Dame Marie, Haiti struggles on...

I am the volunteer Director of a small school, Solidarite Dame-Marienne Ecole Communautaire in Dame Marie, Haiti and have lived there for 2  1/2 years. The charity that I am involved in  is Solidarity Dame Marie, a 501c3 non-profit that has been providing the children of Dame Marie with education for the last 12 year. I also spend time in my home town of Port Coquitlam, BC Canada fundraising.  The charity is very dear to my heart as my sister-in-law is married to the man that was the founding member of it and is from from the town.




 Dame Marie, Haiti was devastated by the  category 4 hurricane on October 4th, 2016. Miles of beachfront homes have been washed away. The National Highway is weeks away from been impasable in Dame Marie. Meaning towns to the south of it will be cut off from all supplies and help. 

I left Dame Marie in mid November and returned for a short visit last week to supervise the rebuilding of our school, arrange a Christmas party for the school's students and make plans with a Canadian donor thatwill be contributing a large amount to build a new school next year.

We walked the streets of Dame Marie extensively and to be honest it would take a large militery team at least a year to even begin to clean up all the fallen trees, debris and repair the roads. It truly looks like bombs were dropped on certain areas, espcially aling the coast.  

It's beyond overwhemling! 

Mission Aviation Airlines (MAF) flew into Dame Marie airstrip several times a week for several weeks after the hurricane  delivering aid to the people on the airstrip and surrounding area. They evacuated me out of Dame Marie 2 days before the storm but I returned 2 later to witness the destruction firsthand. 
http://www.cbc.ca/news/escaping-from-hurricane-matthew-1.3788605

So far the funds have been used for:
Tin to replace or repair homes
Fishing twine to repair fishing nets so the  fishermen can get back to fishing for conch and start earning a living again.

 Chainsaw  (gas) to cut up trees that are blocking roads and residents property
Extended program to feed children from Solidarity Dame Marian 1 meal a day for a month

Christmas Party for over 150 school children and adults. Each person recieved a christmas stocking with a solar flashlight and many other goodies!

Solidarity has also arranged for quick growing seeds to be delivered to the farming community. 

https://web.facebook.com/mosolavi/videos/10153810582631109/

Some of you may worry that if you donate it won’t end up helping people in need. I guarantee all funds will go to the people of Dame Marie and no money will be used for administrative costs. or operating costs. That is the way we have always operated our charity and will continue to do so.

The people of Dame Marie  were already a disadvavntged population,  they are depending on the rest of the world for help and your prayers! Please give generously!

They have a long difficult road ahead, the Hurricane may be over but it's damage will have adverse effect on 1.6 million for years to come!

Thank you all for your support!

http://www.solidaritydm.org
http://www.solidaritydm.org/school-sponsorship.html