call:

    *SNG from J in the Philippines (if CI has taught me anything, it is how to spell "Philippines" correctly, and sadly I've even been there before)

    *SNG from Leida in Guatemala

    *Direct package ( although package is a generous term for a handfull of school supplies tossed in with a letter) from Leida.  I suspect she also received on same day as she is wearing same outfit!

    *Letter from one of the girls I sponsor in China with another program, Hai Fang.  It was another of her two-paged letters.

     

    Earlier today I also received an email stating that I had a new message from the girl I sponsor in Haiti, Wilna.

    Yesterday I received Kimberling's SNG from the DR and Deilyn's from Costa Rica came on Monday, so I am 6 out of 9 for hearing from kids this week.  Really, I guess I am 6 for 8 as I have only been sponsoring the 9th for two weeks.

    I had reconstructive jaw surgery last month and am going stir crazy with the recovery, so this has really helped my week!

     

  • Blog post
  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 440

• Kimberling SNG Kimberling SNG

  • From: ecureuil
  • Description:

    I finally received my photos and report from a special needs gift (I sent out 5 in April), and for Kimberling in the DR they provided her with building supplies to finish building this extention to her home.

    This was the only picture that I was sent that had her in it.

    

    I've worked off and on at a structural engineering firm the last five years, so I have to say that this excited me from a geeky standpoint.  While it scares me that the home is built in stages, making it less sound (one of the reasons for buildings collapsing in Haiti on the other side of the island), I already asked last week that they give me a report of what she really needs so I know how much to finish this project up.

     

  • Blog post
  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 484

• Getting to Know Haiti Under Sp Getting to Know Haiti Under Special Circumstances

  • From: CI_Staff
  • Description:

    In this moving post, Dayanara Reyes, a former Children International employee from the Dominican Republic, shares how a recent relief trip to Haiti dispelled some ancient misconceptions about her neighboring country...and taught her important lessons about brotherhood.

    “Hard times are when we learn who our friends are”

    By Dayanara Reyes

    A month after the earthquake stuck our brother nation of Haiti, a group of friends and coworkers  decided to carry food rations from the Fair Trade Banana Producers [in the Dominican Republic] to a specific group of affected people there.

    Days before our trip, the dates weren’t working out. There were purchasing and trip delays; one of the front tires of the semi truck carrying the donation blew out…I found myself thinking, then and along the journey, “Should we cancel this trip? If all this is happening to us here, what awaits us over there?”

    

    As we traveled, many of us expected the entry to Haiti to be difficult…traumatic….Just a few kilometers after entering Haiti, we stopped to eat some snacks we had brought along so we could have energy for the work ahead. Carlos, who accompanied us and served as our driver for the whole trip, was surprised to see a group of Haitians stop when they saw us, because they thought we were having problems with the vehicle and were coming to help us. Right then we did a little reflecting…The common notion is that Haitians are people without feelings who think only of themselves, but that first action showed us that was a mistaken image of their country and its people.

    When we finally got to where we were to unload the donations, a Haitian man, noticeably moved and who obviously was from a high social class (in Haiti, there are only two social classes: very high and very low) stopped when he saw the truck and said, “Thank you for all the help you have brought from the Dominican Republic; that shows us we are brothers.” This was a second lesson that showed and reconfirmed that there is a mistaken impression of this nationality.

    As the goods were being unloaded, we proceeded to take a tour of the city so we could see how it was left and the impact [of the earthquake] on its inhabitants. The images were devastating…public offices completely out of commission – destroyed…inhabitants camping in different parks, on grassy areas with public restrooms, where you could see the clothing, the tents and the few donations they have received…right then you could see how children, adults and the elderly intermingled, and we thought of all the diseases that could be transmitted; but neither we nor they could do anything about it then. Seeing this made us feel helpless in a way.

    

    

    We continued our tour, and we encountered a blind man in front of the Cathedral, which was partially damaged; it was impressive to see the Christ on the cross still intact. This man moved us, because even though he couldn’t see, he narrated with his song and his guitar the story of what happened there, as though he had seen it all…the deaths, the destruction, the children crying….

    

    

    Out of everything we experienced during those three days, the greatest message one of our Haitian brothers left with us was, “Many Haitians have left our country; however, we need Haitians to make a firm decision to stay here and rebuild our country.” [I was impressed by] his dedication, patriotism, strength and love for his own, enough to get back up in spite of this great fall. This feeling spread to me, and after I returned home, when people would ask me how I had returned – with everyone expecting me to say “depressed” – my answer was, “Greatly strengthened.”

    During the tour, with the emotions of that [fateful] twelfth of December still raw, Jean Marc, who acted as our guide, told us how he survived along with his six- and three-year-old sons:

    “We were at my sister’s house. I had been in other earthquakes, but when I saw that this one kept going, that it didn’t stop and was much more intense, and when I saw the house begin to crack, I ran out with my children and didn’t stop until I reached my house. Along the way, my children and I saw houses falling down, people dying, rocks falling on people and their insides coming out. The most traumatic and moving part of our journey [home] was when my six-year-old son told me, “Daddy, now I know what it means when people say the world is coming to an end.”

    

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 973

• Earthquake Devastation in Hait Earthquake Devastation in Haiti

  • From: CI_Staff
  • Description:
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 988

• Blind Guitarist in Haiti Blind Guitarist in Haiti

  • From: CI_Staff
  • Description:
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 847

• Destroyed Cathedral in Haiti Destroyed Cathedral in Haiti

  • From: CI_Staff
  • Description:
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 1095
  • Not yet rated

• Temporary Facilities for Earth Temporary Facilities for Earthquake Survivors in Haiti

  • From: CI_Staff
  • Description:
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 530

• Rescue Workers Search Through Rescue Workers Search Through Rubble in Haiti

  • From: CI_Staff
  • Description:
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 1007
  • Not yet rated

• Haiti Relief Truck Haiti Relief Truck

  • From: CI_Staff
  • Description:
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 517
  • Not yet rated

• Haitian children Haitian children

  • From: presidentelect
  • Description:

    Well, after a sermon this weekend about suffering, with lots of data from Haiti, I am considering sponsoring another child, this one from Haiti.

     

    I know there is going to be a lot of long term need for assistance in Haiti.

    One of the facts given was that a government official said it would take 1000 trucks 1000 days to remove the rubble. I know those are just loose estimates but 1000 trucks for 3 years is a lot of work just to clear the debris. Think of all the need for food, medical support, education, and etc. over that cleanup period and after.

     

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 1253