Haiti News - Schools, Sponsor Students, Shipping ~ Winter in Canada and Cap-Haitien

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Hello Everyone,

It's been a long time since the last blog post update. I hope everyone had a good break over the holidays. I am in regular contact with the staff in Cap-Haitien, and I've had some news to pass on to you.

Auguste emails that, following the Christmas break, our young people in both Cap-Haitien and Sen Rafayel started school again on Monday, January 12. He is busy paying second trimeste fees and is expecting the students' first term reports cards and/or bulletins to come in shortly.

Student Sponsors

• Marlene and Elorge, our students attending university in the Dominican Republic, returned to Santiago for classes January 5.
• Deles and Vincent are back in class for the last semester of Year Two at the University in Limbe, Haiti. As you may recall, Vincent's sponsor was unable to continue, and as yet, we do not have a replacement sponsor (See December post and post from last March ). Since Starthrower Foundation can no longer support post-secondary students, he will have to forgo his studies if we are unable to find a new sponsor to support him for 3rd and 4th year.
• Plenitude has returned to Port-au-Prince , again borrowing money to finish his first year in telecommunications study. We also ask again for a sponsor for him.

If you know of any associations, groups or clubs who may want to undertake post-secondary sponsorship, please pass along this message.

Winter in Haiti ~ Vitamin C Needed
Auguste also reports that nearly everyone who comes to Lakay Fondasyon for safe drinking water has winter colds, which are giving rise to eye, ear, throat and chest infections, and that we are nearly out of vitamin C. As we are unable to purchase some necessities, such as Vitamin C, in Haiti, any and all donations are greatly appreciated.

In the past we have been able to provide everyone with enough vitamin C for a daily dose. When food is in short supply, as it is now, we always see an increase in the number of illnesses which in turn prevent school attendance. These illnesses also keeps Auguste busy informing the schools of absenteeism. Also he is once again responsible for handling all student medical referrals and prescription purchases as we were unable to replace Jhennie after she left in May.

Supplies Received via CASCO ~ Thanks!
Thanks to Cindy and Maureen in the States for supplies received. CASCO is again functioning with about a 4 to 5 week wait time for warehouse (Ft. Lauderdale) to warehouse (Cap-Haitien) delivery. Although changes in customs routines have necessitated price increases. it is still more reliable to have CASCO see goods through customs.

As I am still unable to travel, I know the staff would really appreciate receiving anything anyone can send. My dream is to have enough supplies arriving that we don't have to keep asking. Contact Starthrower by return e-mail if you need shipping information.

Special thanks to the Solon Family for their Christmas fundraiser to benefit Starthrower. Thanks again to everyone who wrote and phoned over the holidays. Your support has been overwhelming.

My 'first' Winter in Canada
In closing, my health continues to improve slowly and steadily. Weather permitting, I meet with the surgeon January 26. Tests originally scheduled for this week in Toronto have been postponed as the original surgical wound is not yet healed.

I qualify every day's activities with "weather permitting". This has been my first winter in Canada in many years. I had forgotten how beautiful and how brutal winter can be here. Somehow the nurses from St. Elizabeth and the support workers from Red Cross manage to get to my place in spite of inclement conditions. They are truly dedicated, amazing people. Thanks Lesley, Jenna, Joanne and Marie.

Plis pi ta (more later)

Beni-w (Blessings)
Sharon

Haiti News - Christmas Dinners, School Sponsors, Food Distribution, New Bridges to Potoprens

Hello Everyone!

Many thanks to those who phoned and sent cards, flowers and get well gifts over the past few weeks. Your support is very encouraging. The healing process continues and will involve further surgery and recovery time. I hope to have more information after tomorrow's (Monday, Dec. 15) appointment at St Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

Sister Rosemary, who flew to Canada with me on the medivac flight and stayed on to help me, has now returned to Haiti and will continue working with our staff until I return. She will work out of our center two days a week as she did before our rather abrupt departure. Her presence, wisdom and knowledge of the Haitian culture and language provides a link for our staff.

As I am able now to enjoy short walks outdoors in this wonderful Canadian weather, I am taking advantage of the proximity of the library and its internet service. Auguste informs me that school exams finished Friday, December 12, and schools will most likely resume classes the second week of January. Report cards will be ready at that time and our tutoring programs will begin mid January. The date is fluid at this point in time.

The biggest problem in Haiti continues to be malnutrition. Although prices in the market place have levelled off, they are still too high for us to reopen the food distribution program. Thanks to the generosity of Mme Cindy and her community in Pennsylvania, our young people will have rice, beans and oil for a Christmas meal. But that is one meal. Other than that Christmas meal, our young people have no food and no options to get food -- no food bank, no government food distribution program. We continue to purchase and distribute potable water.

The good news is that the bridges between Cap-Haitien and Potoprens (Port-au-Prince) have been repaired and bus service has resumed. Bus fare has increased however.

