Sandy the fatal hurricane...

All Haitians knew that Sandy will come as a tropical storm, but nobody was prepared for Sandy as a hurricane what has make everyone living situation very tough on day 4.

Most Haitian rivers met in certain junctions making the disaster very meaningful by destroying houses, churches, schools, plantations and taking thousands of animals on its way and caused partially 16 deaths. Our rivers couldn't contain the water flow driven by Sandy that decided to even take some bridges and disconnect many communities to another as it's the case for Bois Négresse and Marigot. We know what's going on from one community to another by calling our radio stations that diffused the information about our community that keep us aware of everyone situation.

It started to rain since Tuesday night still now Friday that will continue tomorrow. More people are leaving their insecure houses or because of being flooded and go living in shelter which capacity was not presume to hold so many people.

But the living situation is getting worse as we were all not prepared as to stock some daily food and some useful materials as candles, hand flash, batteries and kerosene. People are calling now asking for food and drinking water because they are hungry and can't find a way out as disconnected from each other.

Haiti had been hit in August 2012 by hurricane Isaac and now by Sandy who had taken all the plantations that our peasants had invested in last month to rebuild a new life and to bring food to the nation. Now Sandy is not only content to destroy all plantations but also dispossess many peasants of their lands by watching off everything on its way.

The situation is very serious. While each community is asking for help and mostly for food and water right now, we also as Haitian ask each other to share any food we have left with others until the necessary help can come.

Myrtha Dor
Director
Star of Hope, Haiti

Hurricane Sandy - Photos from the area around Tony and Myrtha's home, close to the airport.

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Reports from Tony Boursiquot, Manager Star of Hope Haiti

15:30 CST 10/25/2012

The situation is getting worse everywhere; as rain continues pouring on Haiti even though the hurricane has already left Haiti traveling towards toward Cuba.

Roads flooded, some 5 feet or more.

All the routes to leave my home are still impassible because of the river that flooded the whole area. As I am stuck at home it is impossible for me to take new photos until I "can" get out. I keep constant contact with Star of Hope projects leaders, they report the same type of devastation caused during Sandy's passage with strong winds and sustained rains for more than 48 hours. Still we have new flooding problems and of course we have no access to reach our projects in Dano, Hesse, Marigot and Boise Negresse as roads are cut off many places.

Outside Tonys house far from the river.

The water in my yard is lower now that is a good news because water was close to reaching up to the inside of the house this morning as you can see in the picture.

tony

11:30 CST 10/25/2012

Hurricane Sandy hit hard, Haiti suffers again. Many regions in the south and southeast are totally flooded, many houses are destroyed, plantations ravaged, many animals have died and thousands of people are displaced fleeing to more secure building, both public and private. The south peninsula is mostly affected that is why 4 of 7 Star of Hope schools are affected: Hesse, Dano, Marigot and Bois Negresse that are located in southern part of Haiti.

- Part of the dining hall roof of Hesse school has been damaged by strong winds that blow hard in the mountains, many farms have been washed away, many goats and cows have perished.

- Plantations of bananas in Dano have been damaged by strong winds, roads cut off, many animals died, plantation of beans and milo have been ravaged and washed away by the river that overflowed and flooded all over the community. Water flows inside the class-room and everywhere but the buildings are not damaged.

Not much room left.

Another river overflowing, note the shacks on right.

-The river in Margot has overflowed and invaded the whole banana fields, destroyed houses, plantation and killed animals, many people take refuge in Marigot school,

- In B.Negresse many trees of the forest fall down. Some trees fall down on houses. Water invaded in the interior

- Many people who lived in the tent city and or tents near the river and ravine in Port au Prince (PAP) are taking refuge in some public building. Many places in PAP are flooded by ravines and rivers that are overflowed as shown in the pictures attached from La Plaine of Cul-de-Sac.

The rain started pouring on south of Haiti since yesterday and continues till today non-stop. Many roads are cut off. The government reported this morning that provisory 4 people died and many cases of cholera are reported during the passage of Hurricane Sandy. Businesses and schools are paralyzed today. Star of Hope office is closed today will open tomorrow. My wife and I are home in La Plaine where everybody is stuck because the river Grise is overflowed and flooded the whole plain; roads are flooded some by more than 5 feet of water of course this yields no access for cars or pedestrians. Water in my yard is already 2 feet high and rain continues to pour, harder and harder. In some places people in La Plaine decided to move all belongings to stock them in top of house roof as show pictures.

Moving possisions to the roof.

Will keep you posted time to time if communications hold

Tony

Tropical Storm Son-tinh Moves Through the Philippines

As of Wednesday morning, EDT, Tropical Storm Son-tinh (24W) was centered near 10.7 degrees north and 125.2 degrees east, or about 385 miles southeast of Manila, Philippines. Maximum sustained winds were 40 mph with gusts to 50 mph. Son-tinh was moving to the northwest at 20 mph.

Tropical Storm Son-tinh will bring rain and gusty winds to tropical storm force across much of the central Philippines as the center of circulation moves through. Southern and eastern parts of Luzon will also have locally heavy downpours, and there is a potential for flash flooding and mudslides. This system is expected to track to the west-northwest over the next several days, taking the storm through the South China Sea where it can intensify gradually. A landfall is possible in the northern half of Vietnam this weekend, and interests in this region should monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Son-tinh. This storm threatens our projects in the Philippines.

Manila 2011

Hurricane Sandy Hitting Jamaica; Tropical Storm Tony Churning Farther East

Sandy has been strengthened further Wednesday and is now a Category 1 hurricane. Sandy made landfall on the southeastern coast of Jamaica near Kingston around 3:00 p.m. EDT. Maximum sustained winds at the time of landfall were estimated to be near 80 mph.

