Plans to rebuild Holy Trinity in Port-au-Prince
A coordinated plan to rebuild the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti's world-famous Cathédrale Sainte Trinité (Holy Trinity Cathedral) in Port-au-Prince is getting underway.
Haiti Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin has asked Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe Bishop Pierre Whalon to guide what is expected to be a multi-step, multi-year and multi-million-dollar effort.
It is hoped that the cathedral project can be a model of the sort of cooperation that Haiti has said it wants to promote among its partners as the numerically largest diocese of the Episcopal Church develops and implements its plan to rebuild following the devastating magnitude-7 earthquake of Jan. 12.
The first step for those who want to help Haitian Episcopalians, Whalon said in a telephone interview from Paris, is to "adopt a much more Christian-family point of view. It's their house that got torn down. They have to say how they want to rebuild it."
The next step for what is being called the Partners with Haiti project is connecting with people who want to help, Whalon said. He has already appointed a small steering committee to expand upon a desire among members of the American Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Paris and elsewhere to aid in the rebuilding, Whalon said. The bishop, president of the Francophone Network of the Anglican Communion, said that many other French-speaking Episcopalians and Anglicans have already pledged their support.
Once the diocese has envisioned a new cathedral, the next step will be helping the diocese solicit an architect that can turn that vision into an actual building, Whalon said. He suggested that there would be some "non-negotiables" involved in the choice of architects, including experience building churches and earthquake-resistant structures, and being willing to commit to having a long-term physical presence in Haiti, to employing Haitian workers and to teaching local architects about earthquake-resistant design and construction techniques.
But first comes the listening, Whalon said.
"We have to be the friend of the Haitians rather than telling them how it's going to be," he said. "There are a lot of people there now saying 'this is what we're going to do for you' and aren't really asking 'is this what you want us to do for you?'"
"We simply cannot continue to think of Haiti as people who are dependent on outsiders. That's how they were considered to be when they were slaves," he said. "They couldn't think for themselves and if they had any inkling that they could, that was taken care of pretty quickly."
Calling Whalon "the right person to guide this effort," the Rev. Lauren Stanley, an appointed Episcopal Church missionary to Haiti and Duracin's liaison in the U.S., told ENS that "Bishop Duracin has entrusted Bishop Whalon to guide the effort to rebuild the cathedral, in great part because he has promised to listen and that the cathedral will be rebuilt according to what the Haitians want."
Part of that listening, Whalon said, has to do with waiting for Haitian Episcopalians to develop a complete master plan for rebuilding all of their diocese. Duracin has spoken repeatedly about the ongoing work involved in formulating the plan, most recently in a March 5 letter to the church. Whalon predicted that the diocese's eventual plan will dovetail with the Haitian government's rebuilding efforts.
While some people may wonder about the progress being made more than three months after the quake struck, Whalon suggested that "people need to be very patient because you're talking about rebuilding an entire nation from the ground up. Therefore, the things closest to the ground are the things that need to be dealt with now" such as sanitation, hurricane-resistant temporary housing, restoration of the educational system and electrical power generation.
"There's a hierarchy of needs here and the most basic [of them] need to be met first," he said, adding that many people are calling for a rethinking of how those basic services were provided before the earthquake and how changes can be included in the rebuilding.
Whalon said that the project's pledge to listen to and respond to Haitian Episcopalians' desires for rebuilding "is crucial in terms of this project being a model for the reconstruction of the country as well as the diocese."
Holy Trinity was established in Port-au-Prince during Pentecost, May 25, 1863. Its church has since been destroyed six times, often by fire. The cathedral destroyed in the earthquake dated to the 1920s.
World-famous frescoes adorned the walls of that cathedral building. The paintings, completed in 1950-51, portrayed biblical stories in Haitian motifs and were crafted by some of the best-known Haitian painters of the 20th century. Portions of only a few of the frescoes are still standing among the ruins, including the baptism of Christ and, possibly, the Last Supper. Photos of the destruction of the cathedral can be seen here.
The cathedral is still operating on the site, albeit without walls. Whalon preached at Holy Trinity earlier this month, standing in what Duracin is calling the diocese's "open-air cathedral." It consists of some plastic sheeting stretched over a frame of two-by-fours that shelters some pews rescued from the cathedral ruins. A week later Whalon preached the same sermon at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
The bishop told ENS that a fund for Haiti reconstruction, called for at the February meeting of the church's Executive Council, could prove to be an excellent way to coordinate efforts to aid the Diocese of Haiti's rebuilding in general and Holy Trinity in particular.
