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Earthquake Relief Update #2 - Phase One

Updated: Dec 31, 2021


It's been a month since a 7.2 magnitude earthquake ravaged the south of Haiti, and based on what our team is observing in Haiti, the situation is still overwhelmingly dismal. In coordination with OneDiaspora/Haitian Diaspora Emergency Response Unit (HDERU), GCF completed its 3rd week of relief effort and we are stretching our resources to the max. As of September 17th, through the medical relief efforts, we've cared for 3,073 victims in 16 distinct locations. We distributed water, food and hygiene products to over 500 families. We've decided to increase our target to distribute food-water-hygienic kits to 1,000 families from our original target of 500. The need is enormous! Trust that your financial and in-kind contributions have already touched thousands of lives. None of what we do is possible without your trust and your support.


Medical Relief


We continued with our medical relief efforts and have been going to locations recommended by the Minister of Health and Population (MSPP). In GCF's response plan, we estimated that we will care for 2,000 victims. As of September 17, 2021, in collaboration with local Doctors and Nurses from Klinik Fonfred, FHHH and HANA-I, we have cared for 3,105 victims. We are seeing many cases of skin infections due to the worsened living conditions. We are also seeing many cases of the chronic conditions that are rampant in Haiti: unmanaged Hypertension and Diabetes, vaginitis and gastritis. The need for medical care has magnified and many of those we cared for, especially the children, are in need of psychological assistance. GCF is exploring the possibility of integrating 1-2 Psychologists at Klinik Fonfred for the next few months to help provide a space for some victims to receive group counseling on site, and for a minimum period of 3 months.


Food, Water, Hygiene Kits Distribution

We have distributed food, water, hygiene kits to about 500 families so far. Our approach is simple:

  1. Department de la Protection Civile Sud (DPC-Sud) shares with GCF the communities to be prioritized. We insist on getting our priorities from DPC as they know the communities that have not yet received any humanitarian relief.

  2. Our team visits those communities to assess the need and identify the victimized families.

  3. During that assessment, we deliver a 5-gallon water for each family

  4. In areas near Les Cayes, we also give the head of each family a coupon to redeem their kit at a local distributor's store. For the more remote areas, our team personally delivers the food kits. As much as possible, to protect our team and to ensure the real victims receive our relief, we avoid large crowd distributions.

We also decided to distribute food, water and hygiene kits to several communities that we felt are in real need of relief. From passed lessons learned, we've implemented the coupon system as a way to keep our distributions safe and orderly. Each family received rice, corn grown locally, beans, salmon, spaghetti, oil to cook a meal for about 2 weeks. So far every community we've served, we were the first ones there. The need is so great that we have decided to double the number of food and hygiene kits. We will be preparing 500 more kits for distribution next week. That will be our last round of distribution as we will be transitioning into the second phase of our response by next week which will focus more on the rehabilitation. We have estimated $200,000 for phase 2 of our response.




Challenges

  • Donated supplies from Boynton Beach and Broward have cleared customs. They will be delivered to our site when it is safe to travel to Les Cayes. Thanks to your timely contributions, we were able to purchase medication, food, water and hygiene products in Haiti.

  • Shipping bottlenecks and bureaucracy are causing major delays in receiving supplies from the Diaspora - to date, we had to utilize Klinik Fonfred's reserve medical supplies and purchase medications in Les Cayes to keep the medical relief going.

  • Traveling to the south is still considered unsafe due the social and political unrest

  • The need is overwhelming. In order to maximize the impact of our resources, our team on the ground has to be disciplined and innovative.

Money Update - Thank you to all our supporters!

To date, we have raised $181,005. We are only $68,995 away from reaching our fund raising goal of $250,000 for phases one and two of our relief. THANK YOU!

Food, water, and hygiene products were all purchased locally. The kits that we distributed were assembled in Les Cayes.

  • More kits are being prepared by our volunteers for next week's distribution.

  • Some of the tents we purchased from the US will be delivered early next week.

  • An additional 300 tents are in transit and have not yet cleared customs

  • GCF is a 501c3 organization. Completed 990 form for 2019 can be found at www.gaskov.org


How can you help?

Please help us meet our $250,000 fund raising goal for phases 1 and 2 of our response. Share this link with all your friends and family www.gaskov.org/gofundgcf


Follow us and share our posts:

Instagram: @gaskovclergefoundation

Email us: info@gaskov.org

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With our deepest gratitude,

GCF - Team 2021 Earthquake


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GCF Update #1 - Phase One

Updated: Dec 25, 2021

In our update last week, we shared that we will be having a 3 phased approach to the disastrous earthquake that hit our home region on August 14th, 2021. We wanted to offer a quick update on what we've been doing to serve some of the impacted communities. Read the summary of our 3 phased response.


