Washington, DC - As the tragedy in Haiti continues to unfold, I am truly inspired by our grantee partners’ ability to react quickly and constructively in the midst of staggering logistical challenges and horrifying scenes of destruction. I am also reminded of the resourcefulness and nimbleness of grassroots organizations as they orchestrate rapid responses through quickly established regional and cross-border networking efforts.

To provide you with a glimpse into these activities, I would like to share the work of one of our grantees in the Dominican Republic: Movimiento de Mujeres Dominico-Haitianas (Movement of Dominican-Haitian Women), or MUDHA. Since 2007, our grants have supported their community-based school, which fills a void left by a lack of access to public schooling for hundreds of children. Within 24 hours of the quake, MUDHA mobilized a 20-person team to Haiti headed by the organization’s director to conduct a rapid diagnostic assessment and develop strategies for managing humanitarian assistance. GFC is providing MUDHA with an emergency grant this week, thanks to your generous support.

MUDHA’s team reports that thousands of Haitians have not been reached by relief efforts, and many are in desperate need of potable water and treatment for infection. To address some of these issues, MUDHA transformed its Santo Domingo headquarters into a collection site for needed items and has already taken the following actions:

* visited a community hospital outside of Port-au-Prince and left two doctors and one nurse to support the existing medical staff;
* installed a mobile ambulance in Matissan, a community outside of Port-au-Prince, with five doctors and four nurses, and provided medical attention to a great many people;
* participated in meetings with local officials and the Ministry of the Interior of Haiti;
* distributed thousands of bottles of water and milk, as well as non-perishable food, candles, clothes, batteries, and other necessities.

MUDHA also reports they have installed 12 encampments in five communities outside of Port-au-Prince, and has undertaken an innovative strategy to train youth in first-responder skills to support the work of doctors. They have already trained 45 youth and plan to rotate volunteers every 15 days for three months by training an additional 183 youth in the coming days.

While GFC is not a relief organization, we are uniquely positioned to provide support to local groups that have local networks. As illustrated by MUDHA’s example, these networks have moved quickly to assess and assist Haitian communities that larger relief efforts are not reaching. Just as importantly, they do so while supporting local economies under local leadership. Finally, community-based organizations, by their very nature, are fully vested in the long-term recovery of the region and often serve as the launching pad for the rebuilding of civil society in the wake of a disaster.

As GFC is not extracting overhead costs, 100 percent of your donation will go toward relief and recovery efforts in Haiti. Join us in supporting our grassroots partners by donating today.

Thank you for the support you’ve provided to our Haitian grantee partners during this tragic week. The strong response we received from the GFC community is a testament to your dedication and desire to play a part in the Haiti earthquake relief and rebuilding.