"My eye is set on that fund as the locus for fundraising so that it all goes to one place and we all know what we have," he said.
As the effort continues to jell, Whalon plans to brief the March 19-24 House of Bishops meeting about the project, and the Very Rev. Zachary Fleetwood, dean of the American Cathedral in Paris, will do the same at the April 15-19 North American Cathedral Deans Association Conference.
Stanley echoed Whalon's larger hopes for the project. "Our hope is that, as we begin to rebuild after we develop our master plan, our partnerships will improve and will become more of a true partnership that will last for decades," she said. "What we want to do is to have each player at the table be a full partner listening to each other, caring for each other and working together hand-in-hand."
"We have a good partnership program; we want to improve it," she added. "We know that many of our partners are frustrated sometimes because of the linguistic challenges and the communications challenges and we are hoping that in strengthening the partnership program we will lessen frustrations on both sides and increase our ability to work together as brothers and sisters in Christ."
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Haiti 28
'Now is our new creation,' Haiti bishop tells Episcopal Church
Episcopal Diocese of Haiti Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin has written to the wider church saying that the magnitude-7 earthquake that struck the country Jan. 12 "was our baptism."
"Now is our new creation," Duracin wrote on March 5.
Duracin also asked for Episcopalians' patience as the diocese develops what he called a master plan to replace the physical structures of the diocese, which was devastated by the earthquake. The goal of that rebuilding will be to "continue to serve Haitian people with the same love, the same care, and the same support that we have always shown," he wrote.
Most of the diocese's churches and schools were destroyed or heavily damaged. The convent of the Sisters of St. Margaret, adjacent to the cathedral, was also destroyed.
The lost schools include the Holy Trinity complex of primary, music and trade schools next to the demolished diocesan cathedral, the university and the seminary, all in Port-au-Prince. A portion of the St. Vincent School for Handicapped Children, also in the Haitian capital, collapsed. Students and possibly staff were killed at some of the schools.
The diocese, known locally as Eglise Episcopale d'Haiti, is caring for about 25,000 to 30,000 Haitians in roughly 60 settlements around the country. The earthquake left an estimated 230,000 people dead and many towns in ruins; countless people have left the capital for the countryside.
The text of Duracin's letter is below and available here.
The earthquake has not destroyed our hope in the future
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
Seven weeks after we were hit by the 7.0 earthquake on the Richter scale, the situation is still very serious in Haiti.
As you know, many people were killed, perhaps as many as 300,000. Thousands and thousands of others have been injured. In the Church, we have lost many people. Millions of Haitians have no place to live; many are sleeping in the streets in tents, and some of them still have not found any shelter at all. All the infrastructure of the country, as well as all the key institutions of the Diocese, have been destroyed, especially in the capital of Port au Prince. The situation is very difficult.
Many of our famous churches are gone, especially Holy Trinity Cathedral, which was not only a place of worship, but a place of culture. The Cathedral was a very important institution for the whole country. Yes, it has been physically destroyed, but our faith is still here and our communities are still alive. The earthquake has not destroyed our hope in the future. Despite the difficulties we face, many of our parishes have grown larger since the earthquake, because more and more people trust our Church and are turning to us for help spiritually, socially and morally.
We are still a strong Church and we will continue to work with you in partnership to be able to build up the Kingdom of God on earth through evangelism, education, health care and our development programs. We will work together to preach a holistic Gospel so that human beings may become more fully human in the face of God.
We will have to rebuild all of our communities. We in the Diocese are working very hard to have a Master Plan to replace the physical structures of the Church, so that we may continue to serve Haitian people with the same love, the same care, and the same support that we have always shown. Our mission will not change. We pray that God will continue to give us strength to do all this work despite so many difficulties. We ask you to please be patient and wait for our guidance as we put together this plan so that we can determine how our resources can be used most effectively. Once we have made our decisions, we will announce the plan. To assist us in using all of our resources in the best possible way, and to provide the best accounting of donations, I ask all of our partners in traditional programs to resume sending donations through the Partnership Program. The fastest and safest way to do this is by wiring the money into the Partnership Program account; the Rev. Kesner Ajax, Partnership Program Coordinator, can provide that information to any who require it.
