Update #18 —- A Timely Message to Friends and Donors of Fonkoze Regarding the Earthquake

Tues., Jan. 26, 2010 – 10:00 PM (EST)

 

On a conference call earlier today, Anne Hastings reported the following:

• Anne, as CEO of Fonkoze Financial Services, is the contact for the international community, and Carine Roenen is the main contact within Haiti.
• Fonkoze needs more gourdes (they have adequate US dollars), but the Central Bank was expected to solve this problem earlier today.
• Fonkoze’s Central Office is functioning in some borrowed space.
• Negotiations are in progress for permanent new space for Fonkoze’s Central office.
• Locating, communicating, and scheduling Fonkoze employees is a challenge because so many of them are difficult to contact as they are living on the streets.
• A financial assistance program is being worked out for clients who lost their homes and for those who need to rehabilitate their homes.
• Fonkoze is in need of people or a team that can enter damaged structures that reclaim equipment, records, etc.  She asked for help in identifying potential sources.
• There is widespread fear that Port au Prince may receive another earthquake, so owners of many buildings (including those of our present Central Office) are hesitating to rebuild.
• Microfinance business continues as usual, including new loans being issued.
• Five branches are gone and beyond repair, but some branches are open outdoors. (See the photographs below).
• The first priority for Fonkoze is to get their whole network up and running.
• The second priority is to address the needs of Fonkoze clients

 

Contributions are needed to fund Fonkoze’s Relief and Rehabilitation effort that will:

• help our staff members return to work so that they can stabilize their own lives and continue to serve our borrowers
• open an emergency operations center to re-establish banking for the poor and transfer remittances to clients and numerous non-profit agencies serving Haiti
• acquire equipment and facilities to replace what was destroyed
• provide financial resources to ensure that new loans are available for women who have lost their businesses and need to re-establish them
• assist clients who lost their homes with house building and repair financing

Donate online at this link using Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

Make checks payable to FONKOZE USA and mail contributions to:

FONKOZE USA
50 F Street, NW
Suite 810
Washington, DC 20001

Fonkoze continues to need your prayers and financial support!

Sincerely,

John Mercier
President
Fonkoze USA

 

Update #17 -- An Urgent Message to Friends and Donors of Fonkoze Re: the Earthquake

Mon., Jan. 25, 2010 – 4:00 PM

 

There is an amazing success story to be told of how Fonkoze with the tremendous assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations, the U.S. Department of State, U.S Department of Treasury, The Inter American Development Bank, Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank, the U.S. Department of Defense, and many others were able to convey to Fonkoze branches some $2 million that were safely in the hands of the 34 functioning branches throughout Haiti in the hours between 2 AM and 2 PM on Saturday. This cash delivery enabled disbursement of remittance transfers and depositors’ savings, which was essential to helping people start to rebuild.  We ae now pitching this story to major media outlets, as a case study in success in the recovery effort.  Stay tuned for more details!

We have just received some excellent news regarding Fonkoze branches:

• Kabare Branch is open
• Fondwa Branch is scheduled to open today
• Jakmel Branch will open tomorrow, and
• Twen Branch is scheduled to open on Wednesday

However, Bizoton and Leogane Branches, and two satellite offices are not yet open.

The latest information forwarded to us by USAID and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) paint the following grim picture, as of 24 January:

• Death toll estimated at 112,250 and 194,000 injured (according to the Government of Haiti, or GoH)
• The number of people needing shelter ranges from 800,000 to one million (GoH)
• More than 235,000 people left Port au Prince courtesy of free transportation from GoH, and relocated to the following Departments:

• Artibonite     62,573
• North        13,500
• North West    31,250
• North East      7,700
• Center        14,680
• Grand Anse     30,000
• South        22,425
• Nippes        30,000
• West        22,800

You may view a map of the migration out of Port au Prince at this link.

The best news, however, is that Fonkoze, in spite of the odds, with a strengthened management team, has once again risen to the challenge. That doesn’t mean that all current problems have been solved, but in a carefully planned manner they are addressing the challenges in priority order. There is a ways to go, and with your prayers and financial support, we expect to be even more effective in serving the poor of Haiti and continue to accompany women and families out of poverty.

