Update from Anitra Thorhaug (1987 Laureate) regarding current conditions in Haiti

Haiti Report May 25, 2010 from Gressier, Haiti. Prevention of floods, mud slides, and more suffering for Haitians through prevention measures and our new health songs in Creole. Anitra Thorhaug (1987 laureate).

We have started a series of radio songs to help get the messages across. Many rural and urban Haitians have transitor radios although they are very poor. They are dependent on  these and listen intently. Dr. Jack Allison has written 3 original health songs which we are playing on many Haitian radio stations . The first you can listen to your self. FREE!

This is " Don't Sleep in the Gully" Which warns the people still in tent cities after the earth quakes to move to higher ground , " The rains are a'coming" . There were few places to put tents, so alot of riverine flood plains were the sites of tent cities. 1.)In Gressier, Haiti at the epicenter, courtesy of great efforts by Jim Malone ( West Glacier, Montana), we mapped the rivers and ravines (USGS systems) and made maps for the vulnerable flood areas. 2.) Then we enlisted women's groups, priests and ministers, and school teachers and the mayor to move people from vulnerable areas to the high ground with our maps. Thank goodness, they are all moved before the rains. Other towns are not as lucky and many citizens need to move. We all remember floods of 18 months ago killing 3000 in Haiti. This disaster of potential mud and debris slides, rivers chocked with garbage and people, and displacement of families could be really severe. Thus, we need help in playing our songs over the radio to people all through the earthquake zones.. Any donations will help! Tod Landress, Univ. of Miami Communications Center has begun the distribution process of the songs to the radio stations in Haiti as has Dr. Ryan Jackson in Haiti.. 3.) Dr. Ryan Jackson (Casper Wyoming, and Laredo,Texas) has also organized a major garbage removal project with UNDP employment workers to clean all the "chock" spots in the rivers, so garbage piling up at culverts and bridges does not make floods. They removed over 40 tons of garbage from Gressier. 4.) The preventative medicine mini-courses have begun. We have entered orphanages, schools, women's groups, church groups, and community groups with our lectures by Dr. Tom Powers and Dr. Ryan Jackson so that the citizens of Gressier are learning about water borne diseases and prevention, insect transmitted diseases and their prevention, and many other helpful facts like " wash your hands" and " boil your water". This has met with great enthusiasm and surprise about the usefulness of the information. Please participate with us. Let us together help these people of the earthquake.  

Contributions to help us get transport and equipment for physicians to give treatment the injured can be sent to our web site on GCEEF.org and utilize our “donate” button. This also will help to get the health songs on the radio. We need funds for the Producers. Singers have volunteered as did the composer. The contributions really go a long way to help all this effort and are all being used to finance physicians travel and supplies and equipment and radio announcements for public health . There are matching medicines, volunteer labor by doctors, staff and singers and some matching airfares from airlines. Thanks for helping the injured Haitians and preventing more calamities. or send donations in check or cash to the below address. We get you the most for your donations.