Showing posts with label haiti. Show all posts
Showing posts with label haiti. Show all posts

Magnitude 7.2 earthquake hits crisis-plagued Haiti

Monday, August 16, 2021

World Concern Staff are Safe as Agency Prepares to Respond

August 14, 2021 (PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti) – Saturday, August 14, at approximately 8:26am EST a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti 8 km (5 miles) from the town of Petit Trou de Nippes, about 150 km west of the capital city of Port-au-Prince.

Initial reports indicate the potential for high casualties and widespread disaster. It is expected that the aftershocks will cause more damage than the original earthquake event. Response efforts could be further complicated by Tropical Storm Grace, which is expected to reach Haiti on Monday or Tuesday, bringing heavy rain.

The epicenter of the earthquake was in one of World Concern’s current areas of operation, and there are widespread impacts on all of World Concern’s project areas. Hospitals are overwhelmed with injuries. World Concern is closely monitoring the situation and preparing to respond.

Graphic courtesy U.S. Gov/earthquake

All World Concern staff are safe and accounted for as of 10:00am EST. One staff member reports her home was damaged and she has left with her children. Another reported he obtained minor scrapes in his home during the earthquake.

“I am very saddened to hear of the latest disaster to hit the country of Haiti, a country reeling from so much pain,” said World Concern President, Nick Archer. “We are thankful that our staff are safe, and we ask our supporters to pray for those affected at this time.”

For more information on World Concern, or to donate, visit www.worldconcern.org

World Concern is a Christian global relief and development organization headquartered in Shoreline, Washington. At World Concern, the solutions we offer, the work we do, creates lasting, sustainable change. Lasting change that provides lasting hope. Our areas of expertise include disaster response, clean water, education, food security, child protection, microfinance and health.



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“It was a nightmare…” World Concern remembers Haiti earthquake devastation at 10th Anniversary

Sunday, January 19, 2020

World Concern staff assess damage - January 2010
Photo courtesy World Concern


“I heard a noise like a storm,” recalls Efanor Nore, World Concern Haiti Country Representative, of the moment when the magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck his home nation, on January 12, 2010. 

He was driving through Haiti’s capital city Port-au-Prince when the road buckled in front of him and another car smashed into the broken concrete. Buildings collapsed before his eyes, and people ran into the streets, screaming for help.

“It was a nightmare,” said Nore, as he recounts the day no Haitian will ever forget.

Sunday, January 12, 2020, marked the 10-year anniversary of the devastating quake that hit Port-au-Prince at 4:53pm local time. The disaster caused an estimated 300,000 deaths, displaced more than a million people, and damaged nearly half of all structures in the epicentral area.

World Concern, based in Shoreline, launched a massive response that assisted tens of thousands of people who were affected by the disaster.

Initial aid focused on meeting immediate needs for shelter, water, medical care, and income. In the months that followed, World Concern provided transitional shelters to families who lost their homes, and cash grants to families and business owners to restart businesses that were lost, among other activities.

Since 2010, World Concern has implemented multiple disaster risk reduction projects aimed at equipping families and communities to be better prepared and more resilient in the face of recurring disasters, particularly weather-related disasters, with a goal of bringing national disaster plans that are in place down to the household level, where training and equipping are needed most.

“Community members have to own the process,” explains World Concern Deputy Director of Disaster Response, Maggie Konstanski. “At World Concern, we don’t see disaster as a one-time event, but always aim to leave a community more resilient and protected than before.”
“When communities are truly equipped with early warning systems, trained on how to use them, and they’re owned at the community level, and an effective, safe plan is in place, it does save lives,” says Konstanski. “The community wants to protect and save themselves. We’re giving them the knowledge and tools to protect themselves.”

Despite efforts by the Haitian community, aid organizations, and the government, the unique and extensive challenges in Haiti have prolonged and even crippled rebuilding efforts. Nore believes only about 3% of buildings in Port-au-Prince have been rebuilt in 10 years. And an estimated 38,000 people still live in tents and makeshift camps that were set up after the quake.

Corruption, gang violence, political crisis, and drugs have left the city in a state of ruin Nore feels is even worse than 2010.

Is there hope for Haiti? Nore believes so.

“Haiti is really resilient. Even at this time of political crisis … Haitians still have hope,” he said. 
“They think a new day will come where people around the world will use the example of what Haiti has faced over the past 100 years of suffering to learn … The time of Haiti will come,” he said. 
“We continue to be an example—positively. We face more than any civilization has faced in the past. We hope to use our past experience to move forward.”