Mobile Clinics


GCF's Klinik Fonfred, together with local Doctors and Nurses sponsored by NJ4Haiti, Foundation for Hope and Health for Haiti, and Haitian Alliance Nurses Association International (HANA-I), led multiple mobile clinics to care for over 760 victims in Maniche, Kaskad Dubreuil, Church of Latter-Day Saints, and Landes des Gabions soccer field. We anticipate the need for basic care will increase during the next few months. Sixteen out of 42 public health facilities collapsed during the earthquake leaving many with no access to health care. Our goal is to provide assistance to 2,000 victims during phase one of our response.



Water Distribution

GCF distributed water to about 50 families in Maniche. We prepared food kits to provide relief for 500 families in impacted areas that have not yet received any help. Our team will work with local authorities to identify those areas and will plan to focus more on food and water distribution during the week of September 6th. Currently, over 30+ local volunteers from multiple local organizations, separated into 3 rotating teams of 10 members, are serving the impacted communities along with GCF and Klinik Fonfred. GCF plans to continue to serve the remote areas to provide temporary shelter relief when the tents and tarps arrive safely from PAP.

Bread Donation from Bainet, Haiti

The people of Bainet, through Help Bainet Foundation, drove to Les Cayes to deliver bread for over 1,000 victims and avocados for 200. That gesture epitomizes the essence of the Haitian people's spirit. They partnered with GCF to distribute bread to victims in various locations in Les Cayes. On behalf of all those who received bread, we say THANK YOU to the people of Bainet.

Challenges

This is by far the most complicated mission we've had in our entire 22 years of existence. The volatile environment in Haiti is dramatically impacting our ability to respond to the needs of those we can serve. We are still waiting for the tents and tarps we purchased to be delivered. The insecurity is slowing down the delivery of items purchased from PAP or those donated and shipped to Haiti. In addition, because we work mostly in remote areas, we are dealing with rough terrains that present a challenge to vehicles we are using for transportation. Here are some of the challenges we've had to work around:

  • Transportation to remote locations - We need 2 more heavy duty trucks

  • Volatile conditions from PAP are slowing down delivery of shelter materials and medical supplies

  • Shelter products are hard to find even when purchased from local vendors

  • We are purchasing medication locally, which is very expensive

  • Insecurity makes it very difficult to implement and execute any plan - we have to remain flexible and fluid


Money Update - Thank you to all our supporters!

We are humbled by the trust the communities we serve invested in us. We are equally humbled by the outpouring support we've received from so many individual donors and organizations. We are committed to openly share how your contributions are helping the victims in the South of Haiti. Our sincere thanks for your generosity and sympathy!

  • Food, water, and hygiene products were all purchased locally. The kits have been prepared and are ready for distribution to areas in need. Shelter items are delayed, but still in transit.

  • GCF is a 501c3 organization. Completed 990 form for 2019 can be found at www.gaskov.org

  • A complete list of supporters can be found at: www.gaskov.org/gofundgcf


How can you help?


We shipped multiple trucks of donated medical supplies and temporary shelter that are still en route. We still need additional funds to continue with the execution of our response plan. Please support at: www.gaskov.org/gofundgcf


Thank you to our Collaborators!



Follow us

Instagram: @gaskovclergefoundation

Email us: info@gaskov.org

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With our deepest gratitude,

GCF - Team 2021 Earthquake


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GCF Update - Earthquake Response Plan

Thank you so much for your support and your compassion towards the victims of the last earthquake that devastated the South of Haiti. We've formulated a response plan for this disaster that will vary based on our fundraising results and priorities.


On The Ground

On Saturday, August 14, 2021, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti’s southern peninsula affecting the South, Grand-Anse and Nippes Departments. The following Monday, Tropical Depression Grace dumped 2 inches of rain per hour, with 35 mph winds on the shelterless victims. As of 8/21/21, the reported death toll stands at 2,207. Additional reports include 12,268 injuries, 344 missing persons, 55,953 destroyed homes, 77,006 damaged homes and 650,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance. The disaster struck as Haiti was already reeling from a COVID-19 pandemic and a sociopolitical crisis, creating an even more volatile environment for the people of Haiti


Who is GCF?

Since its founding in 1999, the Gaskov Clerge Foundation (GCF) has taken a holistic approach to community empowerment. We provide young students who cannot afford an education with scholarships for a brighter future as well as an avenue for many to engage in competitive sports. In collaboration with MSPP and several partners, we built Klinik Fonfred in 2015, and have hired local medical professionals, giving them an opportunity to provide continuity of care to their community. Klinik Fonfred contributes to the local economy by creating 22 jobs and subsidizing the purchase of all medication from local vendors. Learn more about who we are here.