I am grateful for all of the support and assistance of The Church Center and especially of the Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori. Her visit to us in February, even though it was short, gave us great strength here in Haiti, and I am deeply thankful for our time together. We appreciate very much the willingness of The Church Center to continue to work with us in the Master Plan to rebuild the Diocese.
In addition, I give thanks for the visit of The Rt. Rev. Pierre Whalon, Bishop Suffragan of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, who is visiting right now on the Presiding Bishop’s behalf. I also give thanks to all of the bishops and dioceses of The Episcopal Church for their prayers and support, and for telling our story. Some of them have been directly involved in supporting me and my wife, Edithe, during our difficult time; all of our family is especially thankful for this.
Special thanks must be given to Episcopal Relief and Development; all of us are grateful for its assistance and work in providing us food, shelter, water, medicines and all other forms of support to help us survive these difficult times.
In addition, it was very good to receive The Most Rev. Thabo Cecil Makgoba, Primate of Cape Town, and The Rt. Rev. Laish Boyd, Bishop of Nassau and The Bahamas, who are visiting at this moment. I also give thanks to all other bishops and archbishops of the Anglican Communion who have expressed their support to us.
The earthquake of Jan. 12 was our baptism; now is our new creation. In this new creation, we pray to all work together, and we ask that you give us the time we need, first to care for our people, then to rebuild the Kingdom.
In this Lenten season, the season of repentance, conversion and intense prayers, we ask you to remember our Diocese and all the people of Haiti in this difficult moment. We also ask you to continue to support us by your prayers and your gifts, so that by Eastertide, we will be able to sing together with great joy, "Alleluia! He is Risen!"
I bid you my blessings for this holy season.
Faithfully,
The Rt. Rev. Jean Zaché Duracin
Bishop of Haiti
March 05, 2010
Episcopal Diocese of Haiti Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin has written to the wider church saying that the magnitude-7 earthquake that struck the country Jan. 12 "was our baptism."
"Now is our new creation," Duracin wrote on March 5.
Duracin also asked for Episcopalians' patience as the diocese develops what he called a master plan to replace the physical structures of the diocese, which was devastated by the earthquake. The goal of that rebuilding will be to "continue to serve Haitian people with the same love, the same care, and the same support that we have always shown," he wrote.
Most of the diocese's churches and schools were destroyed or heavily damaged. The convent of the Sisters of St. Margaret, adjacent to the cathedral, was also destroyed.
The lost schools include the Holy Trinity complex of primary, music and trade schools next to the demolished diocesan cathedral, the university and the seminary, all in Port-au-Prince. A portion of the St. Vincent School for Handicapped Children, also in the Haitian capital, collapsed. Students and possibly staff were killed at some of the schools.
The diocese, known locally as Eglise Episcopale d'Haiti, is caring for about 25,000 to 30,000 Haitians in roughly 60 settlements around the country. The earthquake left an estimated 230,000 people dead and many towns in ruins; countless people have left the capital for the countryside.
The text of Duracin's letter is below and available here.
The earthquake has not destroyed our hope in the future
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
Seven weeks after we were hit by the 7.0 earthquake on the Richter scale, the situation is still very serious in Haiti.
As you know, many people were killed, perhaps as many as 300,000. Thousands and thousands of others have been injured. In the Church, we have lost many people. Millions of Haitians have no place to live; many are sleeping in the streets in tents, and some of them still have not found any shelter at all. All the infrastructure of the country, as well as all the key institutions of the Diocese, have been destroyed, especially in the capital of Port au Prince. The situation is very difficult.
Many of our famous churches are gone, especially Holy Trinity Cathedral, which was not only a place of worship, but a place of culture. The Cathedral was a very important institution for the whole country. Yes, it has been physically destroyed, but our faith is still here and our communities are still alive. The earthquake has not destroyed our hope in the future. Despite the difficulties we face, many of our parishes have grown larger since the earthquake, because more and more people trust our Church and are turning to us for help spiritually, socially and morally.
We are still a strong Church and we will continue to work with you in partnership to be able to build up the Kingdom of God on earth through evangelism, education, health care and our development programs. We will work together to preach a holistic Gospel so that human beings may become more fully human in the face of God.
