January 12, 2012
Dear Supporter,
Happy New Year! Your support over the last two years has been a lifeline for many in Haiti. You have provided the funding for projects through your generous contributions that otherwise would not have taken place. As we acknowledge the 2-year anniversary of the earthquake that destroyed Port au Prince, Haiti, my message is straightforward: Trauma Resources International (“TRI”) needs your help.
The demand is ongoing. Many NGO’s have reduced, withdrawn, or are in the process of withdrawing, their programs. This withdrawal will leave thousands of Haitians without much needed services. Everything you’ve heard about aid that never arrived, the relatively small amount of rubble that has been removed, and the lack of leadership and support during crucial recovery periods is true.
In 2010, we focused our efforts on direct assistance to local organizations assisting survivors of the earthquake.
- We provided training in Psychological First Aid to over 50 health professionals; We trained 15 paraprofessional counselors working with child amputees in Leogane in creative arts based therapeutic methods. We Purchased and distributed fill extracted from earthquake rubble, to stabilize the land where over 5000 families supported by Athletique D’ Haiti live in a tent city to protect them from rain-induced flooding.
- In collaboration with the URAMEL Psychotrauma center, and “Gwoup Lespwa ak Lavi” (Hope and Life Group) we have established a satellite counseling center in Carrefour, near the epicenter, to provide counseling, basic medical, and therapeutic activities to approximately 400 children, weekly, who are displaced by the earthquake.
In 2011, at the direct invitation of two widely respected and well-known Haitian organizations, IDEO (“The Institute for Personal and Organizational Support”) and URAMEL (“The Unit for Medical and Legal Research”, Haiti’s primary forensic health program), TRI scaled its programs in Haiti down to two specific projects that comprise our Ke Ansamn (“Hearts Together”) mission there:
- A Movement & Creative Arts Therapies Train-the-Trainers program for the clinicians of the PsychoTrauma Center. This center, established in February 2010, is one of the only places in Port au Prince where survivors of not only the earthquake, but of floods, community violence, domestic violence and rape, can receive world-class mental health support at no cost. This program is being manualized so that those trained can continue to train others without outside support. Thus far, we have trained 55 people in the introductory program.
- A community-based prevention program, to train and support community and spiritual leaders throughout Haiti to prepare their communities for future disasters, including provision of counseling and support services—which are currently non-existent.
TRI has completed 3 of the 8 trainings that comprise the professional train-the trainers programs. We accomplished this on a shoestring budget of $13,660.07. The completion of this program is the PsychoTrauma Centers first priority. Multiple grant proposal submissions for our community-level project, “Project Hope in Haiti”, have received high marks but not been awarded. We need to raise $30,000.00 in 2011 for these projects.
TRI is not leaving Haiti. We are committed to focusing our efforts for the next 2 years on Haiti, where survivors of ongoing poverty, violence, and disaster continue to wait for help.
Financial assistance at any level would be greatly appreciated and 100% tax deductible. Please go this page to make donations.
Sincerely,
Amber Elizabeth Gray,
Director Trauma Resources International