Donate to Haiti: An Activist In Cap Haitien suggests Giving to These Organizations
by Nadine Mondestin
Millions of Haitians have been affected directly or indirectly by the hearthquake - and organizations like Direct Relief International, Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, that are experts at disaster relief and recovery need your support.
But please don't forget smaller Haitian organizations who's leadership often has a finer understanding of the medium- to longer-term needs of the community. They can work closely with the Haitian government to try to ensure those needs are met.
The following groups have mostly Haitian leadership and staff, and work on a range of issues: economic development, arts and culture, social justice organizing, women's rights, etc.
So it’s important to support these Haitian organizations. For example, it takes a lot of commitment and devotion to get a contemporary arts center up, running and creating community. To let all that work go to waste would be criminal and contrary to social development.
Consider setting aside a portion of whatever you have for smaller organizations that have less of a spotlight - and thus, receive a disproportionately small share of the resources.
If you or someone you know is organizing a fundraising event, please consider setting aside a portion of the proceeds for organizations like the following:
Dwa Fanm
Dwa Fanm (meaning "Women's Rights" in Creole) started as a volunteer-run community-based organization in 1999 when a group of eight Haitian and American women from diverse backgrounds met to discuss the state of women's rights in Haitian immigrant communities in the United States and in Haiti.
http://www.dwafanm.org
Fokal
This group aims to promote the structures necessary to establish a just and durable democratic society, based on individual and collective autonomy and responsibility, as well as supporting the autonomy of individuals, critical spirit, clear judgment, sense of responsibility, initiative, creativity and free cooperation through education, training and communication.
Fokal also seeks to reinforce the organizational processes which promote within groups the power of discrimination, the acquiring, sharing and comparing of knowledge and know-how necessary for an active participation in the democratic administration of public affairs and the flourishing of social, cultural and community life.
http://www.fokal-usa.org/
http://www.fokal.org/
Fonkoze
Haiti’s Alternative Bank for the Organized Poor, Fonkoze is the largest micro-finance institution offering a full range of financial services to the rural-based poor in Haiti.
http://www.fonkoze.org
Haiti Soleil / Bibliotheque du Soleil
Haiti Soleil is a nonprofit corporation based in Berkeley, California. Haiti Soleil is founded on the belief that to bring about social change in Haiti, the country needs to empower young people by giving them access to safe nurturing spaces, and providing them with opportunities for intellectual exchange and creative expression.
http://www.haitisoleil.org
Fondation AfricAmerica
Fondation AfricAmerica is a creative arts center connecting creators of African descent in Africa, the Caribbean and North America.
http://www.africamerica.org
Cine Institute of Jacmel
Jacmel is the southern town my paternal grandfather's from and has also been very badly hit by the earthquake. The Cine Institute, and its International Film Festival are some of the most exciting developments in Haiti's cultural scene in years.
Ciné Institute provides Haitian youth with film education and edutainment, technical training, and media related micro enterprise opportunities. We integrate educational film screenings into classrooms of public schools, train aspiring filmmakers in all aspects of production, and develop and produce films of all kinds in partnership with our students and graduates.
http://www.cineinstitute.com
Lambi Fund of Haiti
The Lambi Fund's mission is to assist the popular, democratic movement in Haiti. Its goal is to help strengthen civil society as a necessary foundation of democracy and development.
http://www.lambifund.org
Veterimed
Veterimed's award-winning animal husbandry projects have set new standards for development work in Haiti, most successful of which is Let Agogo product, which markets Haitian dairy at a scale heretofore impossible for small-scale producers to reach.
http://www.veterimed.org.ht
Also, considering that we are expecting high levels of outmigration from the capital to surrounding towns and other major cities like Cap-Haitien (where I live), I would be remiss not to mention the three organizations I work with here in Northern Haiti: AIDG, Konbit Sante, and SOIL.
AIDG
The Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group (AIDG) helps individuals and communities get affordable and environmentally sound access to electricity, sanitation and clean water. Through a combination of business incubation, education, and outreach, we help people get technology that will better their health and improve their lives.
http://www.aidg.org
Konbit Sante
Started in 2000, Konbit Sante Cap-Haitien Health Partnership is a Maine-based volunteer partnership to save lives and improve health care in northern Haiti. Rather than developing a second, parallel health system, Konbit Sante works with the Haitian Ministry of Health and with Haitian colleagues to build capacity within the public system for Haitians to care for Haitians.
http://www.healthyhaiti.org
SOIL
Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods (SOIL) is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting soil resources, empowering communities and transforming wastes into resources in Haiti.
Nadine Mondestin is a translator / interpreter by day (Haitian Creole, English and French; and a community / arts organizer by night. Follow her passion for the dance, theatre and music of Haiti and the African diaspora @zekle or www.zekle-arts.com
photo UNICEF under a creative commons license
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