Update January 30, 2010

SOPUDEP did have to abandon their school building about four days ago. It was being used as a shelter, but the stench of dead bodies was getting to strong. School director Réa Dol doesn't think it will ever work again as a school anyways because there was structural damage and all but three homes were destroyed in the neighborhood. It is time now for the school to relocate!

Now that being said, SOPUDEP did start payments on a piece of land last year in anticipation of building a new school for 2012 (when their lease would run up on their current building). Thanks to a generous donor from San Francisco, all but $20,000 of the original $60,000 is owing on the land. Seth Donnelly from the Bay area will most likely head up this fundraising project to pay off the land that will secure the schools future.

The Préval government has ordered schools to resume sometime in February. So, temporary classrooms are going to be put together for SOPUDEP's new property. An architectural group from Ryerson University in Toronto is working on a sturdy temporary classroom design using readily available local materials.

We have also set to work on the plans for a shipping container school concept that we came up with last year (concept pics seen here). Professionals and organizations are joining up for this project and an engineer and architect well versed in container architecture are on board. It could include a solar roof that could potentially provide electricity to surrounding homes. The nice thing here is that these kind of structures are hurricane and earthquake resistant. It could very well be a pilot project for other kinds of buildings like residential units.

As for Réa and her team? They are organized and getting things done with little aid from the big international agencies. Réa secured food from a local vendor a little over two weeks ago on credit and is running rations out into the community on a daily basis. She is also sanitization and medical distribution director for a camp of 16,000 people and is organizing mobile medical teams to go to other camps.

SOPUDEP is certainly taking charge and making an impact in the community. I can't think of a better group to be doing so, as it shows the strength of a local initiative.

All money raised during this time is going to food, medication and other basic survival supplies for the community. The new school project will likely be funded by other private sources so that it won't interfere with your donations, which are providing crucial living supplies for the long term.

Thank- you for your continuing support!

Ryan Sawatzky