Sponsor Me: Help Haiti Build Back Better
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The opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream doesn't come knocking every day.
For me though, it did recently come knocking- or ringing, rather, in the form of a phone call from J/P Haitian Relief Organization http://jphro.org, inviting me to take on the volunteer role of Specialist in Urban Agriculture and Community Gardening in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This country- its culture, its history, its struggles and its potential future- has held my fascination since I was twelve!
I will be working full time with Haitian counterparts on the creation of community gardens in the Delmas 52 neighborhood- a section of the capitol city that was devastated by the 2010 earthquakes. High food costs in the city contribute to poverty and poor nutrition, which this project aims to improve, in addition to providing valuable training, and generating income for participants. After having spent time in West Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer doing similar work, I am all too familiar with the possible challenges and pitfalls... the long days, hard work and frustrations that may arise. But more than that, I remember the overwhelming rewards, friendships, and potential successes that make it such a great adventure.
The organization, J/P HRO is amazing. They provide services to displaced earthquake victims, including medical treatment, education, and demolition, reconstruction and relocation services. J/P HRO set up and began work immediately after the earthquakes, and have never left the relocation camps and surrounding neighborhoods- as a result they respond effectively to the needs on the ground. Of the 300 employees of J/P HRO, 95% are Haitians- meaning this NGO is of the people, entrenched in and dedicated to the communities it serves.
Unfortunately, as amazing as this opportunity is, volunteering abroad is not free. While I have been saving and planning for this dream to come true for awhile, a large portion of those savings will be spent on moving expenses and the cost of travel. Which is where you lovely people come in. $10 per day for a minimum of 6 months would enable me to live and volunteer in Haiti. Your small donation will help me with living expenses while I work full time, and then some, towards bringing a meaningful and lasting impact to the Haitian people.
For me though, it did recently come knocking- or ringing, rather, in the form of a phone call from J/P Haitian Relief Organization http://jphro.org, inviting me to take on the volunteer role of Specialist in Urban Agriculture and Community Gardening in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This country- its culture, its history, its struggles and its potential future- has held my fascination since I was twelve!
I will be working full time with Haitian counterparts on the creation of community gardens in the Delmas 52 neighborhood- a section of the capitol city that was devastated by the 2010 earthquakes. High food costs in the city contribute to poverty and poor nutrition, which this project aims to improve, in addition to providing valuable training, and generating income for participants. After having spent time in West Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer doing similar work, I am all too familiar with the possible challenges and pitfalls... the long days, hard work and frustrations that may arise. But more than that, I remember the overwhelming rewards, friendships, and potential successes that make it such a great adventure.
The organization, J/P HRO is amazing. They provide services to displaced earthquake victims, including medical treatment, education, and demolition, reconstruction and relocation services. J/P HRO set up and began work immediately after the earthquakes, and have never left the relocation camps and surrounding neighborhoods- as a result they respond effectively to the needs on the ground. Of the 300 employees of J/P HRO, 95% are Haitians- meaning this NGO is of the people, entrenched in and dedicated to the communities it serves.
Unfortunately, as amazing as this opportunity is, volunteering abroad is not free. While I have been saving and planning for this dream to come true for awhile, a large portion of those savings will be spent on moving expenses and the cost of travel. Which is where you lovely people come in. $10 per day for a minimum of 6 months would enable me to live and volunteer in Haiti. Your small donation will help me with living expenses while I work full time, and then some, towards bringing a meaningful and lasting impact to the Haitian people.
Organizer
Steph Rayburn
Organizer
Reno, NV