Contributions to Fonkoze’s Relief and Rehabilitation Fund will be used to:

• Help our staff members return to work so that they can stabilize their own lives and continue to serve our borrowers
• Open an emergency operations center to re-establish banking for the poor and transfer remittances to  clients and numerous non-profit agencies serving Haiti
• Acquire equipment and facilities to replace what was destroyed
• Provide financial resources to ensure that new loans are available for women who have lost their businesses and need to re-establish them, and
• Assist clients who lost their homes with house building and repair financing

Donate online at this link using Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

Make checks payable to FONKOZE USA and mail contributions to:

FONKOZE USA
50 F Street, NW
Suite 810
Washington, DC 20001

Fonkoze continues to need your prayers and financial support!

Sincerely,

John Mercier
President
Fonkoze USA

Update #16 -- An Urgent Message to Friends and Donors of Fonkoze Re: the Earthquake

Sun., Jan. 24, 2010 – 4:45 PM

In case you missed yesterday’s update, Anne Hastings reported that the 34 Fonkoze branches not shut down by the earthquake and located in every corner of the country now have enough cash to satisfy transfer and remittance needs without problems. This incredible story is something we hope that the mainstream media will pick up, and we hope to be pitching it soon.  It deals with unprecedented cooperation from civilian government, the military, and civil society including Fonkoze – towards the end of ensuring that rural Haitians have access to their own resources so they could begin the process of rebuilding their country.  More to come!

This was great news as most of the questions we have been receiving have been about getting money to family, friends, and churches and organizations hard at work in Haiti.

Today, we would like to share on-the-ground accounts of two members of our Fonkoze Family.

We reported in update #1 that Leigh Carter, Executive Director of Fonkoze USA, was working at Fonkoze’s Central Office when the earthquake struck on January12th, and subsequently we updated everyone about her spine injury and evacuation to a Santo Domingo hospital, and then about her eventual return to Washington, DC near midnight on Friday, January 15. Leigh has written a fascinating essay on her harrowing experience, which may be accessed on the Fonkoze web site at this link.

The second account is from Steve Werlin, who has been on loan to Fonkoze for several years from his faculty position at Shimer College in Chicago. Steve as been a very important part of the Fonkoze team in Haiti, especially in the development of the education program.  Recently, he took on the challenge of turning the operations of the Marigo Branch around. He has written periodic essays on his observations and experiences as he assisted Fonkoze. His most recent report deals with the challenges of a Fonkoze Branch operating after the earthquake.  It may be viewed at this link.

You may also be interested in the almost daily updated fact sheet that is posted on the web site of USAID, which may be accessed at this link.

Just a reminder:
If you have already contributed to Fonkoze’s Relief and Rehabilitation Fund, thank you so much on behalf of those who will benefit. If not, please contribute what you can. It will be used to:

• Help our staff members return to work so that they can stabilize their own lives and continue to serve our borrowers
• Open an emergency operations center to re-establish banking for the poor and transfer remittances to  clients and numerous non-profit agencies serving Haiti
• Acquire equipment and facilities to replace what was destroyed
• Provide financial resources to ensure that new loans are available for women who have lost their businesses and need to re-establish them, and
• Assist clients who lost their homes with house building and repair financing.

Donate online at this link using Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

Make checks payable to FONKOZE USA and mail contributions to:
FONKOZE USA
50 F Street, NW
Suite 810
Washington, DC 20001

Fonkoze continues to need your prayers and financial support!

Sincerely,

John Mercier
President
Fonkoze USA

Update #15 -- An Urgent Message to Friends and Donors of Fonkoze Re: the Earthquake

Sat., Jan. 23, 2010 – 5:00 PM

Anne Hastings has informed us that as of a couple of hours ago the 34 Fonkoze branches not shut down by the earthquake and located in every corner of the country now have enough cash to satisfy transfer and remittance needs without problems. We are indebted to many individuals and government agencies that helped make this happen.  We look forward to telling the thrilling and improbable tale of how this “cash crunch” was solved in the days ahead – keep checking this website for updates.

While the availability of cash for our clients is of utmost importance, and it is encouraging that this was solved, the sad news is that more than 111,000 people died in the earthquake, according to figures released by the U.N. In addition, several news sources are reporting that after 11 days since the earthquake struck that the rescue phase is now transitioning into the recovery mode – despite the fact that people were still being pulled out of the rubble alive during the last 24 hours.

In addition to the five deaths of Fonkoze staff members and destruction to our Central Office and branches close to Port au Prince, we have received some reports from some of Fonkoze USA’s Development Partners.

