Haiti: One Year Later

Today is the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake that changed my native Haiti forever. Even though life in Haiti will never be the same, I would like to take a moment to talk about some good news I received from Karen Ashmore, executive director of the Lambi Fund of Haiti, and organization whose goal is to assist “community-based organizations that promote the social and economic empowerment of the Haitian people.”

Immediately following the earthquake, the Lambi Fund sprang into action to provide immediate and effective relief to needy families. The Fund distributed emergency grants to 44 grassroots organizations to purchase life essentials like food, water, shelter, and medical supplies. A total of 8,000 – 9,000 people received emergency relief, representing 1,080 families with an average of eight people per family.

It is truly heartwarming to have learned how quickly the Lambi Fund staffers came to the aid of the Haitian people.

Here is what two individuals had to say about the Lambi Fund:

Mr. Josephat, a member of a community organization in the Artibonite, recalled:

“I had 21 people, strangers staying with me and my family. We did not think twice about welcoming them, but we had not yet figured out how they would be cared for or how they would be fed.

“When we heard about Lambi Fund’s program to help impacted families, I was so happy that I cried. I cried because I was touched and shocked that people who had been at the center of this disaster had the time to think about us.

“I was so proud to be a member of a strong organization, and I really deeply understood why being organized is the path to a better life. We would have been left to our own devices without Lambi Fund’s support.

“The government never came and the NGOs which did drop by brought free food supplies and their methods of distribution stripped us of our dignity.”

A beneficiary of the Fund’s assistance said:

“My name is Ostazia. My husband and I have 10 children and we live in the North West. After the January 12, 2010 earthquake which destroyed Port-au-Prince, our household increased by 10 more people. This was extremely problematic as we did not have the means to care for them. It is thanks to my organization and the Lambi Fund that we got the relief we so desperately needed. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, THANK YOU!”

The above news made my day. I am very thankful for such a great organization as the Lambi Fund. I will continue to donate money to the Fund, because I know that the money is being put to good use.

For an extensive breakdown of Lambi Fund’s earthquake relief, please read the Earthquake Activities Update on their website.