Wordless Wednesday: Earthquake Vagina

MissRFTC gained hundreds of twitter followers, including me, when she shared the following tweet, "I am totally serious. My Ob/Gyn was IN my vagina and an earthquake started rattling the room!"

Wordless Wednesday: Haiti Earthquake ... 2 Weeks Later

Wyclef Jean Responds to Critics of Yele Haiti

Wyclef returned to his native Haiti at the Port-au-Prince airport the day after the thousands upon thousands were killed in a lethal 7.0 earthquake. The entertainer then began clearing the dead bodies of his country’s inhabitants off of the streets. Among other matters, he’s issued a plea to the President, started to plan telethon with George Clooney and continued his tireless lobbying on behalf of the Haitian people.

Unfortunately the entertainer/activist now must contend with allegations of misappropriated funds from his Yéle Haiti Foundation.

"It seems clear that a significant amount of the monies that this charity raises go for costs other than providing benefits to Haitians in need," said Dean Zerbe, national managing director of Alliant Group, a tax services company.

Wyclef responds to his critics in the following video clip:





Hugh Locke, President of Yéle Haiti, countered the notion as well:

"Wyclef Jean, the founder of Yéle Haiti has never profited from his organization. It’s a shame that during this international emergency, we have had to divert resources away from our response efforts to address these allegations. I think people should be very comfortable that any money given to Yele Haiti is going 100 percent to emergency relief."

The Yéle Haiti Foundation had raised over $2 million in contributions, largely through texted donations.





Yéle Haiti provided these 'financial facts' to counter allegations raised by the Alliant Group:

1. Fact: Yéle Haiti, originally called the Wyclef Jean Foundation, filed a tax return in 2000 and then suspended activities until 2005 and so was not required by law to file a tax return until it resumed operation.


2. Fact: Yéle Haiti received a clean bill of health in independent external audits conducted in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 by the firm of Tempesta & Farrell


3. Fact: Yéle Haiti was guided by the firm of Grant Thornton LLP to ensure that all transactions involving board members Wyclef Jean and Jerry Duplessis were conducted to fully comply with both the spirit and letter of the law governing such matters.


4. Fact: Yéle Haiti offices are located in Platinum Sound, the recording studio owned by Wyclef and Jerry Duplessis in order to save money. The organization pays only $2,600 a month for the space and a shared reception service, instead of considerably more for the same arrangement in midtown Manhattan.


5. Fact: Wyclef Jean was paid $100,000 in connection with a benefit concert in Monte Carlo in 2006, which was organized by a for-profit organization. The vast majority of that amount went towards costs related to the performance, including the hiring of backing musicians and other costs related to the production.


6. Fact: Yéle Haiti purchased $250,000 of airtime on the commercial television station Telemax in Haiti that is owned by Wyclef and Jerry. We have documentation allocating the hundreds of hours of Yéle programming, over several years, that addressed a wide range of development and social issues in Haiti.

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Villagers must make their own choice about where to donate money in support of Haiti Earthquake Relief. For my part, I'm leaving Yéle Haiti on my list of options that we have to support Haiti.

What say u?

Haiti Earthquake: How Can You Help?

The news isn’t good: Officials fear the death toll will reach 100,000. Thousands upon thousands are injured. Port-au-Prince has been flattened. There are millions of Haitians who need help NOW.

Here are three tips for you to consider as you find a way to help:

1. Donating cash to established relief organizations is the best way to help because it allows professionals to get exactly what they need and does not use up scarce resources such as transportation, staff time or warehouse space.
   
2. If you decide to donate supplies and not cash, contact an established relief organization before you collect anything. If you have already collected items, donate them to a relief organization within your community or sell them at a yard sale or charity auction and donate the proceeds.
   
3. People who want to volunteer should have previous disaster or international experience or technical skills and should work through a relief organization. More information is available from the Center for International Disaster Information.

Villagers can also help immediately by donating to the Red Cross Haiti relief effort. Contribute online to the Red Cross, or donate $10 to be charged to your cell phone bill by texting "HAITI" to "90999."

Find more ways to help through the Center for International Disaster Information. Families of Americans living in Haiti are encouraged to contact the State Department at (888) 407-4747.

