Dear friends,
I am so happy to share our monthly paper with you directly from Haiti. During this visit, our Director Alayna Abraham will tour the four YMCA Community Centers with me to get to know the staff that she is been supervised at a distance. We will together thank the staff for their consistent effort, listen and evaluate these communities’ needs and propose solutions. In Caracol we will meet with a local engineer and come out of that meeting with elements for a concept paper to be submitted to Bolger Foundation to renovate this building after the collapsing of a part of the terrace.
Last month Quebec YMCA invited me to Halifax to participate in the National Conference of YMCA Canada where I had a chance to meet many colleagues and explore opportunities including the reinforcement of the Haiti Coalition:
- Quebec YMCA agreed to finance one-month training for Alayna in Montreal, including an immersion in the Language school as well as meetings with Change Agents;
- LACA will pursue its efforts to register her in the next Change Agents cohort.
- Greater Philadelphia and Greater Rochester YMCAs will share the cost of her participation in the next World Urban Network event in Colombia.
- Conversations are well in their way with two other YMCAs in Canada with a view to rebuild and reinforce the Haiti Coalition.
As for the country, finally some members of the International forces are on the ground in Port-au-Prince, their sole presence filled the people with hope and brings already a sense of calm although volatile. The port and airport in Port-au-Prince are already secured, but the steady stability climate that the people is longing for will come later when the thousands of troops are in the ground. My guess is October- November, most of us know why!
This summer bought its load of recreational activities and programs in our community centers while we patiently await to renew with our legendary YMCA camps, International visitors, campers, builders and partners.
Dear friends and partners, thanks for your continuous support, with resilience still in the mix, YMCA d’Haïti is well on its way to rebuild better.
Gwénaël
