CoAid Helps Provide Shelter for 175 Families in Darbonne, Haiti

Cooperation between relief organizations delivers hope for hundreds of earthquake victims.

LITTLETON, CO, 29th July 2010 – Community Aid Relief and Development (CoAid), in association with Samaritans Purse and Promised Provision Ministries has started the construction of a transitional community in Darbonne, Haiti for victims of the recent earthquake.

Darbonne is located on the outskirts of Leogane which was at the epicenter of the January 12th 2010 earthquake where 80-90% of buildings were damaged.

“Thousands of people are living in makeshift camps and the weather is taking an additional toll on the population”, said Steve Neill, President of CoAid, a nondenominational Christian organization founded in 2008 that works with victims of natural disasters and war. “Many of the children are sick and the living conditions are just plain awful”.

CoAid and Promised Provision Ministries have joined forces to lease parcels of land that are being used to locate small communities of transitional shelters for hundreds of families, mainly single mothers, the elderly and disabled. The shelters are being built by Samaritans Purse, a large international relief and development organization based in Boone, NC.

These communities are intended to provide safe environments in which qualifying people can live for a full year while they decide where they will go and what they will do to rebuild their lives. At the end of the year, residents can simply “pack up” their temporary shelter and relocate it to a permanent location of their choice.

Rebecca Williams, President of Promised Provision stated, “Having even the most basic house offers dignity that living under a tarp strips away. The difference these little homes are making is immeasurable. Not only are people sheltered from the unrelenting heat and rain, but also from the rampant crime of the tent cities.”

Roody Joseph, Promised Provisions’ representative in Haiti commented, “An added bonus is that a number of our young men are now gainfully employed and obtaining construction knowledge and skills as they are being paid to build these shelters.”

CoAid hopes to assist in the development of more communities in the coming weeks and months.

“Getting funding for any program is often a challenge”, stated Steve Neill, “but the amounts we’re asking for are not huge. For example, we just signed a $2,000 lease agreement to shelter 175 families for 1 year – that’s less than $1 per month for each family, and the difference we’re making is huge!”

To learn more about CoAid and to support their work, visit http://www.coaid.org

About CoAid

Founded in 2008, CoAid is a nondenominational Christian organization dedicated to the rebuilding of communities affected by conflict and natural disaster. CoAid assists with disaster relief and sustainable development.

Contact Information

Steve Neill

President

CoAid

Contact via E-mail