Help the victims of art school-Haiti Earthquake

Hello

I am an Australian artist trying to help my friend by setting up this page. His home city just experienced a terrible earthquake that has disrupted fresh water supplies, shelter, access to education and medical services.

He is Mario Pierre Louis who lives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He also has an Instagram page @atis198 showing images of art for sale and the current state of peoples lives in Port-au-Prince after the earthquake.

His family, friends, student's families and art school need money to help access fresh water, shelter, medical services and education.

Your money will be helping Mario with supporting these needs. After an earthquake it is essential to provide help immediately (to avoid further distress) so any donation is valuable and will be greatly appreciated by the people Mario provides cares for.

• Mario's statement:

My name is Mario Pierre-Louis. I am an artist and teacher from Haiti. I live and work in Port-au-Prince, which is the capital of Haiti. I make sculptures in metal and wood, and I also make paintings. I have been working as a teacher since 2011, working with children aged five to 15 in the community of Grand Rue in Port-au-Prince. In the classes we arrange, the kids make paintings. We arrange for the kids to sell their art, so that their parents can pay for school, food, and much needed healthcare. Currently, the classes take place in a small backyard without a roof, and we are lacking both materials and space to help these kids develop as artists and help their families. Poverty and crime rates are high across the capital, and the resources we need are very hard to come by from within the community. With your help we can acquire a space which is safe, and has shelter, electricity and water, a place where the children of Grand Rue can grow and develop.