wfn.org | Newsline: Next phase of Brethren response in Haiti begins

[CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl

Brumbaugh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, cobnews@brethren.org

NEXT PHASE OF CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN RESPONSE IN

>HAITI BEGINS

(Feb. 8, 2010) Elgin, IL -- A new phase of the Church of the Brethren

disaster response in Haiti has begun, with the building of temporary

shelters for earthquake survivors and church members who have lost

>homes in Port-au-Prince.

Also underway are two Brethren feeding programs for children, and

plans to continue building permanent homes in other areas of Haiti

where people displaced by the earthquake are seeking refuge.

The church's response effort is being carried out with leadership by

Eglise des Freres Haitiens (Haitian Church of the Brethren) and

Brethren Disaster Ministries, with funding from the Church of the

Brethren's Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF). The Church of the

Brethren's participation in the work of Church World Service (CWS)

and ecumenical partners in Haiti also continues.

Two more EDF grants have been given for earthquake relief efforts,

>totaling $250,000.

Although communications with Haiti continue to be difficult, Brethren

Disaster Ministries Haiti consultant Klebert Exceus has reported by

telephone on a new Temporary Shelter Program expected to serve some

20 Brethren families and neighbors--or 120 people--of two of the hardest

hit congregations of Eglise des Freres Haitiens. Building of the shelters

>was to start today.

The Temporary Shelter Program is intended first for Brethren families

in the Delmas 3 and Marin congregations who lost their homes, and for

some neighbors in need in those areas. Two pieces of land have been rented

>where shelters will be placed.

The shelters will be made of canvas walls, with tin roofs, and placed on

thinly poured cement floors. Construction teams will be hired locally,

under Exceus's direction along with leadership by the National Committee

>of Eglise des Freres Haitiens.

The feeding of daily meals to children at the Paul Lochard No. 2 School in

Port-au-Prince began on Jan. 25 and is reported to be successful. Several

hundred children are receiving one hot meal a day at the school, which is

run by Exceus on behalf of his church. The school also employs three of

the Haitian Brethren pastors on its faculty. Some of the children served by

this feeding program are "restevec" children whose families have been

forced by poverty to sell them as slaves or domestic servants in richer

>households.

Another group of children are to begin receiving daily meals this week

through a Kids Club at the Delmas 3 Church of Eglise des Freres Haitiens.

Also in the planning stage is a biweekly food packet for families living in

the communities around the three Brethren congregations in Port-au-Prince.

Brethren Disaster Ministries is purchasing the food in Haiti, in an effort  to

support the agriculture of the country and help provide income and jobs

>directly to Haitians who are in need.

"There was a good harvest in Haiti this year, and lots of food is available

in the markets," said Roy Winter, executive director of Brethren Disaster

Ministries. "The challenge is that no one has money because they lost their

income source in the quake. Further, as tons of donated food are imported,

farmers will likely struggle to sell their goods, further compounding the

financial crisis of this earthquake. Our plan is to buy from Haitian farmer s

>as much as possible."

The program is hiring Haitian Brethren to purchase the food, and hiring loc al

construction teams to put up the temporary shelters, in another effort to

provide work for those who in addition to their homes, also lost all possib ility

>of an income in the earthquake.

"We're employing people to do a particular task, and it gives them the

dignity of an income," Winter said. "The result is we can feed a child a ho t

>meal for about $1," he said.

The program also may work with the Dominican Church of the Brethren to

help purchase food in the DR and transport it into Haiti.

When the current dire situation eases in coming weeks or months, Brethren

Disaster Ministries plans to bring volunteer workcamp groups from the

United States to assist the Haitian Brethren in the rebuilding phase of the

recovery. More information about upcoming volunteer opportunities in Haiti

will be shared as soon as planning is in place.

As of last week the situation in Port-au-Prince had begun to improve, repor ted

Jeff Boshart, coordinator of the Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding

program in Haiti, after a phone call with Exceus. "Food and water are much

more prevalent, although there are still complaints in some places of not

>getting enough."

Boshart said that as of last week the members of the Delmas 3 Church were

receiving food and water. Members of the Haitian church's National

Committee also have received emergency funds through the Church of the

Brethren "and they are grateful," he reported. "Everyday life is coming

back in Port-au-Prince.... Churches had regular services on Sunday as well. "

"In closing (Exceus) said, the people we have helped are very very happy,"

Boshart said. "He said we can't even imagine how what we did has helped

them and how grateful they are that we came in their moment of need.

"It sounds like the church folks are starting to look to the future, even i f

that future is only next week. After what they have all been through, that' s

>saying something."

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to

continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its

faith in community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist

faith traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebr ated

its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 125,000 members across the

United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nige ria,

Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

>Director of News Services

>Church of the Brethren

>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120

>800-323-8039 ext. 260

>cobnews@brethren.org