New Year, New Moon and Haiti

As I was writing this last week, I was feeling the excitement of a book nearly completed, of a Youtube video on ‘outrageous gardening’ being edited, of all the support I receive on nearly a daily basis from friends, family, colleagues and the amazing women of my personal sisterhood collective.  I was ready to announce the availability of my book on the New Moon, Jan. 15th.

And then it was Tuesday evening at my computer, after a delicious meal with a good friend, that I received the first dispatch from Margaret Trost, founder and chairperson of the What If? Foundation:

Dear Friends of the What If? Foundation,

Earlier today there was a 7.0 earthquake off the cost of Port-au-Prince, Haiti (the capital city and location of the programs we support).  We are deeply concerned about the St. Clare’s community and all of Haiti.  We have not been able to get through by phone to find out any information about what’s happened at the food program or in the surrounding area.  As soon as we hear anything, we will email again.

Later that same night, Margaret was interviewed on KCBS 740 AM in Berkeley about the situation:

View Full Clip

By 8 pm, my world view changed completely.

No longer focused on the elation of all my good fortune, my eyes, ears and heart are only on Haiti. I was supposed to travel there this month. I was going to volunteer at the food program supported by What If? and get to know the community and see if, when, and how I could be of service and support them in creating more food growing systems and gardens in their area.  As my mom would often say, “there but for the grace of God” would I have been in Haiti last Tuesday.

As it turned out, the program wasn’t ready for me and a dear friend (and extremely talented astrologer) told me in no uncertain terms that I shouldn’t travel especially abroad during December and January. End of story.

I’m here. I’m safe. And I justify my good fortune this way: the Goddess had other plans for me, plans to be part of the next generation of assistance.  After all the emergency services have gone, and the great wave of eager hands and hearts must return home to rest and recover, when the people of Haiti are left once again to determine how to proceed, I will be ready and willing to go.

I wait now for each of Margaret’s almost daily emails to all the supporters, as we live vicariously through the tedious and onerous process undertaken by the organization’s amazing on-the-ground Haitian coordinator to move supplies from the Dominican Republic across Haiti.  In the short term, emergency food rations must meet the need. In the not-so-distant future, perhaps small gardens could lead the way out of hunger.

Margaret Trost of What If? Foundation with children of St. Clare's -- in better times.

For the moment, we can ask for financial assistance. Please consider the following organizations that have extensive in-country networks, run by local groups if you are still unsure where to place your donations:

What If? Foundation – www.whatiffoundation.org

Partners in Health

Doctors Without Borders

Much lies ahead but I put my money on the hearts and souls of the Haitian people.  I close this post with a Creole quote Margaret often repeats: piti piti na rive– little by little we arrive.

PS: Regarding that glorious $100 million dollars in aid promised by President Obama?

Of the twenty-two industrial nations of the world, the United States is last on per-capita giving to the poor peoples of the world. For every dollar that America gives to the world, the people of Norway give seventy.(2009 State of the Future report, Exec Summary pdf, p. 5)