THE CHALLENGE. GLOBAL GIVING, OGL’S ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER & VOLUNTEER VILLAGE
Operation Green Leaves REALLY need your support. Operation Green Leaves finally qualified and earned a temporary spot on Global Giving. Our project is the building of our environmtal center and volunteer village in Arcahaie, Haiti.
THE CHALLENGE IS: in order for us to qualify for a permanent spot on Global Giving, we need to RAISE $4,000 FROM 50 DONORS BY SEPTEMBER 30TH.
If we meet the challenge, we will be able to stay on and have a permanent spot on Global Giving and most importantly continue our fund-raising efforts to raise money for our project in Arcahaie and better yet we will have the opportunity to submit othe projects and raise funds for these particular projects.
To Donate visit: www.globalgiving.org/6060
OGLHaiti: Nadine with Map of Haiti
Nadine Patrice is the executive director, and founder, of Operation Green Leaves, a 501c3 organization based in Miami, Florida. Although there is no way to know for sure, but common sense suggests that the earth might not have moved so much if there were trees to hold the surface in place.
Less than 1% of Haiti’s natural tree cover remains. While rebuilding cities is essential, it is our opinion that cities without trees will suffer a similar fate sometime in the future.
Check out Operation Green Leaves’ weekly internet show - www.blogtalkradio.com/OGLHaiti. It’s on every Saturday at 10 AM EST.
EcoAlert with Nadine Patrice on BlogTalkRadio
Gabrielle Vincent called in from Limonade, Haiti to talk about Sonje Ayiti and her agricultural program. She was joined by Karissa McNiven, a volunteer from Wyoming, who was in Haiti for a month as part of her post-graduate work.
Haitian Street Kids – A Documentary
Haitian Street Kids Revisited 2009 the Documentary is a production of Mark Crutch, an independent film maker. Check out www.inartmedia.com for more information.
Operation Green Leaves’ Eco(re)Store opens on April 11th in the Miami Midtown Art Gallery. Check out: www.oglhaiti.com for details.
Remember, every Saturday at 10 AM EST, it’s Eco-Alert with Nadine Patrice on www.blogtalkradio.com. Click the ON AIR tab and scroll down. Or, go directly to the show page: www.blogtalkradio.com/oglhaiti.
ARToire Anyone?
The first group of FUNctional furniture is on display at the Miami Mid-century Art & Antique Boutique – 3404 North Miami Avenue in the Wynwood Arts District. Here is a quick look, and a few words from Nadine. Remember, the furniture sale is daily through December. Check out www.oglhaiti.com for more information.
Listen to EcoAlert with Nadine Patrice on Saturday at 10 AM EST – www.blogtalkradio.com/oglhaiti.
BlogTalkRadio: Guest – Lisa Torres, World Vision
Lisa Torres of World Vision was today’s guest on EcoAlert with Nadine Patrice on BlogTalkRadio. To here the show: http://budurl.com/ecoalert1nov08 or visit www.oglhaiti.com.
The BTR show is produced by co-host Ken English, the BlogTalkRadioGuy for the Social Radio Network.
Nadine C. Patrice Speaks for Haiti at Global Warming Conference
Last week I was honored to be the Lunchtime speaker at Barry University’s Global Warming Conference. The theme of my presentation was ” Haiti’s Environmental Tragedy”.
Aerial view of the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
My message was that those at the lowest end of the socio-economic levels are the ones who will be affected the most. This hurricane season was a ferocious one for Haiti. The entire island was affected from West to East and North to South. Because all four hurricanes that hit Haiti were mostly a rain events, mudslides and the lost of life was very high. The muslides are the result of Haiti’t almost totally denuded mountains. For years (18 years) Operation Green Leaves’ message has been that restoring Haiti’s environment should be a top priority. Now, we are seing the wisdom in the warning.
