In response to the devastated state of survivors of the January 12th Haiti earthquake, the Haitian-
American Chamber of Commerce of Florida (HACCOF), in partnership with member organizations
such as Food Express (a food transfer company), 12Tel (a telecommunication company) and Haiti
Messager (a delivery logistics company in Haiti), is undertaking the leveraging of donated funds in
order to accomplish our HACCOF Haiti Aid & Reconstruction Initiative (HHARI), which consists of
the following 3 phases:
Phase 1
HACCOF’s partnership with these 3 member businesses will also address the issue of much
needed aid not reaching a portion of the survivors in a timely fashion as we have seen reported
on CNN. These are organizations that have the experience, expertise and know-how to reach
much needed areas of the country as they’ve been doing for years.
Phase 2
This phase of HHARI will consist of creating a fund that will help alleviate the already precarious
level of poverty in Haiti. HACCOF along with its partner organizations in Haiti will create Clean-Up
Task Forces in the most critical areas so that those living in these areas get more of an incentive
to start cleaning their neighborhoods of debris, after the government has authorized to do so.
Members of these Task Forces will receive a daily stipend for these services. This initiative will not
only help alleviate poverty and consequently reduce the level of criminal activities, but will also
help foster a sense of “community belongingness” and of civic responsibility – characteristics that
will be much needed in the reconstruction phase.
Phase 3
The last phase of HHARI will consist of aiding small businesses rebuild in Haiti, as they represent
the lifelines of all Haitian communities. HACCOF along with its partner organizations in the US and
Haiti will create a fund that will help those businesses in critical areas rebuild. This in turn will also
help reduce criminal activity, create jobs and foster the possibility of creating several business
incubators in Port-au-Prince and its surrounding affected areas.
Haitian people are very strong-willed and resilient – and despite the level of devastation, suffering
and a minority of people abusing of the situation, there is one certainty: their will to help one
another through this crisis and to rebuild even stronger than before is there. Let us support this
will for those who perished, for the survivors that are left with scarring memories and for Haiti as a
whole.
HACCOF is a 501c(6) organization, which means that all donations made to us are tax deductible.
Furthermore, the US House of Representatives just passed the Haiti Tax Relief Bill which makes all
donations in 2010 deductible for 2009.