Call for support via donations after Earthquake and Hurricane Grace

Emergency response

As reaction to the earthquake in 2010, which cost more than 300,000 lives, the NGO Hand-in-Hand-mit-Haiti was founded. With the help of numerous donations and partnerships, and the local efforts of countless volunteers from the province of Salzburg, a kindergarten for 120 children had been built and successfully operated free of charge for several years.

Already after a hurricane hit the location in 2017, several parts of the school had to be repaired, back then especially the solar PV system was affected. In addition, donations enabled that further programmes in the areas of forestry, agriculture and livestock farming could be implemented on site, and services such as health check-ups were made available to additional families. Over the years, the kindergarten has developed into a stable pillar for the surrounding communities.

10 years after the big earthquake, now another earthquake occurred with epicenter being near Camp Perrin, not far from the Hand in Hand with Haiti Kindergarten. Unfortunately most the houses in the area were destroyed and the school also suffered some damage. In addition, in the wake of the quake, right at the beginning of the hurricane season, Hurricane Grace occurred, creating additional challenges for local residents – many now being forced to sleep under the open sky.

Action plan

In an internal crisis meeting, based on the assessment of local staff, it was decided that rapid action was essential. The kindergarten is to serve as a distribution centre for essential goods – in rural areas these are only available to a limited extent. Sometimes even the distribution of drinking water from large containers will be life-changing – water has turned into a high priced commodity. Through this appeal, we are calling on companies and private individuals in the province of Salzburg to support our efforts for the communities surrounding the school in Haiti; these donations will reach them 1:1. Due to our status as an association, these donations are tax deductible for companies.