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Sikhs
for Haiti: 2010 in Retrospect
Selfless Service to continue in 2011 for the Children of Haiti
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Highlights:
- An year after the Earthquake, the work in Haiti
continues
- UNITED SIKHS joins hands with the Sikh
Community in Canada and USA to continue the work in Haiti for a better
tomorrow
- UNITED SIKHS Urban Development team builds a
school in Port-au-Prince in 2010 and an Orphanage planned for 2011
January 12, 2010 was a day of immense loss to
Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas as per the Human Development
Index. The Sikh community led by UNITED SIKHS responded with
volunteers on the ground with immediate relief.
Year 2010
- Within 72 hours of the devastating earthquake,
our Disaster Relief Team landed in Port-au-Prince with relief supplies.
- In the initial four month period, UNITED SIKHS
sent over 85 volunteers, provided 4,000 hot meals daily to over
250,000 survivors.
- We delivered 15,000 kgs of dry food materials,
5,000 kgs of clothing, blankets, mattresses, toys and educational
materials and set up tent shelters for over 1,000 families.
- Medical Teams established relations with
Project Medishare reaching out to Haitians in make-shift clinics 24/7.
- Series of medical clinics for 800+ Haitians who
had not received any medical attention even months after the initial
earthquake.
- The Bangkok
Sikh Sangat generously donated 20 Tons of Rice shipment .
Distribution is underway in 2011.
- Our Urban Design and Development team built a
community school in Carrefour- Paloma community, Haiti, in August 2010.
The school has 4 classrooms with 120 students enrolled, we are
funding the school’s operating expenses. Special thanks to the
team: Ishmeet
Singh, Dr Gurvinder Singh, and Saqib keval (San Francisco), Dharam
Singh Khalsa (Espanola),
Haiti UN employee, Harsharn Singh, L’Horisson Jean Lucson, L’Horisson
Stephen, Antoine Petit, Haiti.
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| Children in temporary
school in Port-au-Prince with Dharam
Singh Khalsa, Ishmeet Singh, Dr. Gurvinder Singh | |
Year 2011:
Children of Haiti need us
A year later, today, many Haitians still go without access to basic
services such as access to hospital care despite the influx of over $1
billion in aid. According to several estimates, more than a million
Haitians are still homeless. Per UNICEF, Haiti’s 4 million children
continue to suffer from inequitable access to basic water, sanitation,
healthcare, and education services and protection from disease,
exploitation, and unsanitary conditions. Where a billion $ does not
make a dent, Nishkam Seva by our volunteers goes a long way in bringing
succor to the communities in Haiti.
We pledge our commitment to continue the work in Haiti, making a
difference one brick at a time. Our efforts in Haiti are concentrated
in Carrefour-Paloma.
- The UNITED SIKHS Urban Design Team has
developed design proposals for schools, orphanages, and housing
communities in various locations. We have also established partnerships
with those organizations that also hold a commitment to humanitarian
work.
- Project Nippes
Orphanage for 150+ kids:
The orphanage as conceived will expand into a vibrant community center
for vocational training, sports facilities, and small scale
agriculture. The design uses reinforced concrete domes to provide
earthquake and hurricane resistant permanent shelters. This building
type is fast and simple and well-suited for rapid construction by local
community members.
- Jaipal Singh,
Architect and Coordinator of the Urban Design and Development Team:
“Our work in Haiti has only scratched the surface. This humanitarian
mission in the name of Guru Nanak Sahib can only continue with the
ongoing support of the Sikh sangat and devoted volunteers.”
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Schematic
view of the Nippes orphanage Designed
by Jaipal Singh |
Kids at
school
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Harsharn
Singh continues to be our volunteer in
Haiti one year later |
Temporary
school in 2010
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Touching lives has its rewards. The note below is just one of the notes
we receive on a regular basis... Touch a life, share a smile. Make aDonation
for Haiti. Volunteer
- help yourself by helping others!
A letter of thanks from
Pastors Dieuseul & Jonas:
Dear friends,
At the beginning of this New Year, we want to thank you all you have done for our people after the earthquake and especially for us at FONTAMARA. You had fed
our 800 of our people (more kids) at SILOE CHURCH.
We pray the Lord Jesus-Christ to flow upon you His Grace, so you could have His joy,
peace, and happiness.
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Issued
by:
Jaipal Singh
UNITED SIKHS
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Ph: 1-905-672-2245 ( Canada)
1-888-243-1690 (USA)
1-646-688-3525 (USA)
+44 8701993328 (UK)
You
can help those affected by countless crises around the world each year
by making a financial gift to the UNITED SIKHS, which will provide
immediate relief and support to those in need. Call 1-905-672-2245 or
1-888-243-1690 for more information. Contribute to UNITED SIKHS through
local chapter in your country http://unitedsikhs.org/contact.php .
Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting
http://unitedsikhs.org/donate.php . If you wish to designate your
donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your
donation. | |
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| THE DIFFERENCE YOUR
DONATIONS CAN MAKE |
- $25 provides educational toys for
children who have none
- $50 provides simple bucket-water
filtration system to fight Cholera
- $100 provides one child two meals a day
for one full year
- $400 provides a single family 2x4 shelter
from the tropical storms and overbearing heat.
- On an average, less than 5% of all
donations have gone towards operating costs for UNITED SIKHS Urban
Design and Development Work.
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| FUTURE NEEDS |
- Medical Assistance and Supplies
- Medical doctors, Nurses to spend
two or more weeks in Haiti
- Temporary Shelter Material, Tents
- Volunteer teachers who can spend
couple of months in Haiti
- Construction and Urban development
volunteers
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| Contact Us |
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You
can help those affected by countless crises around the world each year
by making a financial gift to the UNITED SIKHS, which will provide
immediate relief and support to those in need. You may donate online atwww.unitedsikhs.org/donate
or send your donations to a UNITED SIKHS office nearest to
you, whose details can be found at http://unitedsikhs.org/contact.php. |
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Ronald
Michel, a local Haitian who operates the Carrefour School : “A
big hello to all the members of UNITED SIKHS. We want to thank you for
building the school. Students, teachers, and all staff are doing well.
Every day 2 or 3 students are added to the school and the community
feels assured by the quality of services we offer. It makes us proud.
Thank you for your commitment.”
Bikramjit Singh Sandhar, President
of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, Surrey,
BC:" We want to build school and health care centers to provide better
standard of living to people of Haiti. The entire Sikh community is
dedicated to this cause and we've all come together with UNITED SIKHS
to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti"
Ishmeet Singh, Project Manager for
UNITED SIKHS: “Our support to
Carrefour –Paloma doesn’t end here. We are committed to ensuring that
this school functions smoothly and provide continued support in any
form as needed.”
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