We will have to rebuild all of our communities. We in the Diocese are working very hard to have a Master Plan to replace the physical structures of the Church, so that we may continue to serve Haitian people with the same love, the same care, and the same support that we have always shown. Our mission will not change. We pray that God will continue to give us strength to do all this work despite so many difficulties. We ask you to please be patient and wait for our guidance as we put together this plan so that we can determine how our resources can be used most effectively. Once we have made our decisions, we will announce the plan. To assist us in using all of our resources in the best possible way, and to provide the best accounting of donations, I ask all of our partners in traditional programs to resume sending donations through the Partnership Program. The fastest and safest way to do this is by wiring the money into the Partnership Program account; the Rev. Kesner Ajax, Partnership Program Coordinator, can provide that information to any who require it.
I am grateful for all of the support and assistance of The Church Center and especially of the Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori. Her visit to us in February, even though it was short, gave us great strength here in Haiti, and I am deeply thankful for our time together. We appreciate very much the willingness of The Church Center to continue to work with us in the Master Plan to rebuild the Diocese.
In addition, I give thanks for the visit of The Rt. Rev. Pierre Whalon, Bishop Suffragan of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, who is visiting right now on the Presiding Bishop’s behalf. I also give thanks to all of the bishops and dioceses of The Episcopal Church for their prayers and support, and for telling our story. Some of them have been directly involved in supporting me and my wife, Edithe, during our difficult time; all of our family is especially thankful for this.
Special thanks must be given to Episcopal Relief and Development; all of us are grateful for its assistance and work in providing us food, shelter, water, medicines and all other forms of support to help us survive these difficult times.
In addition, it was very good to receive The Most Rev. Thabo Cecil Makgoba, Primate of Cape Town, and The Rt. Rev. Laish Boyd, Bishop of Nassau and The Bahamas, who are visiting at this moment. I also give thanks to all other bishops and archbishops of the Anglican Communion who have expressed their support to us.
The earthquake of Jan. 12 was our baptism; now is our new creation. In this new creation, we pray to all work together, and we ask that you give us the time we need, first to care for our people, then to rebuild the Kingdom.
In this Lenten season, the season of repentance, conversion and intense prayers, we ask you to remember our Diocese and all the people of Haiti in this difficult moment. We also ask you to continue to support us by your prayers and your gifts, so that by Eastertide, we will be able to sing together with great joy, "Alleluia! He is Risen!"
I bid you my blessings for this holy season.
Faithfully,
The Rt. Rev. Jean Zaché Duracin
Bishop of Haiti
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Haiti 27
The Episcopal Diocese of Haiti: Beginning the Long Journey to Recovery
“The grace of the Haitians I’ve met has been astounding,” said Katie Mears, Episcopal Relief & Development’s Program Director for US Disaster Preparedness and Response. Mears has been working on the ground with partners in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic since the devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake on January 12, 2010.
“You encounter people who don’t even have enough food to take care of their families, and they’re so thankful that you’re trying to help them that they cook a meal in your honor. It’s truly amazing.”
As the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, Haiti was already suffering due to lack of a strong central infrastructure. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori commented on January 13 that “Even under ‘normal’ circumstances, Haiti struggles to care for her 9 million people.”
The magnitude of this was disaster overwhelming. The quake had a crippling effect on both the government and the other agencies that usually spring into action during times of disaster. As a result, the mechanisms usually employed to coordinate large-scale relief efforts in times of emergency were not enacted. Because of the damage, airports and seaports were ill-equipped to handle an influx of international relief workers. Rubble covering the roads meant that the aid organizations able to reach Haiti were unable to easily transport goods inside the country or quickly provide care to those in need.
“Thankfully, our pre-existing partnerships in the area enabled us to react swiftly to this catastrophe,” said Abagail Nelson, Episcopal Relief & Development’s Senior Vice President for Programs. “The Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, which is one of the largest and most socially-engaged dioceses in the Church, has been able to offer refuge and deliver assistance in the absence of other systems for the provision of relief.”
Immediately after the quake, the Diocese of Haiti used support from Episcopal Relief & Development to give assistance to survivors throughout the greater Port-au-Prince and Leogane area, including the provision of food, water and shelter. Since that time, the diocese has expanded its reach and is now serving over 25,000 people at 60 sites throughout the country. Episcopal Relief & Development continues to work with the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti to expand its capacity to serve those in need.
