Haiti Volunteer Effort

star gazer

A large part of the physical infrstructure of Haiti has been damaged or destroyed. The social damage has been extreme with severe loss of life and injury to people as well as the survivors living without many of the basics of human existance while still in shock. It is a moment for the nations of the world to unify in response to the natural disaster's crushing blow. The human dignity of burying the dead is so harrowingly absent on the streets of Port-au-Prince from media reports.

The immediate need is to search for survivors and treat the injured while providing basic food, water, shelter/safety and sanitation for those currently without them. There is a need to develop a temporary infrastructure to land and distribute aid and to find a way to coordinate the expertise and equipment needed to get Haiti to work on saving its people and its society. In the more medium term it needs the permanent infrastructure to provide for transport, health, energy, education, communications, housing etc. Is it possible Ireland, in the aftermath of a construction boom, still has the spare capacity to make a difference in that?

It is worth noting that natural disasters can and do happen around the world and having a relief effort capability and sense of duty to help is important, for one day such pain could be inflicted closer to home in any nation. It is to be hoped that the pledges of help for Haiti are honoured.

The weakness in many of the structures of Haiti contributed to the destruction that took place in the country. Helping less well off nations to develop better infrastructure in a prevention better than cure way is worth considering.

The Rapid Response Corps of volunteers is designed to respond in the acute phase of such disasters as this along with professionals in NGOs and State agencies and experienced volunteers on the ground. People with specific skills that could be used in this acute phase should make contact with Irish Aid Concern Goal haven It is unlikely that without highly relevant skills, volunteering for the first time now would get you straight out to Haiti in the middle of this trauma for a nation but this isn't going to be a short term event. The rebuilding of a nation will take time and great effort long after the acute phase is over.

There may be greater opportunities to volunteer in Haiti as the scale of the rebuilding needed becomes more apparent and organisations get more organised.
volunteering options
finding an opportunity
Irish Aid register to volunteer
Haven have recently begun develpment operations in the country.
If you have something to add, please do.

star gazer

It really is terribly frustrating to see the desperation of Haitians who simply haven't been able to access basic necessities while so many have died around them. The loss of so much key infrastructure is making the situation very difficult. One of the biggest needs being mentioned is for medical personnel. Some more organisations either working on the ground in Haiti or with links to organisations working on the ground that could need skilled volunteers:
UNICEF United Nations Children Fund
Trocaire (bottom left corner for details)
Red Cross
Medicins Sans Frontiers They are having website problems

We are sorry, our website is currently unavailable.
To submit an volunteer application or find out further information about recruitment opportunities, please email recruitment.dublin@dublin.msf.org.

The Real B-man

Can i add to This Star Gazer by adding Malteser International the International Relief Corps For the Order Of Malta Worldwide who currently have Teams in Haiti and need your Support you can make Donations on the Site

Thank You.

dceire

I know this probably the wrong place to be posting this but I couldn't find anywhere else relevant.

Is anyone aware of any charities accepting clothes for the Haiti earthquake relief? I understand that clothes are one of the items desperately needed over there and I have plenty of them to offer.

Thanks

star gazer

The search and rescue part of the crisis in Haiti is coming to an end and the focus is shifting to meeting the basic needs of a population struggling to survive amidst such destruction. Another plane load of emergency supplies and volunteers including medical personnel have gone on a journey to Haiti from Goal. They have received the use of an Aer Lingus plane and fuel while Dublin airport charges were waived and the flight crew volunteered their services. The individual response from Irish people has been commendable and the Irish government have been responding in a positive way.

Some minds are turning to the reconstruction effort that lies ahead after people's basic needs have been temporarily secured. It would be significant if corporate leaders like CRH and ESB international could be a core to the volunteer spirit to help Haitians to rebuild their country adding the strengths they can bring to the situation.

Instead of Haiti waiting for the next wave of disaster it could rebuild in a way that it can much better withstand potential damaging events in the future. This is very much the beginning of the Haiti Earthquake recovery and just because the spotlight moves onto other things doesn't mean that the first one hundred days will not seal the long term implications of the reconstruction effort. RTE Six One (media player) did doing a special on the reality that Haiti has, is and will be going through. TV3 has also had coverage.
Volunteers of the Rapid Response Corps are being put to work there and many others have been and hopefully will be making a difference. Can we help them reimagine their country as Bill Clinton described?

star gazer

How you can help A website set up to give options on who is trying to make a difference in Haiti. A lot of organisations will probably be more interested in building up local capacity but there are some taking on volunteers.
It's near the hundred days now and the response of funding from the international community has brought hope. Irish Times