"Raise this Roof" Update

CARREFOUR, HAITI- On January 24^th, Carlos Jinks and I traveled into Haiti to assist with the earthquake relief effort. Equipped with our cameras and notepads we journeyed into the heart of destruction and despair. 2 million Haitians have been displaced from the earthquake and are still sleeping in tent cities. As we travel from town to town, cities of tents line the roads, parks and stadiums. As our days have progressed in Haiti, so has the relief effort. The government and non-profit organizations are doing their best to get the aid to the refugees. We see trucks handing aid out everyday. Regarding the hospitals we have visited, they are full and the lines are long. The injured are being helped as the supplies come in.

We traveled downtown to Port-au-Prince and saw hundreds of vendors selling their wares in baskets and blankets on the ground in front of their collapsed stores. The streets were littered with debris and venders. The consumers were limited and the money was elusive. Many people have items to sell, but few were buying. On our bus ride back to Carrefour, Carlos talked with a taxi driver that lost his house and car. He now is out of a job and can not find one. “I have traveled into Port-au-Prince several times since the earthquake and have returned to my family empty-handed, yet again.” The Haitian man said as he hung his head.

The education system has collapsed with the earthquake. Schools are closed, teachers are out of jobs and students are waiting for the Haitian Department of Education to assess the damages and clean up the collapsed schools.

Claude Alce, founder of New Generation School says, “We need to get our schools operating. The government has its hands full.”

Claude Alce, Carlos, and I along with local valley residents and sponsors throughout the U.S. are raising money to tear down the collapsed school building and build a one story school building in its place. This project called “Raise this Roof” will create 56 jobs. Once the school is completed, teachers, administrators and students will be able to return to school. We’re hoping to open its doors mid-March. Demolition of the collapsed building will start Sunday, February 21st.

We estimate that the entire project will cost $6500.00.

Watch these videos of the project:

Phase 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9FbXgGPG54

Phase 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tan21pb8MkA&feature=sub

As one Haitian puts it, “As the sun rises, so does the hope for Haiti”.

Do you want to help?

(c)NateManthey

Raise This Roof

Pastor Claude began New Generation school 22 years ago. Then

on January 12th at 4:53 PM, an earthquake destroyed the

school. By the grace of God, nobody was injured in the

collapse. Instead of waiting for the government to carry off the

debris, we have partnered with Pastor Claude to hire local

Haitians to demo this site and build up a tin roof.

There are no public schools in Haiti so Pastor Claude

started this private christian school for the children in the

neighborhood. He explained to us that children that can not

afford the $150 per year tuition, are eligible for a scholarship.

There are two things that Haiti needs. Education and

jobs. This project addresses both. Will you consider partnering

with us as we Raise This Roof.

Watch and download this video to share:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3083877/Phase%20One.m4v

(Some Internet browsers do not support file, FireFox and Google Chrome work)

Watch from youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9FbXgGPG54

We do have a detailed expense report if your interested. Email me.

This is Haiti

Carlos and I woke up today ready for a full day. Armed with our list of to do's we set about the day. Early in the morning, we discovered that half of Carrefour, Haiti has lost water. Down the street we found the culprit. 2 civil engineers from Norway jumped into the hole to put the water blasting pipes back together. I asked a local Haitian what happened and he responded, "This is Haiti" Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRlNQ23i4uk

We passed out cans of baby formula today at a Adventist Hospital in desperate need. The formula was welcomed with a huge smile and a thankful heart. Hundreds of babies will be able to eat, due to this donation. A huge thanks goes out to the donor in the valley.

We traveled up the street to the grocery store and found the road covered in more water. An unsuspecting driver got his truck stuck in a water covered crevasse in the road cause by the earthquake. Some bystanders helped out. Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D17E3LHlZHs

Carlos also had a special stuffed kitten given to him from a young girl named Olivia. You can read more of this story on Carlos's blog: http://web.mac.com/carlosjinks/Haiti/Blog/Entries/2010/2/15_Morning_at_the_Hospital.html

We have found a long term donor to feed the kids. His name is Merv, he is based out of California. He and his church will be feeding the 250 children for as long as it takes. As Carlos and I were discussing options for the next project, we thought about the school building. On this campus were two buildings. One two story building as well as a single story classroom. Both buildings suffered damage and will need to be torn down and rebuilt. Currently, we're putting a list together of materials needed, workers available and rate of pay for the workers. This demolition job should take 4 days with 47 workers present. This phase 1 of the project will create 47 temporary jobs and move this school closer to opening it's doors.This "New Generation" school has been in operation since 1988. The earthquake halted the school's education process and kids have not been to school for 34 days. Pastor Claude is anxious to get the school open as soon as he can. Stay connected, we'll have more information on how you can get involved with the "Raise this roof" project.

Email me with questions. Click on the upper right link on this web page.