We are still looking for sponsors for post-secondary students. Vincent Robert is in 2nd year agriculture in Limbe, and Plenitude is in first year telecommunications program in Port-au-Prince. Vincent's sponsor in unable to continue and Vincent desperately wants to finish his 4 year program. Plenitude borrowed the money to register and he is staying with friends to minimize expenses. Both are hard workers.

Marlene has returned from first semester in the Dominican Republic. Elorge has stayed behind for a few weeks. We await their reports.

Will close for now - energy tends to depart without advance notice.

Thanks again, everyone!

Pi ta (later)

Sharon

Christmas Carol Video Images from Starthrower Foundation

The season of good will to all: Merry Christmas from Starthrower Foundation!

As this challenging year comes to a close, let us remember that for the people of Haiti, every year is a challenging year.

Young adults, especially, have a very difficult time finding their way in the world. Many of them are orphans who are trying to support themselves as well as other family members. Any help we can give them, no matter how simple or how generous, is very much appreciated.

Any challenges we face pale in comparison to the ones that they handle on a daily basis.

Help us give them their daily bread, today and every day.

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving USA Update from Starthrower Foundation

Hello Everyone,

Here's a brief update from Starthrower Foundation on American Thanksgiving Day 2008.

Sharon Gaskell
Sharon traveled to Toronto on Monday for her check up at St. Michael's Hospital, where her constant companion for these many weeks, a vacuum pump, was disconnected and removed.

Sharon continues to recuperate at home in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada, and, with the help of a physiotherapist and her own doctor there, is working on regaining muscle strength over the coming weeks before her next scheduled surgeries in mid-January.

While access to email is limited, she can be contacted by phone at 519-943-0114. Visitors are welcome, but please phone first.

Sister Rosemary
Sister Rosemary is returning to Haiti as planned on December 10, and has agreed to work from Lakay Fondasyon in Cap-Haitien for the foreseeable future.

Special thanks to her for all her help these past months -- from her care of Sharon in Haiti, and Toronto, and in Orangeville, for the many miles she drove to and from Toronto to tend to Sharon's needs, including driving her to medical appointments and arranging a place for Sharon to stay while in Toronto on those appointments, and her twice daily phone calls to make sure Sharon was okay.

University Students Sponsorships
With the exception of a few post-secondary students who currently have sponsors for the near future, Starthrower will no longer arrange any post-secondary student assistance, but instead focus on sponsoring students in high school and apprenticeships in order to make the best use of limited funds.

Thank you, Everyone, for your support these past few, difficult months. Starthrower is most thankful for your help, donations, and words of advice and encouragement as we work together to support our students in Haiti.

Starthrower Foundation 2008-2009 Board members are posted at http://www.starthrowerfoundation.org/mission.html

Happy Thanksgiving, America!

Lakay Fondasyon, Cap-Haitien Haiti News, Shipping to Haiti, Christmas Project

Hello Everyone,

Auguste, who continues to operate Lakay Fondasyon, Starthrower Foundation's center in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, while Sharon Gaskell is in Canada recovering from surgery(ies), sends this news about sponsored students.

[Sharon had gone into hospital then returned to Toronto prior to completion of students registrations for school for the fall term; Haiti's summer of hurricanes and resulting storm damage had prompted Haiti school authorities to extend enrollment dates one month.] Auguste has been studying English, so he is able to communicate with non-Kreyol speakers.

This year we have 97 students: Girls 46; Boys 51

• Cap-Haitien: Girls 22; Boys 23
• Sen-Rafayel: Girls 22; Boys 22
• University : Girl 1; Boys 3
• University waiting list*: Girl 1; Boys 3 *These 4 students are not good for enter in the university [They did not pass exams.]

Yes, I distributed the bag food to students.

About the students they are no good, no bad, only they are not sick. They are going to school, but for eating, it very difficult for Haitian people.

I am praying for you and I wish you a good job.

Blessings !

Auguste

And news from Sharon Gaskell:

Thank you, everyone, for your support and kind words, and for your continued support of the students in Haiti. This [unexpected illness and return to Canada] is precisely why I have been training staff over the years to take over in my absence and continue to operate.

Starthrower Foundation is not about me. It is about the students and the center in Haiti. I know Auguste will do a good job. As nice as he sounds in email, he is twice as nice and caring in person.

And thanks to Mme Cindy and her 'helpers' in Pennsylvania for their Christmas project for Starthrower. I have every confidence they can work with Lakay Fondasyon staff in my absence.

Blessings!
Sharon

If you wish to donate to the Christmas project or to help with the food program, you may do so using the Canada Helps or Paypal donate buttons.

Shipping to Haiti
We received news that CASCO now has a minimum charge for shipping to Haiti. If you are planning to ship goods to Haiti, please phone or fax them for details as it may be more economical to wait until your shipment reaches the minimum (i.e. send 3 boxes for the same cost as one box):

CASCO website: CASCO
Mail: 1801 SW 1st Ave,Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315 USA
Phone: (954) 525-1717 | Fax: (954) 525-1317

Posted by: Karen
Starthrower Admin.