The Global Warming conference was very well attended. I asked everyone present to help me spread the message that “we must be prepared by the next Hurricane season.” We need to take preventive measures that include increasing reforestation nationwide, building necessary infrastructure and providing basic services in the 5 major cities, at a minimum. The Goverment of Haiti, and the elected officials, must plan NOW! They must take steps to diminish the outrageous lost of life we saw this year.
Reforestation must be a NATIONAL PRIORITY in Haiti.
In 2004 after witnessing the death toll and destruction in Haiti when Tropical Storm Jeanne hit, we were sad and all sectors of the international community made promises to be ready, and make changes, to reduce the lost of life the next time. Four years later, with the increase of Global Warming, we had one of the most dangerous and vicious hurricane seasons on record. We are crying AGAIN. We are saddened AGAIN. The pictures of a totally ravaged Haiti were spread on the internet. But, that was months ago. What is being done, TODAY?
I am hoping we will learn, this time. I am hoping the responsible authorities and agencies in Haiti will start preparing NOW. I asked everyone in the audience to help me give voice to the voiceless, hope to the hopeless. Love to the children.
Haitian Nationals and friends of Haiti must pressure the Haitian government and those in charge to provide the basic needs and infrastructure to the people of Haiti, so next time fewer lives will be lost.
BlogTalkRadio Program – 4 October 2008
Bob DeGross of Big Cyprus National Preserve and Courtney Brigham of Environment Florida were on EcoAlert on Saturday, 4 October 2008. The show can be heard by going to www.BlogTalkRadio.com/oglhaiti.
Still Waiting for Help…
Today around noon I got a call from a Pastor who just came back from Haiti. He was there during the storm and he lived the experience. As a matter of fact, he was in Port-de Paix. So I asked him to share with me what he had seen ask him for a hurricane update.
One of things that surprised me is that he explained that at least 800 boats in La Tortue were destroyed, and the people of La Tortue were desperate and hungry.
In all the media coverage thoughout this ordeal I never really heard anything mentioned about La Tortue (which is an island located accross from Port-de-Paix). He explained that he went there to provide what he could, and most of all pray with, and for them.
He said the poverty and hungry faces he saw there were unbearable.
Right after I hang up the phone with him today, my mother called to tell me “guess what, you should see on channel 6, they just had a report that a huge boat carrying 154 people coming from La Tortue was just intercepeted and returned back to Haiti.” So his report was confirmed and accurate, what he saw there in La Tortue was despair, hunger and poverty.
He went on to ask me how I can help. He said they need food, but the problem is that the food does not reach the needy. He explained that he personally witnessed the food containers that were supposed to be for the victims being sold, and taken away to private warehouses by people with big guns. This is not the first time that I have heard this kind of report since the 4 hurricanes ravaged Haiti, but this time it was from an eyewitness that I personally know.
He asked me to find a way to help not only La Tortue, but Port-de-Paix as well. A huge part of Port-de. Paix was under water. The other information he shared with me is that a lot of the people lost their lifes through the deadly mudslides, the water, mud and everything washed donwn from the mountain carrying the people. It took 4-5 days to find dead people, attached to young trees or branches.
I promised him that I will do what I can, but I know I cannot do it without help. So visit www.oglhaiti.com today to donate and share the information with your friends & colleagues.
Other desparate calls and e-mails I am getting are from Arcahaie, and Cabaret.
First they are in need of food and water. They lost all their crops. All the banana plantations and other crops are under water. They need to be able to replant. We need to be a able to support these communities by providing food and water and their basic needs while they replant their crops.
Operation Green Leaves will provide the seeds and the support but we cannot do it with your assistance. So please visit our site at www.oglhaiti.com and make your tax deductible donation TODAY.
If you don’t like to donate online, you can mail your donation to Operation Green Leaves Inc. P.O.box 5254, Coral Gables, Florida 33114. We will have a report with pictures of the assistance provided in our next newsletter.