What is a Fonkoze USA “development partner"?  Beyond supporting Fonkoze’s operations in Haiti, Fonkoze USA also provides financial support to Haitian civil society organizations working towards our vision of a prosperous and democratic Haiti.. Haitian organizations that can demonstrate to Fonkoze USA that their mission is in accordance with Fonkoze USA’s core principles, and that they are fiscally responsible, can qualify for this program. The program allows these partners to receive grants from Fonkoze USA, and provides a vehicle for their supporters in the US to make tax-deductible donations.

 

We have received reports from three of our Development Partners: (1) Peasants Association of Fondwa (also known as APF), (2) Le Foyer des Filles de Dieu, an orphanage for 70 girls,
and (3) Matthew 25 House (formerly Visitation House).

(1) This update from Fr. Joseph Philippe, the founder of APF:

"“Almost everything in Fondwa has collapsed. We have lost about 25 people in Fondwa… Everything in Fondwa has gone. The infrastructure that we have built in 22 years: the Orphanage, the School, the APF Center, the Clinic, the Radio Station (Radyo Zetwal ) the Sisters’ Convent, the buildings of the University of Fondwa (7 of them). Everything has gone.”

Further details are available at: www.fondwa.org/rtfblog.  Clearly, there is a major rehabilitation job ahead for APF.

(2). From: Kyn Tolson, Haitian Ministries, Diocese of Norwich, CT: “Catholic Relief Services (CRS) who arrived on Thursday at Paula Thybulle's orphanage in Port-au-Prince to assess what emergency aid is needed for the girls there.

"About 70 girls live at the orphanage, Le Foyer des Filles de Dieu. Since Tuesday's earthquake, which damaged the dormitories, the girls--ages 3 to 18--have been confined to the small courtyard there. Their supply of food and water started to run low on Monday, according to an earlier report from Paula."

In their visit to the site on Thursday, CRS also assessed Paula’s community clinic and small hospital (adjacent to the orphanage) for possible use by medical teams. The small complex is known as Notre Dames de Lourdes and is located at Delmas #19.”

(3) Matthew 25 House (formerly Visitation House):Please note that this is the most recent information we have, as of last Monday, from Amber Munger in PaP:

“I am at the Matthew 25 house in Delmas 33.  Here we have set up a triage hospital with more than 1,300 refugees on a soccer field.  The people at Matthew 25 have been traveling all over the city trying to figure out what clinics and hospitals are operational, what services they can provide and what the needs are.

 Here at Matthew 25, we have been doing amputations, and other painful surgeries, with no painkillers, no anesthesia, nothing to work with.  There are no tools for our doctors. We have numerous Haitian doctors and nurses here but no supplies!  We have run out of antibiotics twice but then found them by searching at nearby clinics run by missions and NGOs.”

 

For contributors, there is good news from President Obama, who signed the bill into law yesterday, and the U.S. Congress. Donors will be allowed to deduct contributions to Haiti relief on either their 2009 or 2010 tax returns. So, if you need a deduction on your 2009 return, you will need to do it soon.

I am collecting information on fund raising projects or events that are being planned around the U.S. The next one that I know about is Jan. 28th in Seattle. Please contact Scott Everett at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for details. Melanie Howard, Secretary of the Fonkoze USA Board of Directors, will be making a presentation.

Just a reminder:
Donations raised through Fonkoze’s Relief and Rehabilitation Fund will be used to:

• Help our staff members return to work so that they can stabilize their own lives and continue to serve our borrowers
• Open an emergency operations center to re-establish banking for the poor and transfer remittances to  clients and numerous non-profit agencies serving Haiti
• Acquire equipment and facilities to replace what was destroyed
• Provide financial resources to ensure that new loans are available for women who have lost their businesses and need to re-establish them
• Assist clients who lost their homes with house building and repair financing
• Purchase diesel fuel for immediate and ongoing transportation and energy needs

We are also accepting donations that are intended to support our development partners and their work to rebuild.  (Final decisions about donation allocations are always pending due diligence on the respective organizations and are at the discretion of the Fonkoze USA Board in consultation with individual donors.)

 

Donate online at this link using Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

Make checks payable to FONKOZE USA and mail contributions to:
FONKOZE USA
50 F Street, NW
Suite 810
Washington, DC 20001

Fonkoze continues to need your prayers and financial support!

Sincerely,

John Mercier, President, Fonkoze USA