However, as described by the Rt. Rev. Zaché Duracin, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, the stress of the situation is unimaginable: “Dear ones were lost, houses, clothes, possessions, memories – lives are reduced to nothing.” Despite suffering great personal and professional losses in the wake of the disaster, including the destruction of the cathedral, clergy and diocesan staff immediately took up the mantle of caring for those who turned to the Church in this time of need.
Bishop Duracin has remained steadfast in his commitment to the people, refusing to abandon his post even when his wife was evacuated to receive medical care for injuries sustained during the quake. He has continued to work closely with clergy and with staff of the diocese and Episcopal Relief & Development to coordinate relief efforts. He commented, “We are taking care of so many people…we are in very, very serious need.”
Haiti’s Diocesan Development Officer and the diocese’s 28 development agents have been crucial human resources in the face of this tragedy. Prior to the quake, they were participating in an ongoing program run by the diocese in partnership with Episcopal Relief & Development. Established in response to the series of tropical storms that slammed the island in 2008, the program focuses on training in disaster response and community development. This training and the network of relationships created through the program have been invaluable in the wake of this most recent emergency.
“One of the most difficult things about this disaster is the ever-changing landscape of needs left in its wake,” said Nelson. “There are so many challenges to face - transportation and communication issues have greatly complicated relief efforts.”
One of the agents’ most important tasks has been to conduct needs assessments in their respective communities. They are collaborating closely with Bishop Duracin and his emergency committee to communicate their findings and set priorities for ongoing relief and recovery efforts. Bishop Duracin said in a letter to Episcopal Relief & Development President Rob Radtke, “We…have a vision and a plan for this relief and recovery effort. We know the situation on the ground [and] we are directing emergency relief to those who need it most.”
In addition to assessing needs, the development agents are assisting with the distribution of aid and coordinating the disbursement of supply shipments to communities in which they work. They have also delivered emergency water purification systems to 20 sites throughout the country and have trained community members in the systems’ proper use and maintenance.
“Many people don’t realize that there are immense needs not only in Port-au-Prince, which is receiving the majority of the media attention and focus from aid organizations, but also in communities around the country,” said Rob Radtke, President of Episcopal Relief & Development. “Getting food and water to remote areas has been a huge challenge that we’re working to address. We’re deeply concerned that not enough assistance is being provided to those living outside the nation’s capital.”
Reaching these communities continues to be a key priority for Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners. “The creativity and commitment of the Diocese of Haiti in getting supplies to the people that need it has been incredible,” commented Nelson. “In the absence of other reliable methods, donkeys have even been used to transport critical materials to remote areas. The flexibility of our partners in the face of such challenging circumstances has been a critical aspect of our success in dealing with an extremely complex disaster.”
While the rescue phase of disaster response has ended, the relief phase is still well underway. Haiti’s President, Rene Preval, has stated that it will take at least three years to clear the rubble left in the wake of the earthquake. With that in mind, one can only imagine how long it will take for Haiti to fully recover.
However, Episcopal Relief & Development is fully committed to supporting its partners in Haiti throughout this process. While needs are still being identified, initial discussions have indicated that activities in the coming months and years may include the rebuilding of lost houses, the construction of sanitation systems and the rejuvenation of livelihoods .
“During Lent, we are given a unique opportunity to reflect our commitment to self and community,” said Radtke. “The road to Haiti’s recovery will be a long one and we are immensely grateful for the continued support of the Church, which will be invaluable as we work with our partners to help these communities bounce back from this disaster.’’
“The grace of the Haitians I’ve met has been astounding,” said Katie Mears, Episcopal Relief & Development’s Program Director for US Disaster Preparedness and Response. Mears has been working on the ground with partners in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic since the devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake on January 12, 2010.
“You encounter people who don’t even have enough food to take care of their families, and they’re so thankful that you’re trying to help them that they cook a meal in your honor. It’s truly amazing.”
As the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, Haiti was already suffering due to lack of a strong central infrastructure. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori commented on January 13 that “Even under ‘normal’ circumstances, Haiti struggles to care for her 9 million people.”
The magnitude of this was disaster overwhelming. The quake had a crippling effect on both the government and the other agencies that usually spring into action during times of disaster. As a result, the mechanisms usually employed to coordinate large-scale relief efforts in times of emergency were not enacted. Because of the damage, airports and seaports were ill-equipped to handle an influx of international relief workers. Rubble covering the roads meant that the aid organizations able to reach Haiti were unable to easily transport goods inside the country or quickly provide care to those in need.
