I SHOULD like to thank the local community for kindly supporting our club's recent emergency collections in Rustington and at Sainsbury's, to enable Rotary to help the people of Haiti following the terrible earthquake; we were very pleased to collect some £2,540 as you reported (Gazette, January 28).
As this followed so closely on our successful Christmas collections, we do appreciate the support and confidence that local residents have shown in Rotary in general and the Littlehampton club in particular.
I would like to take this opportunity t
o advise your readers how the money so kindly donated will be spent – we have initially sent £1,500 to purchase and despatch 10 water-survival boxes; this is a scheme organised by the Rotary Club of Chelwood Bridge in Somerset.
Each box contains water purification equipment for a family of five and so protects them against water-borne disease. Each box also contains survival equipment for eating and drinking safely, health and hygiene, a basic shelter, simple tools and household items – all to help survival in the weeks and months ahead. As with the Shelter Boxes sent earlier, Rotary's aim is to get the boxes to survivors of the disaster within days to protect against water-borne disease.
Among the first international relief workers to reach Haiti were Rotary volunteers from our Shelter Box scheme , and their first priority was to help pregnant women and families with newborn babies. Rotary has now delivered and erected more than 4,000 Shelter Box tents, providing shelter to more than 40,000 people; and another 1,000 are due to arrive within the next week.
In Haiti, Rotarian Dr Claude Surena has been appointed by President Rene Preval to co-ordinate the government's emergency response; so Rotary International sent a delegation on January 27 to meet Dr Surena to ensure that all aid sent by Rotary meets the greatest needs of the country.
As well as continuing with our initial aid of shelter and water-survival boxes, we have been requested by Dr Surena to establish a rehabilitation centre for those needing physical therapy, occupational therapy and psychosocial counselling; the centre will also plan to establish a workshop to make artificial limbs owing to the substantial number of people with crushed limbs.
So I anticipate that Littlehampton Rotary will use the balance of the money collected, and any other donations people may care to make, to help finance the initial costs of the centre – working with the 11 Rotary clubs in Haiti, Rotarians from around the world will ensure the success of this long-term care and assistance project for the people of Haiti.
The club is immensely grateful for the support we have received and we are committed to continue in 2010 to work to help those in need both here in our community and overseas.
W. F. Paine
president
Littlehampton Rotary Club
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