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Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

Organizations persist in aiding Haiti

Haiti continues to struggle one year after a devastating earthquake left Port-Au-Prince in rubble.

Since the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake, Haiti has endured hurricanes, flooding and a cholera outbreak that killed more than 3,000 people, according to the Catholic Relief Service’s website.

Many agree that Haiti is on a road to recovery, but not fast enough.

The Archdiocese, along with the Church of Gesu, has worked to continue the efforts of helping Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Frances Cunningham, the director of World Mission Ministries for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, said in an e-mail that WMM was “able to raise $1 million dollars for Haiti relief thanks to the generosity of parishes and individuals within the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.”

According Eileen Ciezki, Gesu Parish Director of Social Ministry, the Church of Gesu works to help its twin parish, St. Jude in Mon Opital, Haiti, which was leveled in the earthquake.

“Currently the parish is worshiping in an open air portico-tin roof on wooden sticks.”

She feels the cholera outbreak, along with much political unrest, has slowed progress in Haiti overall.

Along with removing the rubble, there needs to be a peaceful conclusion to the election controversies, people need to be hired to work in the government and schools need to be rebuilt as soon as possible, she said.

Gesu, which donated $9,000 to St. Jude Parish immediately after the earthquake, has created programs like “Gifts for Life,” which will provide $38,000 to put screens, shutters, a toilet and a sink in St. Jude Clinic. The parish also runs “Change for Haiti,” which is a fundraiser that raises money for school lunches for children at St. Jude’s Parish.

Ciezki said people can pick up cans in the back of Gesu Church and bring them back when they are filled.

“The people of Haiti are so hopeful, I just hope that they continue to remain hopeful,” Ciezki said.

Tania McBride, communication specialist for UNICEF, believes progress has been made on a number of fronts. For example, there was neither a second wave of disease, nor a nutrition crisis immediately after the earthquake.

“The key thing is to be aware of what’s happening in Haiti,” McBride said. “It is important to discuss and have critical dialogue about the situation in Haiti.”

In UNICEF’s one-year report, “Children in Haiti,” UNICEF said it has worked hard to help children in Haiti through improving sanitation and nutrition, rebuilding schools and providing child protection.

“While we have managed to get children back to school, we are looking at creating long term quality education,” McBride said.

Tom Price, senior communications manager for Catholic Relief Services, said one million people still live in tents in Haiti, and though some progress has been made, it is not enough.

A main concern is tackling the issue of all the rubble that is still left from the earthquake, Price said.

Price also said that Catholic Relief Services has a five-year plan where it will spend about $200 million to help rebuild Haiti.

Catholic Relief Services has built 1,600 two-room wooden structures, provided work for them and are working to help them become self-sustaining, he said.

“We need to build the Haitian effort, build their capacity to take on the next natural disaster,” he said.

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