World Relief Canada is responding to the people in Haiti through our Integral Partners World Relief US and Tearfund UK.

Tearfund has focused on the Leogane region and has the following update:
• 390 teachers have been trained in disease prevention, have accessed support to deal with the trauma of the past few months and have been trained in Disaster Risk Reduction in how to minimize the catastrophic results of another big disaster.

• Over 8000 children have been taught on these topics in 72 schools in the Leogane region.

• Tearfund have now supported 45 school clubs to restart as safe places where children can learn, socialize and get into a ‘normal’ routine after the trauma they have experienced. Many of these clubs are in areas where there has been no education whatsoever, until now.

• We have constructed over 260 latrines in 60 schools, an orphanage and an IDP camp.

• Work has started on providing clean, accessible water to rural communities.

Prayer Points:

• Recruitment – Praise the Lord for the appointment of Creole and French speaking Program Director Laura Nairn who arrived in Haiti recently. Please also remember the many vacancies we have amongst our national staff team. We still need project managers for WASH programs, education and livelihoods.

• Let’s continue to remember those who are still suffering the after-effects of the earthquake that they come to terms with their losses and start making a difference by looking to the future positively.

• Pray for the capacity of our partners, many who suffered heavy losses during the earthquake. Pray that they can come up with effective programs and that we can continue to offer them strong support as we enter a different phase of the program.

• Pray for our expats in Haiti that they will find the energy to continue working to the standard that they are familiar with and that they will have time to rest and relax as they bond as a team and really work well together.

• Pray that our expats and national team work well together and that there is a good dynamic that demonstrates Jesus to the people we’re working alongside.

Meanwhile, World Relief US has been working in and around Port-au-Prince.
· The international community met its goal to reach every family in need with temporary shelter before the May 1 deadline.  More than 1.7 million people—350,000 households—received shelter assistance through the UN and other humanitarian agencies. With hurricane season upon us, please continue to pray for safety and protection for people in Haiti.
· Hurricane season officially began on June 1.  Many traditional hurricane shelters http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6505UO20100601—churches, schools and community centers—were toppled in the quake.  With meteorologists predicting a particularly active hurricane season, the need for hurricane-resistant shelter is essential.  Please pray for protection for Haitians from the hurricane season.

Key Accomplishments

· We have provided more than 1,327,440 meals (rice, peas, oil and salt) since the earthquake—working closely with local church and community partners to ensure the most vulnerable are reached with vital food aid.

· We have provided over 120 people with jobs through the Cash For Work Program. The Cash for Work program offers temporary employment, stimulates the economy and contributes to the clean-up and rebuilding of communities.  Participants, recruited through partner churches, are grouped into teams of 14 to clear rubble.  They are paid $5 a day for 20 days work.  This program is implemented in four communities in Port-au-Prince.

·  We have distributed more than 1,633,000 gallons of water. We have also distributed four 1,000-gallon tanks and 2,300 jerry cans for water collection and storage in Cite Soleil and Sarthe. We plan to continue to distribute water until permanent water sources are available.

·  More than twelve wells have already been drilled. These wells will provide ongoing potable water to the community. We are helping to facilitate the formation of community water committees to manage wells on a long-term basis and create ownership.

·  In partnership with 66 pastors who register the neediest in their communities, we have provided 48,000 families with temporary shelter.

·  World Relief is partnering with Plant with a Purpose, a local NGO working in agriculture, to assist in the ongoing planting season in Leogane. We have provided 2,700 farmers with high quality black bean seed to replenish supplies diminished by food insecurity. Soil protection and reforestation projects have employed nearly 2,000 people with a goal to replant 250,000 trees.

Check out this video of Dr. Hubert Morquette http://www.vimeo.com/12576142 , former country director of World Relief Haiti, to hear what he shared about his country and the church in Haiti.

World Relief will focus initially on three areas of programming:

• First are Health Programs. These are the longest-running programs with a network of over 3000 Haitian churches. It has formed around programs including Maternal and Child Health (MCH), Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), and Mobilizing Youth for Life HIV/AIDS prevention program.

• The second program area, Agricultural Programming, will focus on 3 to 6 rural areas that have an interest in and need for agricultural/ livelihood development programming. The goal is to pursue agricultural market development and value chain economic empowerment over a 5- to 15-year time span.

• The third program area, focused on disaster response and recovery in the Port-au-Prince region, will be the focal point for donor and  church engagement. These efforts will empower Haitian church partner networks to address priority needs in such areas as water and sanitation, reconstruction and economic development.

World Relief Canada continues to need your support for our ongoing efforts in Haiti. To donate online click here or call 1-800-567-8190 toll-free.