Further to the unfounded rumors of violence against foreigners in Haiti

We tell all of our relief workers to come to Haiti first as trusting humanitarians and secondly as a volunteers seeking to put that humanitarianism into practice.

Engage the people on the street and spend your money lavishly. Haiti’s future economic condition will determine if this whole effort is a success or not.

According to the US Southern Command, the countryside of Haiti has hardly ever had an incident in which a visitor has been harmed. Port-au-Prince is obviously different, but has now changed as everyone seeks to help each other. Now is the time to wholly experience a unique culture that is possibly the most spiritual, and poorest, on earth.

Dave Rivard
AAI Board Member

What made me cry today...

Every day here in Haiti I see utterly destitute people looking the best they can under the circumstances

Today I met a young man by the name of Nixon pulling himself up the broken streets past the rubble of his school which collapsed and killed 4 of the teachers and 150 of his school-mates. Using a broken old walker and dragging his legs behind, he had a triumphant smile on his face.

I also saw graffitI on a wall downtown amid the ruins of everything: "MICHELLE OBAMA!"

Daniel Susott

AAI Medical Director

A Response to Issues of Safety

I would like to address the stories coming out of Haiti regarding safety concerns.

Three weeks ago I made the trek from Haiti to the Dominican Republic. I felt much safer in the Haitian countryside on the journey than I did when I got into the DR.

Some of it was fear, but much of it is because I believe all people are inherently good and it is only their inner strength that will prevent the soul from being corrupted or made evil by the outside world. In Haiti, because of the greater rate of poverty and a class system where people are perceived and treated as lower caste in comparison to those in the DR, often their soul is much stronger because at that point even if they don't have money - and now often not their homes - they have their dignity.

I remember stopping for gas with my motorcycle and getting a soda pop - the Haitians were all so nice, children and adults so engaging that my friend and I couldn't help but to give them money and my last Power Bar.

Daniel Sheth
AAI Board Member

Petionville, Haiti

Today the maid came home. She lost her left leg and broke her right arm in the earthquake. Her eldest son and husband are dead. We loaded her up with stuff including Marian Edey's back pillow (left at a meeting in Sausalito), a blanket borrowed from an airline, and lots of food. She may be moving to an "orphanage" with her sons (twins David and Daniel - pictured with their mother) to recover.

One of our friends known for his work with street youth has been given a large hunk of land for 75 kids, supported by UNICEF, where we hope to set up a dome factory. Both Pacific Domes (www.pacificdomes.com) and Ashoka fellow Helen Samuels (www.greendomeprojects.org) are looking to set up dome-production facilities here in Haiti and we are working with both.

Pacific Domes has been making domes for 40 years (go Asha Deliverance!) and has already donated 30 domes for various sites around Haiti.

I am sponsoring one 60-foot dome to house the government (30 people and desks) while they get back on their feet. I am doing this out of my home-equity loan, and am grateful for whatever assistance people can provide by donating to Airline Ambassadors at www.airlineamb.org.

We have established a volunteer base here where Ashoka fellows from around the globe can come and donate their expertise.

Daniel Susott
AAI Medical Director