Donations for Haiti quake victims grow

Donations for Haiti victims made through Viva Rio now over BRL 600 thousand (more than US$ 300 thousand). Apart from money, donations include medical supplies, canned food, first aid kits, water and chlorine tablets, which will be sent by ship to Haiti. Viva Rio headquarters in the striken neighborhood of Bel Air are currently sheltering an estimated 5 thousand people.

Thousands of people are homeless, there is no electricity and communications are cut off after an earthquake hit just outside Port-au-Prince on the afternoon of the 12th of January.

The Brazilian military forces that make up the United Nations Stabilization Mission, MINUSTAH, are working to help the victims, as are the 25 members of the Community Protection Brigade, volunteers trained by Viva Rio in first-aid, fire-fighting and post-disaster intervention.

The Port-au-Prince airport was partially destroyed complicating delivery of international aid and food for the population. Viva Rio has opened a bank account to receive donations that will be used to buy food, water and medical supplies.

Videos inside Kay Nou

On Jan 18th, we received short videos showing the situation in “Kay Nou” (our community center inside Bel Air), that can be found by following the links below. Our workers estimate that there are 320 families and approx 1600 people in Kay Nou at this moment.

Video 1 - families in improvised tents, receiving water and some food. In the end of the movie, you see the Community Brigade providing first aid (people in dark blue cap)  - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKpj9njKOXM

Video 2 – Viva Rio staff in Haiti have already found 74 of the 150 children who take part of the capoeira project ("Gingando pela Paz"). They try to play music again, to bring capoeira back to their lives - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azcH8N095pY

Video 3 - the place where the capoeira lessons used to happpen, affected by the earthquake - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrXMk9kJq50

Viva Rio in Haiti: humanitarian assistance in the terrain and mobilization elsewhere

Viva Rio has been working hard in Haiti since 2005 - we are working even harder since Jan 12th 2010. Our 9 Brazilian employees in Haiti are ok, but we have a total of 350 employees and they are all Haitians - and we still have not heard from all of them. After the earthquake, Viva Rio decided to proceed with a “dual strategy”: humanitarian assistance in the terrain, and mobilization elsewhere. 

This will support emergencial aid and will help Haitians to establish the first steps towards reconstruction.In Haiti, Viva Rio is sheltering 320 families or approximately 1600 people in “Kay Nou” (literally means “our home”, and it is our community center inside Bel Air). They have shelter, water, and some first aid - food is short, as well as medicine.

Apart from Viva Rio workers, a great help in Kay Nou is also coming from the Community Brigade, a group of people previously trained by Viva Rio and by the Brazilian Battalion to rescue and to provide first aid in cases of emergencies. In terms of mobilization, Viva Rio has launched a campaign to receive water, food, medical supplies (especially first aid), pills for water purification, new medicines, and clothing.

As of today, January 21st, there are 5 places in the city of Rio de Janeiro to which Brazilians can bring their contribution: Viva Rio (Glória), Forte de São João (Urca), Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (Gávea), Pier Mauá (downtown), and Ação da Cidadania (Praça Mauá).Apart from that, because of the partial destruction of the airport and the unnoperative harbor, and with the situation of logistics steadily improving, Viva Rio is also receiving money.

For donations please use this account:

BRAZIL
VIVA RIO DOAÇÕES
Banco do Brasil
Branch (Agência): 1769-8
Account: 5113-6
CNPJ: 00343941/0001-28

USA
VIVA RIO
Banco do Brasil
Ag. New York- 600 5th Avenue 3rd floor
New York, NY 10020
Account: 100065090
ABA 026003557
Swift code: BRASUS33

Viva Rio’s activities in Haiti

Since its independence, in 1804, Haiti has faced serious problems to achieve political stability and economic growth. Repressive dictatorships, foreign occupations, and natural disasters are some of the challenges to the development of the poorest in the Western Hemisphere.

One week after the earthquake, more than 75,000 people were buried, according to the Haitian government, and the Red Cross estimates that approximatelly 3 million people got somehow affected by the disaster. Important symbols of strength were destroyed: the siege of the government  (Palais National), the headquarters of the United Nations, the National Fort, the Cathedral, and three universities.

Viva Rio started working in Haiti in 2004/2005, and has a permanent presence in Port-au-Prince since 2007, in a large community center inside the neighborhood of Bel Air, called Kay Nou ("our home"). Our staff has a group of approximately 370 workers, among which 9 are Brazilians, and all the others are Haitians. After the quake, all the Brazilians reported back saying they are ok, but we still need to hear from the majority of our Haitian workers.

Our projects are located in Great Bel Air, with a population of about 128,000 people. We develop social projects related to security, development and environment, which are part of the macro program “Honor and Respect for Bel Air”.

Some of our activities in Haiti include providing mechanisms for conflict resolution between “bases” (as the armed groups are called in Haiti), empowerment of women, collecting rain water, distribution of potable water, collection of garbage, bio-gas, sports (soccer), capoeira, and music, to mention a few.
Below you will find basic information on some of our projects in Haiti:

Census in Bel Air - The Demographic Census in Bel Air was organized in 2007, and included more than 10,000 families. It deals with themes such as demographics, migration, victimization, sewage, and dwelling.

Peace Agreements - With the full support of the National Commission of DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration, an office of the Haitian government), Viva Rio facilitated the process that led to the signing of three peace agreements (2007, 2008 and 2009) between leaders of rival groups who presented a history of conflicts.

Water, women and health - Goal: to provide potable water. The rainwater is collected in the rooftops of schools; it receives proper treatment and only then it is distributed to the local population.

Community Brigade - The Brigade was created to reinforce the activities of the Haitian state. It is trained by Viva Rio and the Brazilian Battalion to provide first aid in cases of natural disasters. It is also a way to sensibilize the population for issues related to water and garbage.

Gingando pela Paz (“Dancing capoeira for peace”) - This project aims to teach capoeira (a Brazilian fight/dance) to children and youth in Bel Air. Educators use capoeira as a tool to stimulate social and human development of this vulnerable group, and to promote a culture of peace amog them.

Trash has no legs - It is a campaign to clean and to provide a minimum sewage structure inside the neighborhood of Bel Air, aiming to diminish the impact of garbage in the environment. This project also aims to clean the canals of the region, avoiding flooding and creating jobs.

Bel Air Green - It is a campaign towards the reforestation of Bel Air and to demand for a change in the political classification of the neighborhood by the UN (which considers that region to be a red zone due to allegedly high levels of armed violence).

Rap contest - It is a musical contest related to HIV/AIDS with the goal of raising awareness of the youth, through music, to the struggle against prejudices, to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and so on.