UPDATE
August 2010
Attention is now focused on rebuilding the Daughter’s of God Girl’s Home (Foyer des Filles de Dieu). As previously reported, Paula Thybulle has purchased a piece of land in Croix des Bouquets (about 45 minutes from downtown Port-au-Prince). It has: a nonfunctioning well; perimeter walls in need of repair, upgrades to gates; mangos & plantain trees; and little else.
In the meantime, Resurrection Catholic Church in Moneta, VA (Holy Trinity’s partner in supporting the girl’s home) has formed an executive working group from the Haiti and finance committees to pursue building and finance plans. The latest accounting shows a little over $50k in donations on deposit. These are funds over and above the monthly operating expense needs, which continue to be collected and dispersed to Paula separately as needed. Since March, with the generous outpouring from many sources, Resurrection Parish has been soliciting and entertaining various proposals on how to assist Paula in rebuilding the home on the new property.
In addition to Resurrection Parish’s mission to Haiti, in April, Bob Greene, a long time donor, was in Haiti from June 7 to 11 to meet with Paula. Bob has supported the Foyer over the last 10 years. He is a lawyer who resides in Buffalo, New York. Bob and Paula met with Paula’s attorney in Haiti, who is finalizing the purchase of the new site. He provided guidance on an appropriate construction approach considering the state of affairs in Haiti. From this meeting grew the following plan:
1. The Foyer is to establish itself as an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization). Most long-term charities and relief organizations in Haiti are NGO’s (over 3,000+ to date). An NGO has a legal nonprofit Haitian status and is a mechanism well understood by the Haitian government, banks, merchants, etc. As an NGO, there would be a group of individuals, including Paula, overseeing the operations and making important construction decisions. The NGO paperwork is under way but the timing for completion is very uncertain. Paula has a set of tasks to complete as part of the process.
2. While in Haiti, Bob and Paula also met with Anne Hastings at Fonkoze (the micro bank that handles the Resurrection Parish donations to Paula’s account) to begin the process of setting up a separate construction account in the name of the Foyer’s NGO. Once the NGO status is complete, this account will be in place.
3. In addition, Paula and Bob interviewed a civil engineer (from CRS) who will act as “Owner’s Representative” during construction. This position, along with Paula and several others, is important for both the NGO and banking arrangements.
4. Upon his return to the U.S., Bob Greene has continued to develop the full plan. Working with experts who he knows and trusts and who have donated their time, Bob has layout the rebuilding plan details with Paula and others:
a. The cost of building a new Foyer is estimated to be approximately $400,000, even with donations in services and support.
b. An architect friend of Bob’s has agreed to develop the building plan pro bono.
c. Bob has raised $100k in funds from friends and family.
d. Other material donations such as a solar energy system have been made by a foundation.
e. Canisius College is developing a fund-raising brochure and friends are developing an electronic fundraising campaign web site.
f. A professional grant writer is donating services to seek funds down that path.
g. Bob’s timeline is to complete the bulk of the fund raising by the end of this year.
5. For managing and providing the accounting for the building funds, Bob has enlisted the donated services of a U.S. 501c3 non-profit organization, Medicines for Humanity, headquartered in Massachusetts doing work world-wide. Paula is familiar with them from their work in Haiti and Bob worked with them over the last 10 years when he first went to Haiti and met Paula. It is universally agreed among all the donors that the building funds should be kept in the U.S. and transferred to Haiti only as needed to keep construction on track.
6. Resurrection Parish was contacted by Bob about collaboration. After much due diligence Resurrection Parish agreed last week to collaborate with Bob Greene and his building campaign. They have pledged $50k in writing to the construction account once the NGO is established. They have also endorsed a plan to establish a Board of Directors for the NGO that includes representation from all the major contributors. Bob Greene is reaching out to the other long term contributors such as the Dioceses of Norwich, Connecticut and CACINA for participation and support.
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