ATAMANENKO RAISES A PLEA FROM HAITI
Another group of people from the Kootenays are caught in the Haitian disaster, yet are calling to people of southern BC to help out.
The office of MP Alex Atamanenko (BC Southern Interior) received a call from constituent Rik Valentine of Argenta late yesterday. Valentine had received news of three Nelsonites who were in Haiti to work with the group Pure Water for the World to help provide clean drinking water to communities there.
Sebastien DeMarre, Maire-Paule Brisson and David Putt were caught in the quake in Port-au-Prince shortly after leaving their workplace in the bottom of a four storey building.
“They’re currently sleeping in the street, distributing bits of medical supplies and helping with triage,” Valentine explained. “They were making splints out of bed sheets and cardboard and diluting alcohol to make it stretch farther. Supplies were running out fast.”
He called the office because Putt, who is managing the Pure Water project, had managed to get an email out to his daughters that the three were unhurt but were seeing looming shortages in food, water and medical supplies.
The group is there to help Haitians produce their own household-sized water filters using local materials. “It’s an effective design using biologically-active slow sand filtration to remove or neutralize nearly all pathogens” said Valentine, who has received the training for this. “And, they can be made onsite.”
“Unfortunately, word is that many of the filters they had built were damaged in the earth quake. The need for pure water is urgent, and their goal is to get back on track and produce and distribute as many filters as possible”.
Valentine asked Atamanenko to get the word out that Canada and Canadians need to send help immediately.
“I am passing on a plea from three BC residents on the scene,” said Atamanenko. “They are asking Canadians for immediate aid because there are almost no medical supplies left and food and water will be in short supply soon. They are doing what they can, and are in position to resume and redouble their safe water project.”
“I am asking constituents to think about what they can do to help, and hopefully donate to some of the relief and re-building efforts in Haiti”. Atamanenko also noted the federal government has now pledged to match Canadians donations dollar for dollar to eligible organizations made between January 12 and February 12. (Go to http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/acdi-cida/ACDI-CIDA.nsf/eng/FRA-11482615-HRY for info).
“This whole disaster, and the fact that these three constituents, plus the group of students and adults from Mount Sentinel High School in South Slocan are caught in the middle of it in Haiti, has really brought home the reality that we live in this world together, and must strive to support each other,” said Atamanenko. “This is true not only in times of crisis like this, but on an on-going basis, as these BC residents exemplify through their service efforts.”
Atamanenko’s office was also contacted by Mt. Sentinel School Tuesday afternoon, and has been working with them and School District 8 in contacting Foreign Affairs and the Department of Defense around securing the whereabouts, status, safety and evacuation of the High School group.
“We are thankful that the staffs of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Defense are working hard for Canadians and communities in Haiti. It is my hope that they will ensure a speedy evacuation of the Mt. Sentinel group, so we can get our kids home as soon as possible.”
For more information: Rik Valentine 250-366-4325
Alex Atamanenko, MP 250-365-2788 1-800-667-2393
Donations made at www.purewaterfortheworld.org can be directed to their project. They are working on getting a local funding channel set up.
Other groups accepting donations:
Doctors Without Borders: www.msf.ca Phone: 1 800 982 7903
The Canadian Red Cross: www.redcross.ca Phone: 1-800-418-1111
The Humanitarian Coalition: www.humanitariancoalition.ca Phone: 1-800-464-9154
UNICEF: www.unicef.ca Phone: 1-800-567-4483
Tags: Haiti