HAITI has gotten enough LIP SERVICE, time for ACTION
I beleive when the power of love overcomes the love of power in Haiti, our beloved homeland will know real peace and prosperity. Yesterday on our weekly radio program “Eco Alert with Nadine Patrice” I was discussing with my guests how poverty is at the root of all the ecological problems of Haiti. Like my friend Dan was saying , the poor, peasants and farmers are cutting the trees out of desperation and need to have money to feed their children and survive one more day. We also dicussed a 2007 USAID study available online regarding the vunerability of Haiti’s Environment. According to the study 23 million trees are cut in Haiti every year. To create the necessary balance and to put Haiti on the path to sustainability and self reliance, we need to plant at least 25 million trees a year which goes back to our firm belief and committment that Reforestation in Haiti needs to be a National Mouvement. To hear more details on the issue , you should visit www.oglhaiti.com and click on internet radio. According to the report mentioned above 500 million dollars is used to finance the occupying force in Haiti. A small percentage of these funds could be put to better use by creating and financing A National Reforestation project in Haiti. Poverty and economic distress is at the root of all the trouble in Haiti including the violence. Again I challenge all the Haitian Nationals around the globe and in our homeland to say ENOUGH. The next time you are watching these awful pictures of our people in Haiti, use your sadness and anger THIS TIME to make a committment to yourself and your country to take some action to encourage the necessary change in Haiti to improve the standard of living of our people in Haiti. I am heartbroken, and extremely sad and may be a feeling a bit frustrated to continue to watch in horror and despair pictures of our children in Haiti, clothless (naked), shoeless and hungry. We need to change these pictures, we need to speak with ONE VOICE, Haiti must catch up to the 2st centrury. It is deplorable for our people to be living in these conditions in this hemisphere, in the 21st century, only 800 miles form South Florida’s shores. visit www.oglhaiti.com
Haiti’s Extreme Poverty and Misery
The level of poverty and misery you witnessed this week through published pictures of my people in Haiti is unacceptable. I ask myself how this can be?
In the last 30 years, money from foreign governments, including the U.S., international institutions and NGOs has poured into Haiti. Yet even before last week’s destructive storms pictures still showed my people, especially children, naked, shoeless and hungry. A basic infrastructure does not exist.
Electricity, telephone (I am not talking about cell phones), clean drinking water, roads, bridges, schools, etc… Something is not adding up!
At what point do we say ENOUGH!
At what point do we put our ego, personal grudges and greed aside.
At what point do we put the interest of Haiti and its people first.
The horrific pictures you have been watching both in the Haitian and International media are of your brother, sister, child, grandparent… WE ARE ONE!
ONE LOVE…ONE HEART…ONE SPIRIT.
Some of us have been blessed. Doors were opened up at some point in our life. Won’t you open a door for someone else?
It’s time for change in Haiti.
We can no longer close our eyes or look the other way because we ourselves are comfortable. We need to speak for the voiceless. We need to teach the children.
I challenge you today to do something!
Get involved today to help put Haiti on the path to self-sufficiency and sustainable development. DO SOMETHING! DO WHATEVER YOU DO BEST. JUST TAKE SOME ACTION AND GET INVOLVED.
I will continue to plant trees and provide education and environmental awareness with a renewed urgency because I refuse to look the other way. I am committed to improving the lives of my brothers and sisters in Haiti.
We you join me?
Visit: www.oglhaiti.com. Listen to the BlogTalkRadio show we did on Saturday, 13 September. Some if it is Kreyol. All if it is significant. Listen to the show this week at 10 AM Saturday: www.blogtalkradio.com/oglhaiti.
BlogTalkRadio Show – EcoAlert with Nadine Patrice
Every Saturday at 10 AM EST, the Operation Green Leaves’ radio program is on BlogTalkRadio.
The 13 September show featured three callers who were in Haiti during Hurricane Ike. They talked about the extensive damage caused by flooding and how a reforestation program is desparately needed before all of the top soil is washed into the sea.
One of the guests spoke Kreyol. Nadine does a basic translation to English. Click here to listen to the show:
EcoAlert with Nadine Patrice
