Haiti Earthquake Appeal
Dear Supporters,
You will have heard about the terrible devastation that the earthquake in Haiti last Saturday has caused. The heavy rains this week, due to tropical Storm Grace, have made the situation worse, leaving thousands of people without shelter and the basic necessities to sustain life.
News reports are that:
At least 1,941 people are known to have died.
Nearly 10,000 people have been injured, and many are missing after the 7.2-magnitude tremor.
The UN says about 500,000 children now have limited or no access to shelter, safe water and food.
We have been in contact with our colleagues on the ground and thankfully they are safe. They want to support the people in the south of the island who have been hit extremely hard by the earthquake and subsequent flooding. They have reported that they are in need of solar radios. These radios will be a lifeline, enabling families to keep updated with local and national news, they also have a phone charge facility so people can stay connected with their loved ones. The radios also emit some much-needed light at night. These items will remain even after the period of emergency and have longer lasting impact.
It is recommended that this is the best way to support people at this time. The easiest way for this to happen is to send funds so that they can purchase the solar radios directly in Hai-ti and distribute them to families who need them, avoiding shipping costs and supporting local businesses.
We have experience of providing solar radios in The Gambia to ensure children could continue learning during the pandemic and in Haiti after Hurricane Matthew, so we know it works and that it will make a small but significant difference to people’s lives in Haiti right now.
You can purchase a solar radio here today for £25:
(Please note the solar radio image on our website gift image is different from the ones we will provide in Haiti which have a light, radio and phone charger).
IF YOU CAN DONATE MORE, PLEASE HELP TODAY
The safest way to donate is by direct transfer to our bank with SOLAR HAITI as your reference:
The Steve Sinnott Foundation
Co-Operative Bank
Account Number: 65318371
Sort Code: 08-92-99
In Haiti they say, ‘’ men anpil chay pa lou’’ which means “with many hands loads are not heavy’’.
We are determined to be there for the families and communities we work with over the weeks and months to come, when they may need our support more than ever before.
Thank you so much for anything you are able to give.
Best wishes from us all.
Steve Sinnott • August 21, 2021
The training began on Monday, March 10, 2025 and targeted selected female and male teachers and schoolgirls across the Wa Metropolitan area. The aim is to reduce school absenteeism among girls due to menstruation. Rebecca Ocran Abaidoo, the National Gender Desk Coordinator of NAGRAT, highlighted the importance of the training and advised the girls against trading their bodies for sanitary pads. “Nobody has the right to touch our bodies. We must stand firm and say, ‘Don’t touch me’. Just as a male teacher would not allow anyone to molest his daughter, we must refuse to be perpetrators of this crime,” she stated. She encouraged participants to take the training seriously in order to gain necessary knowledge and skills. Harrun Ussfi Kadiri, the Upper West Regional Chairman of NAGRAT, emphasized that menstrual health is a crucial aspect of well-being, yet it is often surrounded by silence, misinformation and barriers to proper care. He added that this training would help change that mentality by equipping girls with the skills and confidence to make their own reusable pads. “It must be noted that Upper West is the second of the 16 regions to host this training, and we commend the support and efforts of NAGRAT and the Steve Sinnott Foundation,” he stated. Razak Korah, the Upper West Regional Director of Education, mentioned that the training will help improve menstrual hygiene management, reduce the risk of reproductive tract infections and increase school attendance and retention rates among girls. He also noted that it will enhance the dignity and self-esteem of girls and women. “Unfortunately, many of our girls and women lack access to affordable and hygienic menstrual products, which leads to absenteeism, discomfort and embarrassment in our schools,” he remarked. The beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to NAGRAT and the Steve Sinnott Foundation for their tireless efforts in organising such a valuable training program. Rebecca told us that the training was invaluable and that everyone was included. Students from Wa School for visual impairment composed a song at the end of the School Related Gender Based violence training to share with other schools and communities. Watch the song here There is still much work to be done as we were overwhelmed with numbers of participants on the second day as many who were not invited came and we could not turn them away. All of the participants were engaged and enjoyed the training. We are making an impact by working together. Thank you to the Steve Sinnott Foundation for working in partnership with us.