GCF is not a humanitarian relief organization. We are a community based, grass-root organization focusing on providing education and continuity of care to under-served communities. When the immediate disaster crisis subsides, and all of the aid agencies have moved on to another crisis, GCF will continue to support its constituents and communities—many of which we have been supporting for over 22 years. Since 2010, GCF has been called upon by the communities we serve, to contribute to disaster relief responses. We were there in 2010 to care for thousands of earthquake victims. The late Mayor of Les Cayes called us to serve the community after Hurricane Matthew devastated the area in 2016 and now, the community is trusting GCF to help bring relief directly to some of the victims of the earthquake in 2021.


Results

The day after the earthquake, GCF had a small in-country team to assess the impact of the earthquake in Les Cayes and surrounding areas. The team assessed urgent needs in Les Cayes, Maniche, and Camp-Perin., Marceline, Ducis and Kaskad Dubreuil As a part of our assessment, we met with the Regional Director of MSPP who requested that we provide medical care to the communities of Camp-Perin, Saint Louis du Sud and Maniche for 3 months.


Funding permitting, we will focus on reconstruction and plan to identify 25-35 families needing assistance to help rebuild their homes that are paraseismic and can withstand 120 mile per hour hurricane winds


Based on our assessment, we know the following:


  • In Les Cayes, it is reported that 3,145 homes have been destroyed. The victims have set up makeshift tents in several locations, one of which we visited in Landes Des Gabions with about 100 families living under tarps. The families living under these harsh conditions voiced their desire to go back to their own homes to live as normal families. They also expressed the immediate need for additional tents and clean water.

  • We visited the town of Maniche, ~⅔ of the town is destroyed including the main health center. When surveyed, Maniche’s residents expressed the need for food, not water.

  • We had similar requests in the town of Marceline near Camp Perin.

  • Camp Perin’s hospital was filled with pediatric patients being seen by a mission of medical doctors from the Nord-Est (Fort-Liberte & Nord-Est). The staff at the hospital expressed their need for an operating room.



We also assessed the damages in the Fonfred area where the clinic is located and found the following:


  • While Fonfred does not seem to be as affected as other areas, all of Klinik Fonfred’s staff living in Fonfred have either lost their homes or endured some damages to their homes.

  • Three of our staff at Klinik Fonfred lost their homes. One of our nurse’s house completely collapsed. She was pulled out of the rubbles alive and suffered neck injuries. The remaining 19 staff members’ homes were also damaged.

  • Klinik Fonfred lost one side of its perimeter wall. The building weathered the earthquake with only minor damages. The staff kitchen and the security building will need to be re-built.

  • We have 12,000 patients in the immediately affected area. Since the earthquake, the number of patients has gone down to about ~200 patients a week, vs ~300.



What we Are Doing

A small GCF team flew to Haiti 5 days after the earthquake to join the local team to continue to assess the situation and finalize our response to the disaster plan. Our response will ensure there is collaboration with other local entities, including the Haitian Diaspora Emergency Response Unit (HDERU), Departement de la Protection Civile (DPC), the Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population (MSPP). Based on funding levels, we will execute our response in 3 phases. Our plan may also change to adapt to changing priorities.


Phase 1 - Mobile Clinics & Distribution - 2 weeks (08/25 - 09/01) ($60,000)

  1. Conduct mobile clinics in identified impacted areas where victims have not been seen by a doctor or a medical team. Coordinate these mobile clinics in identified impacted areas that have not been visited by a doctor or a medical team for two weeks. Each mobile clinic will consist of a self-sustained team of 2 local Doctors and 6 Nurses. The team will carry all the medications and supplies they anticipate will be needed for the clinic. They will see patients free of charge. We are targeting care for 2,000+ patients and victims of the earthquake.

  2. Work with local authorities and help victims in Land des Gabions return to their home sites and provide them immediate relief such as a tent, a food card, 5 gallons of potable water, and a hygiene kit. We will also provide relief to other communities outside of Les Cayes. Our goal is to provide assistance to 500 families.


Phase 2 - Damage Repair & Medical Clinic(s) - 3 months (September-November) - ($200,000)

  1. Repair damages at Klinik Fonfred - rebuild the security wall and repair building damages.

  2. Out of 42 dispensaries, 16 are completely destroyed. The regional MSPP Director requested GCF’s help to provide health care for 3 communities in Camp-Perin, Maniche and St. Louis. GCF evaluated this request. Based on the organizations’ resources, we will build a team for 1-2 temporary center(s) and will decide on which one by September 1st.

Dispensaire de Maniche


Phase 3 - Rebuild - ($500,000+)

1. Based on the amount of funds raised, GCF will target 25- 35 families to help rebuild their homes. Families will be selected from 2-3 of the rural communities we serve in the South.


Home in Kaskad Dubreuil


Transparent Reporting

GCF is committed to transparent and accountable use of the funds that are generously entrusted to us. As of 8/28/2021, GCF has raised $141,779 of which 100% of the proceeds will be spent on relief efforts in Haiti.


  • GCF completed 990 form for 2019 can be found at www.gaskov.org

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