Here's where the money went

Many times my friends ask me where the money went after the earthquake in Haiti. 


Here is a summary.


Money from the United States: Of the $1.4 billion promised to Haiti, $655 million in funds was reimbursed to the Department of Defense.



$220 million went to repay the US Department of Health and Human Services for "stuff" for the people right after the earthquake.


$350 million went to disaster assistance-medical care and sanitation.


$150 million to the US Department of Agriculture for more rice.


$15 million to the Department of Homeland Security for Immigration fees and aircraft fares for the lucky few injured Haitian refugees brought to the United States.


It gets worse.


There was $2.4 Billion pledged by all the other people in the United Nations.


34 percent or $864 million of those funds were given back.


28 percent or $672 million was given to UN and non-governmental humanitarian projects such as housing and health-care. Only $184 million has been actually “obligated to projects”. The rest is still unspent and not many house have been built thus far.


26 percent or $624 million was given to contractors for things like road-building and infrastructure. I didn't see any new roads when I was there and infrastructure is almost non existent.


5 percent $120 million was given to various international Red Cross/Red Crescent societies.


According to a professor of foreign affairs at the University of Virginia. REAL Haitian people got LESS THAN ONE percent of the money. 99% went back to the countries including the USA that promised the money for the services they provided. Yes, the Haitians benefited from the services of all of the above, but you can clearly see that the money does not stay in Haiti. Nor did it drill any wells so they would have water or fix many roads. The the last time I was there I saw the people still carrying rubble away by hand.

It's time we quit wondering why our money isn't doing any good to help the people of Haiti. 

Vicki in Haiti

My student Jhonny (yes Jh...) loves JFK and expecially loves the quote, "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country".  Well Jhonny, let me tell you...we promise we are going to do for your country!

On November 29, 2011 President Martelly and President Clinton were at the IDB Forum in Port au Prince.  I was fortunate enough to be at the same forum.  During this forum President Martelly announced, "Haiti is open for business."  Indeed it is!  In this picture President Clinton and I had just talked and he was signing some papers so I took the moment to take his picture. (It's kind of hard to take a picture of someone WHILE you are talking to them!) 

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I was also lucky enough to meet Vicente Fox the former President of Mexico. Mexico is supporting the growth of Haiti!  Thank you President Fox!

This is the reason Haiti is working so hard to invite investors-the children.  The kids in this picture are living next to the property where my team is hoping to build 204 houses.  During the site visit the kids were gathered around and I asked another team member (Ricardo) to take our picture.  In Haiti learning English is important.  If we are awarded the 204 house contract from USAID, I'll go to Haiti to teach English.  We plan to teach to build while learning English and.... we know it can be done!  The next picture is of my students who have learned English in less than a year, one hour a day via Skype with me.  These guys have changed my life!

They are the future leaders of Haiti!
 

This is Nadège Robertson Tippenhauer and Hans Tippenhauer. Nadège and I spent several hours chatting about all of the great things that women can do in Haiti. She's a really cool lady all on her own. Executive Director of http://foundationhopeforhaiti.org/ she's devoted to helping the kids of Haiti. She's my kind of woman! Her husband Hans is an advisor to President Martelly. Together they are going to do good things for Haiti and I love their energy and commmitment!

And last but not least, this is Annie getting a hug from President Clinton.  She's the team leader and I'm proud to be on her team!  Together two housewives from America are going to help change Haiti!  Please join us!  Send me an email at vickisvision@gmail.com and offer something... thoughts, suggestions, money, your time.... anything.  I promise that I will be able to use your skills to help Haiti rise from the dust!

The good looking young men of Haiti

Have you ever looked at a magazine and said to yourself now that's one good looking guy!  I thought I would present you with some of the best looking young men in Haiti.  All are looking for a job. 

Time for graduation!

Bengil and Elie

Jonas, Jameson and Dieuve

Milot, Elie, Ralph, Ibens

Bengil and Blaise

Milot, Jhonny, Guervins, Dieuve, Josias, Ralph

Jhonny, Benjil and Elie

The graduating class and the new students

Take a look at the items on the counter. To you it may look like a handful of pocket composition books, some tools and a bunch of jewelry.  To my students it looks like the start of new business opportunities.  The composition notebooks will be sold to other students who have never had the chance to have a notebook.  The jewelry on the counter will be sold and the money will be used to support the manufacture of the leather goods.

The little tools that you see on the counter are the tools for leather craft.  I’ve ordered more tools and hopefully they will arrive in short order.  The 4:00 students have put together a business plan to design and make leather wallets, change purses, book covers and all things leather.  They will be making the items for the next few months, when I return to Haiti I'll bring the wallets back with me, so keep watching my blog and you will see the items for sale.  They will be of original design and each student’s logo will be on each item.  I expect you will see their individual personalities in the designs they present for your consideration.  If you have request, please let me know and I’ll pass on the information to the students. 

I would like to say a special thank you to a several people who have supplied money to begin this venture, without you, this would have been impossible.  Please join me and pray for their success.  Keep watching and buy their handiwork. It will be great to own one of their first works of art!

I write this blog because I want a special someone to know how important his work is.  Day after day, he goes to work.  He doesn’t need to set the alarm clock because his internal clock rings.  That internal clock not only says it’s time to get up, it tells him that his family needs him, that there are people who are depending on his hands to make things work so they can do their job too.  The blue collar worker… not such a flattering title.  

While it may be true he looks good in a blue uniform, it is truer that the work he performs is extremely essential.  I propose we change that title to “essential workers”.  The work he does every day is essential.  His family has always worked with their hands.  It was during his childhood he learned which wrench fit which bolt.  He learned how to change brakes, repair alternators and rebuild engines.  In his spare time he learned how to plumb the kitchen sink and wire the light switch.  On weekends he learned how to plow the snow, re-roof the house and run a skid loader.

He may have not ever sat in a classroom learning the proper punctuation of sentences, how to develop a spreadsheet or how to trade stock on the NYSE.  But then again, we can all communicate without proper punctuation, we can write our numbers down on paper and he’s been bartering since he was about seven! 

I know hundreds of people who have gone to college and only a handful who can change a set of brakes on their car.  What has happened to our country, have we sent everyone off to college and forgotten to teach some to work with their hands?  Soon we will be out of workers and when that happens our society will fall to pieces. There will be no one to manufacture or fix anything.  We as a country must honor and appreciate the “essential workers”, for they are the ones who keep our lives in order.  A computer cannot fix our cars or build our homes or change our brakes.

Let’s stop saying everyone should go to college and start saying we need to teach our children a skill.  Not everyone needs to know how to install a program on the computer.  But we all DO need to know how to fix our own leaking toilet.  

Hurricane Irene

As hurricane Irene sets her site on my students in Port au Prince. These are the messages I recieve from my students.  There are an estimated 600,000 people still living in tents, some of them are my students.

Jhonny Lindor listen mom haiti is still in the bad situation don't you know you are our mom in haiti do not leave us alone mom please we need your help haiti mom all i know one day can help my self and others i love you mom

 

 

Please Jesus do something because "HAITI" is still under tents.

Jameson Ostine