Here are organizations that villagers can contact if they want to help the people in Haiti:

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DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS USA/MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES (MSF)
333 7th Avenue, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10001-5004
Traditional, yet innovative medical providers spread across the globe.

L'HOPITAL DE LA COMMUNAUTE HAITIENNE
Hopital de la Communauté Relief-G. Diederich
Routing number 061000104
Account number 1000103902598
Suntrust Bank
11333 South Dixie Highway
Pinecrest FL 33156
Raising funds to be able to offer completely free services and still have the capacity to pay the personnel.

LE FLAMBEAU FOUNDATION
1172 S. Dixie Highway, #203
Coral Gables, FL 33146
(305) 596-2819
Foundation established by BMDC member, Brother Jean Gervais of Miami, who is also a native of Haiti

OXFAM AMERICA
226 Causeway St., 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02114-2206
Charity devoted to stopping hunger and providing nutrition to communities in crisis.

PARTNERS IN HEALTH
P.O. Box 845578
Boston, MA 02284-5578
NGO run by Paul Farmer providing health resources to Haiti since 1985.

SAVE THE CHILDREN
Haiti Earthquake Children in Emergency Fund
54 Wilton Road
Westport, CT 06880
Children-focused relief agency with a special earthquake fund.

THE SALVATION ARMY
615 Slaters Lane; P.O. Box 269
Alexandria, VA 22313
Church-based coordinator of health and family services.

U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF
125 Maiden Lane
New York, N.Y. 10038
Charity specifically targeting children—providing educational materials, food, water and medicine.

WORLD VISION
Haiti Earthquake Relief
P.O. Box 9716
Federal Way, Wash. 98063-9716

YELE HAITI
Text 'YELE' to '501501' to donate $5
Charity operated by Wyclef Jean

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Please let us know if you are aware of other ways that villagers can help the people of Haiti as they cope with this disastrous 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

From the Rubble We Build Paradise, See Haiti Rise -- We Gonna Be There For You!

Villagers all over the diaspora are doing what they can to support the relief efforts in Haiti. International recording artist Tajh uses his musical talents to encourage Haitian earthquake relief and support.



If you do not have a way to support a Haitian family directly, then we encourage you to donate thru Wyclef Jean's organization. Wyclef has been an informal ambassador for Haiti for many years. He promises to assist directly with efforts on the ground through his Yele Haiti Relief Fund effort.




What are your thoughts on the situation in Haiti now that you've had a few days to see what is happening?

Haiti Earthquake: Will America Care Next Week?

Haiti has been struggling for hundreds of years to overcome colonial domination, dictatorial leadership, poverty and the impact of hunger.

Things just got worse this week with the massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake. The lack of infrastructure, disaster preparedness and acute poverty makes a bad situation even worse. Homes, schools, churches have been destroyed. Villagers all over America wait, pray and hope for the safety of the people of Haiti. That nation's long struggle against poverty is now exacerbated, its needs now magnified, and the vulnerability of the Haitian people more greatly exposed.

Haiti is the poorest, least developed country in the Western Hemisphere, and the majority of Haitians live in poverty. The sheer scale of poverty in the country means that the government has limited capacity to meet even the simplest needs of its people, let alone address a disaster of this magnitude. In addition to creating a very real and immediate humanitarian tragedy, this earthquake and the struggle to navigate its aftermath will be an enormous setback to the hard-won gains that Haiti has achieved in recent years in securing a more stable environment and fighting poverty.

I suspect that America and the other nations of the world will respond well in the coming days and weeks. It is relatively simple to send in bottled water and to rush to find people ... living and dead ... in the tumbled buildings.

I don't have personal contact with many people of Haitian descent in person or otherwise. However, Haitian history tells us the Haitian people are resilient and determined to better their lives. I am confident that with the help of strong partners around the world, Haiti will rise from its rubble and Haitians will live their motto: L’union fait la force (Unity is strength).




I wonder if the collective goodwill on a national and international basis continues after the initial compassion being displayed right now?

Consider this an open thread about the earthquake in Haiti. Please share your prayers, thoughts or observations.