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Food For The Poor In Haiti

By Lessie Kaufman


It seems unlikely that the poorest country on earth should be in the western hemisphere, but this is the case. Food For The Poor in Haiti is trying to change this statistic. Other humanitarian organizations also are trying to help this island nation overcome the problems that have kept its people in poverty generation after generation.

Food For The Poor is an international organization that serves Latin America and the Caribbean. It is one of the largest charitable organizations in the world. It depends on donation primarily but also receives government grants to assist in its efforts. The aid is delivered in many different ways, although food is one of the major needs that must be addressed immediately and continually.

Haiti shares an island with the more prosperous Dominican Republic. It is made up mostly of mountains with little population; there is a small amount of coastal plain and river valley. Most of the ten million people live in city slums. Discovered by Christopher Columbus, the island was home to a indigenous people that were unceremoniously replaced by imported slaves and their colonial masters. Haiti was born in a slave rebellion.

Unfortunately, early promise of freedom and hope were destroyed as coup after political coup shook the new country and dictators assumed power and plundered the nation. Corruption has kept the people without opportunity to improve their lives. The mountainous character of the country concentrates most of the population in the cities and the limited river valley and coastal plain regions. Generation after generation suffers in a cycle of extreme poverty.

Food For The Poor feeds over fifteen thousand people daily at one center in Port-au-Prince. It also provides sewer and clean water to communities. It builds homes for families without shelter, builds and restores schools, opens clinics and hospitals, and helps people start micro-businesses that can earn them a living for the first time in their lives.

They hope that, with provision of basic needs of life, more children will survive, be healthy, and receive an education. The charity is highly-rated. Less than five percent of monies received go to administrative and fundraising costs; over ninety-six percent goes directly to humanitarian programs. Evaluations are posted and reviewed annually by several independent watchdog organizations to help donors choose worthy groups to help.

People who want to help the people of Haiti can send aid in several ways. Sponsoring an individual child costs less than forty dollars a month and helps feed, educate, and clothe a child. Sponsorship also provides food for the whole family and maintains the center where children attend school and play in a safe environment. One-time donations can be given online or in response to a fundraiser; these are often sponsored by radio programs. Individuals can also build a webpage to raise awareness in their own hometown and to solicit donations.

Go online for more information. The organization posts upcoming events, like 5K runs that are great ways to raise both money and public awareness. There are also many pictures of children needing sponsors, on-going projects, and success stories.




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