Just because it’s Saturday doesn’t mean we stop our efforts to raise funds for the work in Haiti! We’ve had some significant progress in raising awareness and raising funds for the Haitian relief efforts (see yesterday’s blog about our mention in the Globe and Mail and by UBC Alumni Affairs), but like the aid agencies who are still removing debris and rubble in hope of finding survivors, we need to keep moving.
Today, there was a report that 24-year old Wismond Exantus was found by rescue workers under the remains of the Napoli Inn Hotel. Mr. Exantus, now in stable condition, was found 11 days after the Haitian earthquake and hours after the Haitian government declared that they would be ending the search effort for survivors.
While there has been debate about whether the search should continue, there is certainly no doubt that there is more work to be done. An estimated 1.5 million people are homeless and the city of Port-au-Prince has suffered a huge loss in infrastructure. While some camps have been set up to house the homeless, we should not forget those who lived outside the city itself, and for whom aid has been slow in coming, if at all. BBC News reports that in the town of Jacmel, an estimated one-third of the town is in ruins, and many survivors are not able to get the medical aid that they need.
Even if the search has ended, we need to continue raising funds to support the medical and health teams that are dealing with the aftermath, and to help re-build the local infrastructure. This weekend, send an email, Tweet or Facebook message to your friends, let them know about Toronto Works For Haiti, and ask them whether they can volunteer their services or if they can use the services of a volunteer and help donate to the cause.
Toronto Works For Haiti's Blog