More information on World Concern, or to donate, HERE 

World Concern, headquartered in Shoreline, is a Christian global relief and development organization. With our supporters, our faith compels us to extend life-saving help and opportunity to people facing the most profound human challenges of extreme poverty. At World Concern, the solutions we offer, the work we do, creates lasting, sustainable change. Lasting change that provides lasting hope.Our areas of expertise include disaster response, clean water, education, food security, child protection, microfinance and health.



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World Concern aids Hurricane Matthew survivors in Haiti

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Haiti in the wake of Hurricane Matthew
Photo courtesy World Concern

As the death toll soared past 1,000 in Haiti in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, Shoreline-based World Concern has reached survivors in the south and southwest regions of the impoverished island nation with urgently needed supplies.

Several days after the storm, hundreds of people in the hard hit community of St. Jean de Sud received food and emergency supplies from World Concern and their Integral Alliance partners. And in the coming days, much needed household water filters – which will aid in preventing the spread of cholera and water-borne diseases – were distributed to families in Les Cayes. Additional families are receiving shelter materials and supplies – but thousands more are in need.

World Concern Disaster Response Director Chris Sheach, who is on the ground in Haiti, says entire communities are devastated and the needs are overwhelming.

World Concern is now focusing on reaching thousands whose homes were lost or damaged, providing a two-week supply of emergency food, shelter materials, and access to clean water through household water filters. The increased threat of cholera and other water-borne diseases is high, so providing access to safe drinking water is a top priority.

The full extent of the damage from Matthew is yet to be known, but the UN is calling Hurricane Matthew’s devastation in Haiti the worst humanitarian crisis the country has seen since the 2010 earthquake, with an estimated 750,000 people in need of aid.

Anyone wishing to help can provide a family with an emergency survival kit for $48 by donating online.

World Concern is a Christian global relief and development organization. Areas of expertise include disaster response, clean water, education, food security, child protection, microfinance and health. For more information.



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Sky event: Grow Haiti on Saturday

Thursday, June 11, 2015


Saturday, June 13th 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Grow Haiti Washington State Kickoff! Loghouse Plants

Join Myrtle Von Damitz of Log House Plants and Stephen Reichard of the Lambi Fund of Haiti on Saturday, June 13th for the Washington State Kickoff of the Grow Haiti collection.
These Northwest-proven varieties of okra, amaranth, tea hibiscus, even peanuts, will bring the flavors of the Caribbean to your garden!

A portion of the sales of this collection benefit the Lambi Fund, supporting sustainable agriculture, development, and reforestation initiatives in Haiti, run by Haitians, since 1994.

Come to the Meet and Greet from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm for Creole and Caribbean recipes, growing tips, and to learn more about Haiti and the Lambi Fund's successes.

Sky Nursery 18528 Aurora Ave N. Shoreline WA 98133 206-546-4851 



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Third trip to Haiti for Shoreline firefighter

Monday, December 12, 2011

Eric Adman, right, with students from EMT class in Haiti
Photo courtesy Eric Adman

Shoreline Firefighter and new Northshore Fire Commissioner Eric Adman has taken three trips to Haiti since their devastating earthquake, to teach emergency medical response classes

By Eric Adman

In October, I returned from my third trip to Haiti this year. If you had asked me if I ever thought I would go to Haiti once, let alone three times, I would have said no way. This year I went in January to do relief work in a clinic (see story), in August to help teach Port-Au-Prince Medic One class #1, and in September to attend the graduation of those new EMT's.

The class was a total success, despite all the usual obstacles of Haiti, which included heat, humidity, chickens and goats underfoot, and tropical storms blowing in to our open-air outdoor classroom. Not to mention we taught in English, which is not their first language. We finished up with some incredible Mass Casualty (MCI) training drills, and a graduation ceremony which featured many of the well-connected in Haiti, as well as lots of friends and family. Following up on the class, we are coordinating with various entities in Haiti to help develop a better EMS system, and plan to offer at least two more EMT classes there next year.

I stayed at the EMPACT Haiti house as usual. That house is great - not necessarily four star comfort, but you really get to live with the local people there. To get there, you ride up the "road", as steep and bad as any jeep trail, while riding in the back of a Toyota pickup ("tap-tap") on a hard wooden bench seat. Everyone waves and says hello as you pass through the neighborhood! Every other person seems to be related to Hubermann, one of our translators and EMT graduates. You also get three meals a day of Haitian food courtesy of "Madame", who cooks for us. Spaghetti with sauteed onions ("ZOH-YOH") and salami, plus mayo, ketchup, and hot sauce, is a typical breakfast!

