I apologize for the lapse in posting! The country is still reeling from the weather strikes against us. Though some of the roads are being repaired and travel is getting to be a little less difficult, there remains a lot to be done. The flooding of the Etang de Miragoane (the lake close to where we turn off the National Highway) is still an issue. The water remains chest high on the road and is not going down. Vehicles are not able to cross, so there is a thriving new economy there of boats and people to carry and transport goods, animals and people across. Small fishing boats have been brought from the coast by enterprising men who can make more money ferrying than fishing. It was quite amazing to see a small herd of cattle swimming to the other side, and on Sunday a boat full of sheep passed us as we crossed with St. Boniface staff.
This flooding has cut off transportation to the two departments of the southern peninsula. Les Cayes, along with the rest of us, is suffering from severe fuel shortages and there are rumblings there of protests resuming. There is a road being built around the flooded area at Miragoane that will be finished in the next couple of weeks. This will hopefully alleviate some of the shortages in the south and help keep things calm. We are also depending on improvements in the roads to keep our community programs moving forward.
Conor, Dr. Cadet, and the staff in Boston have been busy networking and asking for assistance for the people in our region. We have received food for a few distributions that have been managed by the community. In Fond des Blancs, our main issue is hunger. We have enough safe water sources and bleach (chlorine) is being used by households to sanitize drinking water. In neighbouring Cote de Fer, where damage from the overflowing river and landslides filled the town with mud, there is desperate need for clean drinking water. Their only well has been contaminated. Today we received some water purification products that will be sent to them.
The needs here are immense. We have all had an increase in the number of those coming to us seeking help from us – for food, for shelter, for school fees, for shoes. It is heartbreaking.
[2 comments]
Hi Ellen,
Thank you for all the good work in the region of Fonds Des Blancs. I am currently seeking my masters in Healthcare Administration and also taking a grant writing course which I hope one day or soon I will be able to contribute to the St.Boniface Foundation and at the same time lend a hand to my people. Feel free to drop a line or get in touch with me for any way I can help.
By Sandra Polica on October 11 2008, 6:00am
After you cross the lake at Miragoane, what route did you take to arrive in Fond-des-Blancs?
By Anthony Balzano on October 08 2008, 1:00am
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