Rebuilding Jacmel, Haiti

The look in her eyes brought me to tears, my mom is the strongest woman I know and i've never seen her like this :(

Please take the time to view this video... http://vimeo.com/8848104

Jacmel awoke at 6AM this morning to yet another after-shock(apparently 6.1). The students and Ciné Institute Founder David Belle, asleepin a temporary office, were on their feet and running out doors and windows inless than 5 seconds. More houses have fallen and the main tower is down,knocking out Internet.
The good news is that David Belle also reports that due tothe incredible response of the media to this story, there are now relief shipsand planes arriving in Jacmel and the C.I. students are out with 5 crews findingother towns that have been so far cut off from aid.

is finally showing Presence in Haiti and not only in the capital! I received a call from my mom yesterday saying that helicopters have been landing with Aid. Hopefully this will all soon be over with.

I am planning to take a trip there mid February or early March. Will keep this page updated and please continue to spread the word!

-Sid

"I have traveled the entire city daily since my arrival. The extent of damages is absolutely staggering. At every step, at every bend is one horrific tragedy after another; homes, businesses, schools and churches leveled to nothing. Inside every mountain of rubble there are people, most dead at this point. The smell is overwhelming. On every street are people -- survivors -- who have lost everything they have: homes, parents, children, friends.


"I have been told that much US media coverage paints Haiti as a tinderbox ready to explode. I'm told that lead stories in major media are of looting, violence and chaos. There could be nothing further from the truth.

"NOT ONCE have we witnessed a single act of aggression or violence. To the contrary, we have witnessed neighbors helping neighbors and friends helping friends and strangers. We've seen neighbors digging in rubble with their bare hands to find survivors. We've seen traditional healers treating the injured; we've seen dignified ceremonies for mass burials and residents patiently waiting under boiling sun with nothing but their few remaining belongings. A crippled city of two million awaits help, medicine, food and water. Most haven't received any.
"Haiti can be proud of its survivors. Their dignity and decency in the face of this tragedy is itself staggering."

David Belle, January 17th, 2010

...a few other places where you can find posts about this fundraiser:

http://www.apug.org/forums/forum38/70532-haiti-earthquake-2.html

http://rebeccalawrenceart.blogspot.com/2010/01/jacmel.html

http://loveismyrealname.blogspot.com/2010/01/pray-for-them.html

Just got news from my cousin, Jean-Luc Etienne, that one of our Aunts is dead after the house collapsing on her and that many other family members are still missing. Please keep everyone in Haiti in your thoughts as this is seriously a major catastrophe.

Ciné Institute director David Belle flew from New York to PuertoRico and then to Santo Domingo, then drove across Dominican Republicborder to Hotel Oloffson in downtown PAP (Port au Prince). It is adrive that normally takes an hour and a half, but this time it tookfive hours.
“Traffic totally snarled at the city entrance with people headingout to provinces. Dominican presidential convoys racing back across toborder after food drops. Military helicopters and cargo planesshuttling back and forth from border overhead. No substantial damagesin Guanthier and Croix des Bouquets or Carrefou Marasa — walls and somesmall homes down but most larger construction standing. Airportsurprisingly emptier than I expected with only 100 or so peopleattempting to get inside. Control tower is standing. Another group of20 or so sleeping on curb with baggage who had apparently been turnedaway from an evacuation flight. Major destruction is first visible onthe airport road heading to Delmas. Large buildings pancaked. Publicsquares at Delmas are makeshift refugee camp.
Moving into the city, route Nazon — which winds across central PAP —the destruction gets worse and worse and the street is lined with pilesof swollen, rotting bodies. Residents place bodies on this central roadwith hope that they’ll be picked up and disposed of in mass gravesbeing dug in routes Freres and Titayen.
Periodic roadblocks have been set up by residents, protesting thelack of any aid presence and angry at stench and indecency. Hugestate-owned caterpillar tractors and dump trucks were just beginning toarrive and load bodies as we passed through. In the worst parts — every50 feet or so — there were groups of 10 to 15 bodies lined side by sideor stacked together. In between these stacks and groupings is acontinual line of singles and doubles — one body after another. Theodor is overwhelming. No one sleeps indoors and so roads are alsopartially blocked with families who have moved their beds to thestreet. Everyone is singing and praying in groups. Almost every one ofthe main hotels are damaged or destroyed. Hotel Montana is flattened.One of the owners and many guests buried inside. Oloffson Hotel has nomore available rooms. Slept on mattresses in parking lot with RichardMorse (owner of Oloffson) and family. Two light tremors hit at 5 AM
“I have very little news of friends in PAP. I know that MagalieMarcelin, the assistant director of my film Madame Ti Zo — is dead. Flofrom Fosaj — the art school in Jacmel — also dead. No electricity —laptop battery almost dead. Will write as I can."
David Belle, January 14th, 2010

Donation counter seems to be on the fritz until Chipin.com fixes it, but the total as of 9:30 PM on 01/14/10 is $1,515!

thank you so much to all that's contributed to this cause and look forward to reaching our goal of $50,000 by March 1st!

Your donations will specifically go to the town of Jacmel, Haiti. I'mafraid that relief will take a long time to reach the surrounding townswith most of the aid going to Port-au-Prince, the capital.

This will help provide temporary housing such as tents until people are able to start re-construction on their homes. Not everyone will be able to do this as Jacmel is filled with artists, farmers and fisherman who don't normally have steady income.

I will be posting receipts and up to date info on where these funds are being used.

Whether youdonate to this fundraiser or others, such as the United Nation's World Food Program or Red Cross, every little bit helps.

If you would like to send clothing, tents, or anything at all that you think will help,

You can ship to:

Ciné Institute
10 Rue St. Anne
Jacmel, Haiti W.I.

For more info on Ciné Institute, please visit www.cineinstitute.com

If you have family in Jacmel send names and their details to info@cineinstitute.com and they will attempt to get news of them for you

Please feel free to spread the word!

I will be updating this again as soon as I get a report from my mother who has also been left without a home.