Hi Everyone. First I would like to thank everyone for their warm wishes, their concerns and their help for the situation going on in Haiti. It's still unbelievable and I would love to have a time machine to go back to 1/12/10 16:52 right before the earthquake as in the movie flashforward. I am trying to hang in there as for the few seconds I was able to talk to my mom she made me promise not to drop out. I did and I will try to do my best.

My project might change as a result of what I am been living and the chaos that people are experiencing. Help is there but there haven't successfully reach people because there is a lack of communication due to language (for instance it was difficult to rescue three people because the Panamean team and the Israelian team couldn't communicate and it was impossible to find a translator speaking spanish and Hebrew.) The same situation prevails for food, water and medical assistance. As coordination appear to be the key, I was thinking of using a Promethean board linked to a GPS that will allow real-time visualization of the dispatch of helping troops and supplies (pretty much as what is offered by gpsrts.ufl.edu). I was thinking of having flags (representing the troops helping) logos of materials they are having in green, these that are about to finish in yellow and supplies that are lacking in red. Such a board would be at the airports thus teams know where to reach. Paths of streets will be colored the same way to attract attention on region that has yet received any help.

I hope this make sense. I have no clue how to do this right now. I will be thinking about it.

Thanks again for all your warm thoughts.

Help is in our hands

From the book: Solidarity Will Transform the World by Jeffrey Korgen

There are some points in life when every other thing is secondary. This is one of those moments, when millions of people are terrified and with a very grim future ahead.

We are all connected. Our group is like a family, we will work together for months, in some cases we will make friends forever. Our fellow student, Christine Irvika, is from Haiti, let's hope that her family is well and let's keep her in our thoughts. She is part of this family.

In two days more than 4.5 million dollars have been texted to aid in this disaster. We can help right from where we are.

Call 90999 on your cell phone and text "HAITI." You will be charged $10.00 on your phone bill, the money of which will go to the Red Cross.

If you want to send goods instead, this is one suggestion, since it goes directly to the closest point of contact (their neighbors in Santo Domingo), "official aid" always takes too much time at a time when hours make a difference:

The Centers of the Company of Jesus in Dominican Rep. (Santo Domingo: Bono and Alberto Hurtado Center; Santiago: Center Bellarmino and CEFASA; Dajabón: Border solidarity) has established an aid network to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. They are accepting the following :

FOODS:
- Can Kidney beans
- Can sausages - Can Sardines - Can Tuna - Saltine crackers
- non-perishable Milk - Fruit juices in non-perishable containers - Nonperishable Foods.

MEDICINES
- Oral rehydration serum - Gauzes - Cotton - Analgesic (acetaminophen, ibuprophen) - - Elastic Bandages - Antitetanic Toxoide - Human antitetanic Ganmaglobulina - Antibiotic (amoxicifilina, in suspension and/or tablets) - Antiseptic (type yodopovidona, or type soap of clorhexidina) - sanitary Towels

Please send no clothing
You can send your contributions to the following addresses:

- Bonó, c. Josefa Brea N. 65, Mejoramiento Social, Santo Domingo.
Tel.: 809-682-4448. sjrmbono@sjrdom.org
(You need to activate Javascript to see this web.)
www.bono.org.do

or

- Centro Alberto Hurtado, Av. Jiménez Moya N. 37, (al lado de
Inazúcar), Santo Domingo