Everyone wants to help Haiti in its desperate time of need. But how do you know that the money you donate actually helps put food in someone’s mouth or provides medical care?
Many people naturally prefer to donate to large well-known relief agencies such as the Red Cross or UNICEF because they have a track record of responding to large crises, such as the Haiti earthquake. Yet, the very nature of the earthquake devastation in Port au Prince often can put the big players at a disadvantage.
Don’t be afraid to donate to a smaller non-government organization such as the One5 Foundation. We have a great deal of experience in Haiti already.
The big organizations such as the Red Cross and UNICEF rely on a massive infrastructure to get the supplies they need. They traditionally ship goods in big containers. However, the port facilities in Port au Prince were destroyed in the earthquake, so unloading supplies is a big problem. Similarly, they transport the goods in large trucks, which have been impeded by the destruction that has made many of the roads and streets impassible.
In contrast, the One5 Foundation uses a Toyota pickup truck to get around. We are able to drive to the Dominican Republic to obtain supplies and make a haul on the same day. We had food and water in the hands of people the day after the earthquake, when the big organizations couldn’t deliver it within a week.
We can promise you that your donation will have the effect that you intend.
When large quasi-political groups interact, the established bureaucracies run up against each other to the detriment of the people who desperately need aid. We’ve seen it over and over again in Haiti already. While, of course they mean well, the administrators on the ground are often young and inexperienced. They spend too much time “coordinating,” and that’s the problem. In the time they are talking you could get food and water to some people anyway. They need a “disaster czar” to tell everyone what they are expected to do.
Meanwhile, One5 Foundation volunteers will continue to drive that little pickup truck and get things done for as many people as we can. Your donation will indeed have an impact.