The UNESCO UK Associated Schools Programme Network (ASPnet) Seeds of Hope for a Better Future project supports UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals and ASPnet’s key action areas - promoting peace, sustainability and intercultural learning and heritage, especially in the context of the challenges of climate change. The 2025 Competition seeks to inspire young people and key partners (educators, artists, scientists and others) to work together to create legacy arts and culture projects for the benefit of local, national and international communities and to reflect the importance of protecting and improving the bio-diversity of seeds against the impact of climate change. Young people and their partners are asked to create Seeds of Hope art works/stories in partnership with others. (see: Seeds of Hope for a Better Future – Part 1: Creating Seeds of Hope Stories ) (see also Kew resource links ) . Competition Brief “Imagine you are a seed." Create an artwork that describes your value – as a seed – to the world and your geographical origins. Art works should tell the story about how you – as a seed – must adapt to survive because local weather patterns and conditions have changed and are beginning to make your life perilous. The competition brief above is just an idea to inspire you, you may have another idea of how to interpret Seeds of Hope for a Better Future and share your work. The competition seeks to encourage and inspire young people and their partners to use a range of artistic expressions to create impactful arts and culture legacy projects for the benefit of others. Artwork examples could include: Art works, which can be a gallery exhibition or community art work for long-term display in a prominent outdoor space/public indoor area, and/or a touring exhibition. Illustrated poems/short stories as the focus of presentation for local poetry/story festivals or widely circulated through a variety of print media, such as books/flip books, posters, leaflets or other graphic formats. Digital illustrations using photography/film/animation circulated through social and other public media formats or exhibitions. Performance and/or installation art, such as a young people’s play/opera/musical theatre/dance/installation art/sculpture park. All artwork making a positive contribution to the project’s mission, aims and objectives will be received and shared via the UNESCO ASPnet National Coordinators. About Participation - PARTICIPATION FORM If you are interested in entering the competition, we cordially invite you to consult the Competition Rules and Guidelines and to contact your UNESCO ASPnet National Coordinator for further guidance about participating. PARTICIPATION FORM Good luck everyone! We look forward to seeing how your seeds of inspiration will help communities grow…!
Haiti, 1986 With the end of the brutal, US supported, Duvalier regime, 3500 base communities emerged through Ti Legliz (little church). This was Haiti’s own version of the liberation theology which arose in Latin America and similarly addressed social, political and economic justice for their marginalized populations. With Haiti’s illiteracy rate of at least 80%, Ti Legliz organized Alfabetizasyon, literacy programmes in Haitian Creole based on the work of Paolo Freire, the Brazilian educator and activist. In Haiti, Ti Legliz developed an indigenous text, Goute Sel (a taste of salt) focused on the lives of rural peasants and raising up their critical concerns. Teams of community activists led the classes and discussions. Inevitably, the macoutes and military junta who followed the departure of the Duvaliers did not tolerate these programmes. Community leaders were assassinated or went into hiding, materials were destroyed. Following the lost chance of democracy with President Aristide, lost through ongoing US interference, government corruption, outright coups and military occupations, Haiti continues to suffer from the highest rate of poverty and illiteracy in this hemisphere. In 2002 a local project for adult literacy was launched in Limonade, a commune in the Nord department of Haiti. Chancy Jak, a local human rights lawyer and activist, was encouraged by a Creolist from Indiana University. They began with a single class of market women. Chancy gradually built a team of community organizers to extend the programme. An old copy of Goute Sel was rescued and continues to be the basic text for all Alfa classes. Literally translated, Goute Sel means a taste of salt. Numerous references from the Bible have been used to explain this title. However, it is better understood through the Voudou belief that a taste of salt will revive the half dead. Alfa uses the power of literacy to awaken those whose basic human rights have been denied, whose lives are deadened. Despite their unique revolutionary history, Haitians continue to suffer the ongoing effects of colonialism and neocolonialism. Alfa now has 11 sites beyond Limonade. Classes are meeting up in the hills, along the river and out on the coast. Where they cannot borrow a classroom or a little chapel, everyone works together to build a simple shelter. Women and men who were denied any education, who had never held a pencil, are writing. They are reading, manipulating numbers, and questioning history. And they know their rights and responsibilities as citizens. Kofi Annan said, “Literacy is a human right with immense power to transform. It is a bridge from misery to hope. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy, and sustainable human development.” Alfa has a small but committed support group based in the US Midwest. We believe that literacy lies at the root of our human identity and that for every person it can provide dignity and a means of control for how we live. We, Chancy Jak and his team, and all Alfa participants, continue to be affirmed and strengthened by our ongoing partnership with the Steve Sinnott Foundation. Alfabetizasyon se chemen devlopman Literacy is the path to development