Unusual for my trips, I actually had time to do some sightseeing during my third stay. We got out of town a couple of times - once to a resort north of Port-Au-Prince on the coast, and once to a town to the south called Jacmel. Jacmel is considered a center of art in Haiti, and has beautiful old buildings reminiscent of the French Quarter in New Orleans. While in Jacmel we also got to swim in a series of pools fed by waterfalls up in the nearby mountains - beautiful, and not what you expect. Haiti is still not most people's first choice for tourism, but they are making efforts and there are some nice places.

Back in Port-Au-Prince, I spent a day with a Haitian friend of mine, Windy. Windy has started a school in a slum area that he grew up in, Cite Soleil. I got smuggled into Cite Soleil in the most beat-up tap-tap I'd ever been in, to see the school. I felt like a celebrity. The children sang me a welcome song and everyone was excited to meet me. The school is a little oasis, in the poorest, most bombed-out looking area, with garbage and puddles of unknown green water around. Little kids who saw me pointed and yelled "Blan! Blan!" (white person), which made me laugh.

Windy and his brother are doing a very professional, organized job. They have started a school where there was none. They are teaching 50 first-graders, paying a director, two teachers, a cook, feeding the kids, paying rent on the church - for under $5000 for a year. This is funded by contributions from the US - here is where you can learn more about it and donate

Later that day, Windy and I struggled through Haitian traffic and visited an orphanage started by a friend of his, Pastor Sila Caduc. Pastor Sila is another example of the unbelievable selflessness you find so often in Haiti. The pastor and his wife have dedicated their life to taking care of 60 children, ranging in age from 1 to 17. While the kids live in a building, he and his wife stay in a tent. They, too exist on a shoestring budget & can use any help we can send.

People ask me each time if things are changing in Haiti. That is a hard question to answer, but I can say that each time I go I meet more people who are working on good things. I guess I would have to say things are slowly getting better, but there is a very long way to go.

I also have to admit what a tremendous sense of relief and enjoyment I feel every time I come back to the good old clean and organized USA. Comfy beds, nice hot showers, clean water from the tap. No pervasive smell of sewage, burning garbage, smog, etc. Driving on roads without massive potholes everywhere. Despite what you may hear on the news, it is pretty darn good here.

Check out Eric's photo galleries from his trips:



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Shoreline paramedic to return to Haiti

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Eric Adman in Haiti.
Photo courtesy EMPACT NW
Eric Adman, Shoreline Fire Paramedic, will make his second trip to Haiti August 9 as a Medic with the volunteer group EMPACT Northwest.

Eric spent two weeks in Haiti in January of this year with the EMPACT group, providing medical care to Haitians left without services when the earthquake crumbled Port-au-Prince, their major city. (See previous story).

Currently, EMPACT is establishing a pilot project in Haiti to train a crew of Haitian people to become EMT’s and staff the system, alongside EMPACT volunteers. 

The first training class started on July 13 and will run until September 20. 

Adman will be there from August 9-18, teaching a one-week segment of an approximately two month long course.

Eric says, "I like the grassroots nature of EMPACT's work, and working directly with the people in Haiti. 
On my previous trip, I had a chance to work and live with the young Haitian people who will be the core of the EMS service we are helping to set up in Port-Au-Prince. I was very impressed at their composure, dedication, and motivation. 
I am an experienced EMT instructor, so when I heard about the opportunity to help teach EMT's in Haiti and work with this group of people again, I knew I had to do it."

EMPACT, a local non-profit started by a Gig Harbor paramedic, has been sending medical teams to Haiti since the earthquake. You can get more information or contribute to EMPACT at their website.  One of the contributions they seek are air miles from Alaska Airlines.



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World Concern holds prayer vigil for one year anniversary of Haiti earthquake

Friday, January 14, 2011

Photo by Carson Jones, Northshore Baptist Church

Shoreline-based international humanitarian organization World Concern held a candlelight vigil on the Fisher Pavillion rooftop at Seattle Center in Seattle on Wednesday, January 12, to commemorate the first anniversary of the Haiti earthquake.

The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that rocked Haiti on January 12, 2010 will be remembered as one of the worst disasters in recent history.

230,000 lives were lost and 3 million people affected by the earthquake.