“Thankfully, our pre-existing partnerships in the area enabled us to react swiftly to this catastrophe,” said Abagail Nelson, Episcopal Relief & Development’s Senior Vice President for Programs. “The Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, which is one of the largest and most socially-engaged dioceses in the Church, has been able to offer refuge and deliver assistance in the absence of other systems for the provision of relief.”
Immediately after the quake, the Diocese of Haiti used support from Episcopal Relief & Development to give assistance to survivors throughout the greater Port-au-Prince and Leogane area, including the provision of food, water and shelter. Since that time, the diocese has expanded its reach and is now serving over 25,000 people at 60 sites throughout the country. Episcopal Relief & Development continues to work with the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti to expand its capacity to serve those in need.
However, as described by the Rt. Rev. Zaché Duracin, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, the stress of the situation is unimaginable: “Dear ones were lost, houses, clothes, possessions, memories – lives are reduced to nothing.” Despite suffering great personal and professional losses in the wake of the disaster, including the destruction of the cathedral, clergy and diocesan staff immediately took up the mantle of caring for those who turned to the Church in this time of need.
Bishop Duracin has remained steadfast in his commitment to the people, refusing to abandon his post even when his wife was evacuated to receive medical care for injuries sustained during the quake. He has continued to work closely with clergy and with staff of the diocese and Episcopal Relief & Development to coordinate relief efforts. He commented, “We are taking care of so many people…we are in very, very serious need.”
Haiti’s Diocesan Development Officer and the diocese’s 28 development agents have been crucial human resources in the face of this tragedy. Prior to the quake, they were participating in an ongoing program run by the diocese in partnership with Episcopal Relief & Development. Established in response to the series of tropical storms that slammed the island in 2008, the program focuses on training in disaster response and community development. This training and the network of relationships created through the program have been invaluable in the wake of this most recent emergency.
“One of the most difficult things about this disaster is the ever-changing landscape of needs left in its wake,” said Nelson. “There are so many challenges to face - transportation and communication issues have greatly complicated relief efforts.”
One of the agents’ most important tasks has been to conduct needs assessments in their respective communities. They are collaborating closely with Bishop Duracin and his emergency committee to communicate their findings and set priorities for ongoing relief and recovery efforts. Bishop Duracin said in a letter to Episcopal Relief & Development President Rob Radtke, “We…have a vision and a plan for this relief and recovery effort. We know the situation on the ground [and] we are directing emergency relief to those who need it most.”
In addition to assessing needs, the development agents are assisting with the distribution of aid and coordinating the disbursement of supply shipments to communities in which they work. They have also delivered emergency water purification systems to 20 sites throughout the country and have trained community members in the systems’ proper use and maintenance.
“Many people don’t realize that there are immense needs not only in Port-au-Prince, which is receiving the majority of the media attention and focus from aid organizations, but also in communities around the country,” said Rob Radtke, President of Episcopal Relief & Development. “Getting food and water to remote areas has been a huge challenge that we’re working to address. We’re deeply concerned that not enough assistance is being provided to those living outside the nation’s capital.”
Reaching these communities continues to be a key priority for Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners. “The creativity and commitment of the Diocese of Haiti in getting supplies to the people that need it has been incredible,” commented Nelson. “In the absence of other reliable methods, donkeys have even been used to transport critical materials to remote areas. The flexibility of our partners in the face of such challenging circumstances has been a critical aspect of our success in dealing with an extremely complex disaster.”
While the rescue phase of disaster response has ended, the relief phase is still well underway. Haiti’s President, Rene Preval, has stated that it will take at least three years to clear the rubble left in the wake of the earthquake. With that in mind, one can only imagine how long it will take for Haiti to fully recover.
However, Episcopal Relief & Development is fully committed to supporting its partners in Haiti throughout this process. While needs are still being identified, initial discussions have indicated that activities in the coming months and years may include the rebuilding of lost houses, the construction of sanitation systems and the rejuvenation of livelihoods .
“During Lent, we are given a unique opportunity to reflect our commitment to self and community,” said Radtke. “The road to Haiti’s recovery will be a long one and we are immensely grateful for the continued support of the Church, which will be invaluable as we work with our partners to help these communities bounce back from this disaster.’’
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