Shown in the photo above are Rotarians in Haiti in early 2010 with the former PM of Haiti, Jean-Max Bellerive, His Excellency, Louis Harold Joseph, former Ambassador for Haiti to The Bahamas, PRID Barry Rassin, PDG Richard McCombe and Rotarian Claude Serena, head of the Haitian Task Force. Photo: Paul Aranha.

To highlight Rotary’s work and bring attention for a request for donations, a 30 second public service announcement (PSA) will be aired in six countries in District 7020 that will include The Bahamas, The British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, US Virgin Islands, St. Martin and Jamaica.  The English television and the English, French and Creole radio announcements will air starting the third week in May 2011.

The PSA can be viewed on www.youtube.com at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USgXI67R-i4 or by typing into the search box on You Tube: “Rotary Haiti Earthquake Relief Funds Announcement.”

Rotary Donor Advised Fund Project #24- Latrines. Carrefour/Mon Repos provide 10 bacteriologic latrines for a “tent city” at a cost of $23,142.

Proudly, The Bahamas Fund, The District Fund in Cayman and the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund which is a donor advised fund set up within the Rotary Foundation is making great strides.  Vital short to medium-term projects relating to children for getting thousands of kids back in school and Rotary’s Jaipur Limb project, relating to 4,000 amputees affected by the earthquake are underway.

Sixty-nine donor projects have been approved with funding, 10 without and 4 are completed. Just a few of those projects include: the building of approximately 50 schools; the erecting of 3 buildings for the Jaipur Limb project where the prostheses will be made; providing school supplies to thousands of kids; purchasing a generator for a kitchen that serves 8,000 meals a day; and supplying aqua-pure tablets to help thousands prevent the deadly Cholera epidemic from spreading.

More information on these and other Donor Advised Fund projects can be found at http://haiti-task-force.blogspot.com.

Due to the generosity and hard work of Rotary and their communities, hundreds of thousands of lives in Haiti have benefited from the $5 million raised for these Funds.

The 19  Rotary Clubs in Haiti, their fellow Rotarians in District 7020 and Rotary International extend a thank you to all those who assisted and who continue to give their support. We are currently seeking to raise another $1 million and Rotary needs your help.  If you would like to contribute to the Haiti Hurricane Relief Funds, please contact one of the local Rotary Clubs or visit www.rotary.org/haiti.