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April, 2010
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PRESIDENT'S COLUMN:
A Marathon, Not a Sprint
We saw it with Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean tsunami. Now we see it again with the Haiti earthquake: the three “Rs” of disasters.
First, there is an initial frenzy of activity — the Rescue phase — as government and military teams mobilize to save as many lives as possible, whether that involves rescuing people trapped in flooded homes or digging out those buried under rubble.
Shortly thereafter comes the Relief phase, where the focus is on creating temporary, safe and sanitary conditions — providing food, clean water and shelter, treating the wounded, preventing disease outbreaks, and maintaining security. This is where Haiti is today.
During the Relief phase, many people who lost their homes or need help of any kind turn to the church. This happened after Katrina and now in Haiti, too. In rural and outlying areas around the earthquake zone, existing clinics supported by Episcopal Relief & Development are seeing patients who left Port-au-Prince in search of medical treatment. Some of these clinics are expanding patient care to schools and church buildings. This is very important work.
Eventually, the Relief phase will end, but when it does, the work will have only just begun. There remains an immense, multi-year process — the Recovery phase — to restore a normal life for the people affected by the disaster and, more importantly, to help them emerge in a much better place than before. In Haiti, this is especially critical because the country’s massive unemployment, poor land use, susceptibility to flooding, and lack of reliable access to food, water, health care and education have long made it the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere — and an Episcopal Relief & Development priority for many years.
As you will read in this issue of ERD Now, we are gearing up for the Recovery phase and have already started work on projects to promote employment and food self-sufficiency. We will need to restore services, rebuild houses and buildings, and revitalize local economies, working in partnership with the Diocese of Haiti and aided immensely by its large, vibrant social infrastructure.
Similarly, you will read about how the Recovery phase continues along the Gulf Coast four-and-one-half years after Katrina. We are supporting affordable housing initiatives that are rejuvenating communities and providing access to low-interest mortgages, mobilizing volunteers to repair and rebuild homes, and doing much more. And we are making impressive progress.
This Recovery phase is often ignored or forgotten. By the time it starts, the television cameras will be gone, few reporters will be left and the public’s attention — and generosity — will have moved on. But this is where Episcopal Relief & Development truly excels, because we follow the lead of our partners on the ground — our churches and their communities — in telling us what their greatest needs are and how to meet them.
Please join me in praying for our brothers and sisters in Haiti, and please continue doing what you can to help ensure that they recover — and thrive — in the future.
Yours faithfully,
Robert W. Radtke
President
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Helping Haitians Recover
.jpg) The 7.0 earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12th cried out for an unprecedented humanitarian response and longer-term recovery and development assistance. With years of experience in Haiti and a passionate commitment to the well-being of its people, Episcopal Relief & Development immediately answered the call. Episcopal Relief & Development was well-positioned to do so because of its longstanding partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, the largest in the Western Hemisphere and one of the most vibrant institutions in the country. read more |
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The Power of Partnership
.jpg) Despite the chaos that has dominated Haiti since the January 12th earthquake, Episcopal Relief & Development has made a real difference to people struggling to survive. Working with the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti and other organizations with which we have forged strong partnerships over the years, we're providing food, shelter and medicine to men, women and children in desperate need. read more |
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A Word from the Field...
.jpg) We caught up with the Rev. Frantz Cole, affectionately known by friends, family and colleagues as Fanfan, who oversees the Church's relief and rebuilding efforts as Development Chief for the Diocese of Haiti. Fanfan took a moment out of his hectic schedule to give us his perspective on the situation on the ground, and the role our support is playing in his country's recovery. read more |
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On the Gulf Coast, Recovery = Opportunity
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