World Concern President David Eller on the right
Photo by Carson Jones, Northshore Baptist Church

“We cannot forget that more than a million people are still living in tents in and around Port-au-Prince, and the people of Haiti are still suffering,” said World Concern President David Eller. “On this anniversary, it is our prayer that people will remember the devastation and be moved to join the effort to rebuild Haiti. More than anything, Haitians need hope. That’s what we can offer – hope and the chance to start over.”

Complicating the situation in Haiti, a cholera outbreak that began in October has sickened more than 150,000 people and killed nearly 3,500. Post-election violence in December also hindered the relief efforts.

Photo by Carson Jones, Northshore Baptist Church

World Concern has been aiding earthquake and cholera victims with emergency supplies, and rebuilding homes, constructing transitional shelters and offering income opportunities during the past 12 months. With 30 years of experience in Haiti, World Concern is on the front lines of the humanitarian response.



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Haiti, one year after the earthquake - Shoreline-based World Concern is there to help

The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010 caused widespread damage in Port-au-Prince.

Shoreline-based humanitarian organization World Concern has been working in Haiti for 30 years, so when the earthquake one year ago devastated the island nation, World Concern was already on the scene and moved quickly into action.

World Concern Haiti staff members distributed emergency supplies to 100,000 people immediately after the earthquake in January 2010.
In spite of the cholera epidemic, political rioting, and continuing problems, or perhaps because of those problems, World Concern celebrates its successes.


Widzer Stevern lost his daughter in the earthquake. He and his surviving family members received a house from World Concern, which Widzer has improved with a porch, bathroom and dining room. He used income earned through World Concern’s Cash for Work program to help pay for the improvements.

See the excellent World Concern report: Haiti:One Year Later

World Concern, part of CRISTA Ministries, is a Christian humanitarian organization that helps lift people out of poverty through activities including microfinance, agriculture, disaster response and small business development. World Concern works with the poor in 22 countries, with the goal of transforming the lives of those we touch, leading them on a path to self-sustainability. Worldwide, World Concern offers life, opportunity and hope to nearly six million people.

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Shoreline firefighter to volunteer in Haiti - how you can help

Shoreline Fire Department firefighter/paramedic Eric Adman will travel to Port Au Prince, Haiti on January 26 for 7-10 days on a volunteer medical mission with EMPACT/Disaster Response Northwest.

He has raised $600 of the $1200 mission cost and welcomes public donations to help with the expense of the trip. 

If you are able to contribute, go to the DRNW website and send a contribution via PayPal, or send a check to  EMPACT Northwest, PO Box 2037, Kingston WA 98346,  Make sure that Eric Adman's name is on the check or listed with the PayPal donation.

Eric looks forward to helping the citizens of Haiti and has much-needed medical skills and experience.

For more information, or to send Eric your good wishes, contact him via email at Shoreline Fire.

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World Concern efforts in Haiti focus on rehabilitation

Friday, June 25, 2010


from World Concern staff

As the six-month anniversary of the catastrophic earthquake that shook Haiti approaches next month, Shoreline-based World Concern welcomed Haiti Country Director Christon Domond to its headquarters on June 21 and 22. Domond was here to coordinate with staff in planning ongoing disaster response efforts in the Port-au-Prince area where World Concern works.

Photo: ChristonDomond: World Concern Haiti Country Director Christon Domond meets with staff members at the organization’s Seattle headquarters to plan the next steps in helping people in Haiti rebuild their lives.

Domond has served as a leader for World Concern in Haiti for more than 20 years and was working in Port-au-Prince when the earthquake hit on Jan. 12. Staff there was able to provide immediate response to the disaster with medical supplies, food and water that was stored in World Concern’s warehouse. Now, the organization is employing local workers to repair houses so families have permanent shelter and are off the streets. More than 400 homes have been repaired. They’re also providing cash grants to business owners to rebuild their businesses and begin earning income again.

Despite the overwhelming need—Domond estimates 400,000 people are still displaced and without a home—aid in Haiti is making a difference. “We have moved from emergency to recovery to rehabilitation. We are now in this phase,” said Domond. Projects during the first year after the quake will aim to help children return to school and rebuild or relocate churches, since churches serve as “a reference point in a community for services and a place of socialization,” he said. Churches are either being repaired, or if the damage is too severe, given a temporary facility in which to meet. World Concern has repaired 38 churches so far.

As World Concern begins work in new neighborhoods, they meet with community leaders to determine the greatest needs, then employs local engineers in each community to oversee the repair work. They are currently repairing approximately 80 homes per week. Families are selected to have their homes fixed based on need he explained. “When we arrive in a community, the only thing we decide is to serve the poorest—whatever religion or culture—only the poorest,” he said.