Sandy will move north of Jamaica this evening and move over eastern Cuba tonight and tomorrow. The strongest winds and heaviest rainfall will continue to affect Jamaica, as well as eastern Cuba and Hispaniola through tonight; the worst of the weather will persist over eastern Cuba and Hispaniola into tomorrow. Rainfall will average 6-12 inches with some higher amounts over Jamaica and Hispaniola. Life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides are risks. This storm threatens Haiti.

Please pray for our projects, the children and their families.

GIVE TO THE DISASTER FUND

The sewing class in Hesse, Haiti, is running fine after its opening two weeks ago. The class is geared for youth and parent's living in and around the Hesse community. The participants have made skirts today and all are so very happy with the new skill as for many it is sheer excitement to learn a profession and be able to add to the household income. The participants are very thankful to be in the free sewing class, they send thanks to Star of Hope and Swedish Land Magazine for supporting this project.

by Myrtha Dor Star of Hope Haiti

Louise Rose-Marie Jasmin doesn't have a life story but rather a courageous and splendid life share. "Rose-Marie"is 48 years old and a mother of five. She lives in the local area known as Dano, Haiti. All of her children attended the Star of Hope School in Dano. The 3 youngest are still in school and this is her full responsibility. Since the earthquake of January in 2010, she has lived as a single mother.

Rose-Marie is the backbone of her family since her husband became too sick to work. this is a good thing. Back in 2008 she started with about $250 (Haitian). The money saved by her and her husband; she was able in less than 4 months to triple this amount. She decided to let her husband stay home to watch over the kids. Rose-Marie's mother also helped out as Rose-Marie was becoming a business woman.

During harvesting periods, she traveled the countryside buying goods for resale in the cities. She returns home only once every three months to bring her financial support to the family for food, school, clothes and pocket money. Soon after her visits she would be off again. For Rose-Marie, it was no sacrifice as she was finally able to financially meet the needs of her family.

Rose Marie, 48

During the earthquake, Rose-Marie's husband, Michel, suffered internal injuries and Rose-Marie had to come back home to assist him. During this time the medical fees, medicines and transportation to the hospital from Dano to the city had consumed all money she made from her business. And couple of weeks later Michel had a stroke and he couldn't move at all. At this point he was wheelchair bound.

It was a few months after the earthquake that the reconstruction began on the nearly destroyed Dano School. Rose-Marie walked in and asked for job at the construction site and was granted work. She was not appointed a specific job on site. She was willing to do anything needed; carrying rocks, moving buckets of rubber tar, carrying gravel or water. She made it clear from the beginning, "I'm very strong and I can do anything".

I am "strong"

While still taking care of her husband and supporting her family from her wages, Rose-Marie had also started to save for her new plan. From those savings she rented a room in the city next to the hospital to move her husband. Her only daughter was there to watch over him. His health condition required frequent visits to the hospital. Meanwhile, Rose-Marie kept on working on the construction site and saved enough to pay the school fees that remained on her account for her 3 children. She bought their school books, school materials, uniforms, shoes etc. for the school year of 2011-2012 from the pay received while rebuilding the very school they were attending.

She was living with the wish to make more savings and go back to her usual "buy and sell" business as she understood the current job was for a limited time.

But things don't come always as planned. Because of the increased requests from the population to work on the construction site it was decided to rotate the job seekers living in the community in order to bring some financial support to their families. Too many people needed work and Rose-Marie had no guarantee of when she would be able to go back working on the construction sites, but what could she do?

During the rotation time, Rose-Marie decided to have a mobile candy business and a fried food business, starting first at home but later she wanted a mobile business that she could move anywhere in the community or to different events. With a paralyzed husband, her children and mother to support, this business was failing but the needs of the family continued. By May 2012, there was no more business, but what can she do again?

Coincidentally in the last two years her youngest children; Sony 15 and Vladimir 12 who were still going to Star of Hope's Dano school, had both won a goat lottery ticket through the "Pay it Forward" Goat Project. These goats had given birth to baby goats that went to other children waiting in the "Pay it Forward" program. Later, her children's Goats had yet more baby goats and those goats were able to be used as cash. Rose-Marie took the 2 baby goats, one goat from each child, sold them and restarted the candy and fry business.

But bad bad circumstances are still crossing Rose-Marie's road. She was in financial difficulty for this academic year of 2012-2013 to come up with the school fee that is required from all parents. From her sense of business, she got everything ready to send her 3 children to school starting the 2nd week of school as is normal for returning students. However, her mother passed away on October 7, just a day before the school dues were needed. No more business, school fees as well as the last cash on hand and all savings is now taken for her mother's funeral.

Rose-Marie's economic situation meant she could not afford to send her to a funeral home and she was forced to bury her the next morning. Unfortunately during the wake in early evening a group of young guys fighting threw a rock which hit Rose-Marie in her face and she collapsed. Driven to the hospital in the middle of the night, Rose-Marie had some stitches and came back the next afternoon after her mom was already buried.

When informed of her situation, Star of Hope Haiti covered her children's school fees for all 3 children who will come back to school next Monday, after mourning their grandmother.

The rock they threw, knocked me out!

A week following the funeral, Rose-Marie has still this regret for not saying a formal good bye to her mom by putting the coffin herself into the ground. But she said: "What is happening to her life is just some pages written of my courageous life. The splendid life and rejoice will come and knock back to her door because God can't create a courageous and strong woman like her to vanish by meeting only bad circumstances."

Rose-Marie is a complete package and example of the vivid life of a Haitian woman who's fighting all obstacles to meet her family's need. Now living on hope, she thinks with the push and financial support from any Good Samaritan she will be able to get back on her feed.

Myrtha Dor

Director

Star of Hope, Haiti