Thank you and latest update

Junior, Ashley and I would each like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have rallied behind us in making an immediate respose to the cholera outbreak in Jacmel. Over the past two weeks since first putting out a call to action, we have been both encouraged and humbled by the compassion and generosity of our friends and families, and of so many former GVN Haiti volunteers.

Donations and support have poured in from all over the world, and so far, you have entrusted us with over $4000, with many of you promising even more. We have witnessed many make great personal sacrifices in order to give, and have been inspired to see a number of you undertaking fundraising efforts of your own. You have far exceeded our initial expectations, and have enabled us to be able to deliver loads of essential medications and IV fluids to various clinics throughout Jacmel. There is also a supply of nearly 300 pounds of rehydration salts (ORS) that has just arrived in Jacmel from the Dominican Republic, all thanks to your generosity.

Many of you have been asking for news on the current state of the sistuation here. Since our last update, the number of cholera cases in Jacmel has surpassed 2800. UNICEF and Save the Children have mobilized in the area and are responsible for delivering ORS to Saint Michel hospital and to the Doctors Without Borders clinics set up throughout the city. Fortunately, now that the roads between Jacmel and Port-au-Prince have opened up again, these organizations are able to do a better job at keeping up with the demand of patients and ensuring that there are enough supplies in stock. Further, there has been a plan enacted this week to begin distibuting ORS out of the 5 major port cities in Haiti rather than solely out of Port-au-Prince, which should greatly increase UNICEF's effectiveness in providing supplies to Jacmel in a timely manner. However, it is important to note that even with these changes, smaller towns outside of the city are still left at particular risk, and mortality rates in these areas remain very high.

The primary shortages now are largely in clean water and in education. And it is these two areas, unfortunately, that are truly the main fronts on which fight against cholera must be won; without these two things, cholera will only continue to spread and people will continue to die unnecessary deaths. Treatment is of course critical, but, even with access to an endless supply of IV fluid, rehydration salts, clinics and beds, the situation cannot improve unless individuals and families are both educated on cholera prevention and have regular access to clean water. This is why, moving forward, we plan to focus on doing our part to help provide for these two essential needs in Jacmel and its surrounding communities.

One of the main ways that we will accomplish this is through our involvement with Konpay, a community development organization that has operated in the rural areas of Jacmel since 2004, and has, since the very first case of cholera hit Haiti, been doing great work in the areas of clean water and cholera prevention. Konpay's approach is one that focuses on building sustainability, and by partnering with them, we will be able to ensure that the money that we have raised and that we continue to recieve will make a long-term impact on the overall health of the community.

For those of you who are looking for ways to continue to help fight against cholera in Jacmel, or who want to spread the word to others on ways that they can help moving forward, here is an updated list of needs and projects:


(1) If you are planning to travel to Haiti with supplies in the coming months, one thing we request that you bring, and believe to be even more important than ORS at this time, are Aquatabs. These are tablets used to purify water and are readily available in the States and in Europe. Once we recieve these, it is our hope not only to distribute them to those who desperately need them, but also to launch a campaign that will combine Aquatab distribution with education on proper execution of preventative measures against cholera.


(2) Kompay has a team of Haitian American doctors coming in at the end of January to set up clinics that will fill in the gaps of need in rural areas overlooked by larger organizations like Doctors without Borders. This medical team will also be participating in a targeted donation matching campaign, in an effort to double the donations that we have already recieved. For their time in Haiti, they will be in need of specific medical supplies. If you are interested in bringing or sending these over, shoot me an email (mary.hooke@gmail.com) or stay tuned to facebook over the next few days. A full wish list will be uploaded as soon as possible.

If you are interested in gathering supplies to send, but cannot deliver them yourself, please email us (jacmelcholerainitiative@gmail.com) or contact another volunteer planning to travel to Haiti in the near future (see posted events on facebook).


(3) For those of you who are planning on coming in to Jacmel for more than just a day and wish to offer hands-on assistance while here, we have a number of options in the works, including distribution of supplies, conducting cholera education classes, and building clean water wells. You may also have the option of coming as a formal volunteer with Konpay. If you're interested in volunteering your time, please contact me directly to further discuss your options and to coordinate the details of your stay (mary.hooke@gmail.com /US +19193603899/ Haiti +50938950658).


(4) We are still in need of monetary donations to help us meet the needs in our community. We've recently been made aware that Bainet, a small province in the mountains outside of Jacmel and home to much of Junior's family, has just been hit hard by cholera and is suffering greatly from a lack of adequate clean water and medical supplies. Our contact at Doctors Without Borders has affirmed that money to purchase meds and IV fluids for that community will undoubtedly save many lives. Additionally, there are a number of local public schools, especially in rural areas, with no access to clean water. Donation money can go towards building wells for these schools, as well as towards the purchase, transport and delivery of special water purification kits developed and sponsored by Iowa University, which utilise water and electical currents to make chlorine.


If you would like your donation money to go toward any one specific project or effort, please don't hesitate to designate that when filling out the paypal donation form, or let us know via email.

You can also support our efforts against cholera by giving, or directing others to give, directly to Konpay. Check them out here: http://www.konpay.org/about

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or ideas on how we can work together to help fight this epidemic. Thank you so much for your continued support and investment in the healing and health of Jacmel!