Restoring livelihoods for Haitians is also a priority for World Concern, as getting people back to work will allow them to feed and provide for their families. Domond said many families have been helped through the 450 grants that have been given out so far to replace business equipment damaged in the quake.

Port-au-Prince remains in crisis as tens of thousands of people are still living in camps around the capital city. “We are now in the rainy season and some of these camps are a mess. Some are trying to find a relative’s house where they can live,” he said. “Now it’s time for them to go to a relative’s house.” Many would rather remain in the camps because they receive food and medical care—things that could be scarce or non-existent outside the city.

Domond and his staff are grateful for the financial support they’ve received through donations, but he urged those here in the U.S. to “continue to pray … Haiti will be in crisis for the next 20 to 25 years,” he said. “There is a lot to do.”
Nevertheless, Domond is not overwhelmed by the amount of work that’s ahead in Haiti. “This is the reality. Now there is a challenge,” he said in his strong Creole accent.

The World Concern staff in Haiti works many long hours—understandable, considering the situation before them. But Domond says he doesn’t keep track or pay much attention to that. “I like what I’m doing, providing services to those in need,” he said. “I’m very happy to work with them and serve them.” He will, however, be able to take a much-needed week-long vacation while in the U.S.

For more information on World Concern’s work in Haiti and around the world, visit the website

Photos:  Haitians employed by World Concern help repair houses so families can get off the streets and back into permanent shelter. The work enables laborers to earn money to support their own families.

World Concern, part of CRISTA Ministries, is a Christian humanitarian organization that helps lift people out of poverty through activities including microfinance, agriculture, disaster response and small business development. World Concern works with the poor in 24 countries, with the goal of transforming the lives of those we touch, leading them on a path to self-sustainability. Worldwide, World Concern offers life, opportunity and hope to more than six million people.


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Haiti fundraiser by Ballinger Action Teens

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

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Shoes for Haiti earthquake victims

Friday, April 2, 2010

By Cheri Brennan, NWMLS


Nearly 6,000 pairs of shoes are en route to Haiti’s earthquake victims, thanks to donations from members of Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

During the month-long drive, real estate brokers, agents and their clients were asked to donate any type of new or gently worn shoes, including casual, dress and athletic shoes, plus flip flops, sandals and protective footwear.

The 20 pallets containing the boxes of shoes are being transported to the Project Haiti program of Soles4Souls, a Nashville-based charity that helps organize shoe drives. The charity distributes shoes free of charge to people in need regardless of race, religion, class or any other criteria. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away more than seven million pairs of shoes to disaster victims and others in need in 125 countries.

The 7.0 magnitude quake that struck on January 12 claimed 200,000 lives, left 1.5 million residents of Haiti homeless and resulted in 3 million people needing emergency aid.

Approximately 24,000 real estate brokers and agents are part of Northwest Multiple Listing Service. The MLS, based in Kirkland, encompasses 21 counties in Western and Central Washington.

Photo "Jessie with shoes" courtesy NWMLS

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Concert and art show to benefit Haiti's earthquake relief

Thursday, February 18, 2010

In response to the more than 200,000 dead, and more than 2 million homeless after the earthquake in Haiti, Shoreline Community College will host a fundraising concert and art show to help Haitian survivors. The All-Arts Soirée will be held at the Campus Theatre on Friday, February 26, from 12:30–9:30 pm. $10 suggested donation.

College and community bands, and visual artists will be performing and selling their work for donations to help Partner in Health and another organization we will be choosing in the next week.

Schedule of performances for Friday afternoon:

12:30-1:10 - Y.E.S. feat. Jody Rackz & Joey McDaniel & Hip hop 206 dance crews
1:20 - 2:00 - D K Mars
2:00 - 2:30 - Tay Music feat. Art of movement crew Cha Cha
2:30 - 4:30 - Shoreline talent show (contact us if interested in participating)
4:30 - 5:20 - Poetry slam and theatre time
5:30 - 6:30 - SCC Jazz Combo (directed by Steve Kim)
6:30 - 7:30 - SCC Jazz Band (directed by Doug Reid)
7:30 - 8:30 - Elliot Bay Music Group
8:30 - 9:30 - FunknGroove (directed by Bruce Spitz)

Throughout the event the Shoreline art clubs will be selling art work at the Theatre Lobby, there will also be games, and speakers from different organizations working in Haiti.

For more info check out the blog.

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