As if the battle against disease and to distribute food, water and clothing isn’t daunting enough, now there’s a huge push to get something over head for hundreds of thousands of displaced Haitians. Led by a group of social network activists, the plan is to get the word out on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, websites and through e-mails. Shaun King, a pastor in Atlanta, even built a website (ahomeinhaiti.org) to push for 200,000 tents from donors across the globe.
“It’s like a bandaid on a bullet wound, but it is better than nothing,” says King.
He tells me activists working on their computers and smart phones are working with people and aid groups on the ground in Haiti and have already reviewed and approved tents that range in price from $100-$800 each. I am told all will work and serve a variety of family sizes and purposes. These same activists have also cut through some of the significant red tape we’ve seen personally on the ground in Haiti to ensure these tents get to the people as soon as possible.
We worked with some of these people a couple of weeks ago when we were reporting in and around Port-au-Prince after the devastating quake. At that time, the social network activists helped identify people, places and orphanages that needed food and water. This time they have rolled out a three-phase plan.
1. Answer the immediate need for shelter by buying tents
2. Start a massive clean-up of land by removing debris from destroyed houses
3. Rebuilding permanent homes and schools.
People can give cash to help buy the tents, but to answer the immediate question of “where is my money going,” Shaun and others would rather see donors buy the tents and send them directly to the volunteer group in Atlanta. All info is on the website provided above and two airlifts are already scheduled between now and the first of March.
King says, “It’s going to take years to build the houses and it starts to rain regularly in a couple of weeks, we need something now.” He also tells me that research has shown that currently there aren’t even 200,000 tents sitting around ready to purchase, so tent companies have put their factories into overdrive to try and meet the demand in time for rainy season in Haiti. We’ll keep you updated on the progress.
Below are just four of my pictures from Haiti. In the first one you can see one of the new blue tents that was provided as we reported from this makeshift tent city. In the other photos you can see how sheets erected with sticks serve as shelter for thousands without a home to return to.