By: Patrick Young
With over 200,000 dead and a collapsed city, Haiti is desperate for help. The pervasive poverty Haitians have been living with for years is now past the breaking point. With few doctors or hospitals already, it is a crushing blow.
I’ve worked in Haiti for 8 years, and know well the political landscape there. Any money the government receives will be mostly stolen, aid supplies will certainly find their way to the black market to enrich the already wealthy.
That leaves the popular aid foundations,-Haiti has many. However, virtually all have paid staff in the U.S. and Haiti, many take a piece of the money for advertising, etc. The Red Cross, for example, pays their chairperson $200,000 and has a large bureaucracy requiring substantial funds. This is not to disparage any group, just to point out salient facts.
I’m sending my money to a woman named Rea Dol, who runs a school with 492 children. She is a truly remarkable woman. Teachers receive an average of 80 to 120 dollars a month, – half the children go for free because they cannot meet even the minuscule tuition. All are taken care of with great love and dedication.
I’ve known Rea for 6 years and stayed with her family last year. She is now sheltering 60 people in her home. They are in desperate need of basic supplies. Money sent to her will be used 100% to help others in need.
I trust her implicitly and hope you can too. To send your donation, simply address it to the Wheelchair Project 5205 E. Washington Ave Fresno 93727. I’m also available for calls or questions at (559) 251-3814.
Patrick Young is the coordinator of the Wheelchair Project and has sent enormous amounts of material aid to Haiti, Central America and Mexico.
