Press Release Sikh AID
UNITED SIKHS AID a flicker of hope amidst unbelievable gloom
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UNITED SIKHS AID a flicker of hope amidst unbelievable gloom |
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| Port-au-Prince: UNITED SIKHS AID team has been working nonstop to ensure that the distribution missions for dry food, emergency and medical supplies to various communities and orphanages in and around Port-au-Prince are done thoroughly and promptly. The containers shipped from Toronto and New Jersey carrying food supplies, clothes and over 550 tents have arrived in Haiti. A shipment from Montreal containing food, supplies and 500 tents is on its way. UNITED SIKHS Urban Design and Development Team has commenced setting up tents and tarpaulins . The increasingly desperate shelter needs are unprecedented in scale. Thousands of earthquake survivors live in squalor and are desperate and lining up for stable shelter. “The primary goal at this point is to help distribute materials to people before the onset of the monsoon season. We are coordinating our efforts with various other United Nations teams. Besides distributing langgar we are also helping emergency shelter relief, community building, education, and job training efforts. It is important to empower Haitians into building their country” said Jaipal Singh, Architect and Urban Design expert, UNITED SIKHS Shelter Coordinator. |
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| UNITED SIKHS Aid team delivered food and supplies that can serve for a few months to an orphanage where kids were running out of it. Several such places in Haiti need a new building and facility, where people sleep on the floor in a small room. Urban development team comprises Jaipal Singh (Cincinnati), Rameeta Kaur, Charanpreet Singh, Jujhar Singh (all three from Michigan) and Kirpaul Singh (from New York). | ||||||||||
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| Langgar (Hot-Meals) Update since Mar 1st: UNITED SIKHS AID team has been cooking and distributing langgar in two different locations – Sonapi Industrial Area and Barbancourt, feeding more than 4000 individuals on a daily basis. The sites served survivors who lost family members and homes in the earthquake. People passionately shared their stories and routinely told of the loss of family and relatives with moist eyes. Langgar team in Sonapi Industrial area comprised of Gursharan Singh Pannu (from Atlanta), Harcharan Singh, Sahib Singh (both from Toronto) and Tejinderpaul Singh (New York). “The Haitians were intrigued by our turbans and Nishaan Sahib (flag),” said Harcharan Singh, Toronto |
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| “My experience as a UNITED SIKS AID volunteer in Haiti was humbling. Haitians’ steadfast belief in God despite being totally ravaged by the earthquake will always inspire me to serve others to the best of my ability and continue upon the path our Gurus imbedded within us.” said Raj Budwal from San Jose, CA. | ||||||||||
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| Surinder Singh, Narinder Singh (brothers from Chicago), Raj Budwal, Ravinder Singh, and Amritpal Singh (all three from California) also worked the second langar in Babauncourt. Gurcharan Singh, Tarlok Singh, Dharampal Singh (all from Toronto, Canada) and Alisa Jordan (from Indianapolis) volunteered at Barbancourt. Medical team update (from second Medical Team): A group of six medical volunteers replaced the outgoing team. The Chicago team brought over $10,000 of medical supplies for the Haitians, focusing on orthopedic supplies and childrens medications. Dr. Amardeep Kaur (Seattle), Dr. Sukhwinder Singh (Vancouver), and Jasvir Kaur (Chicago) worked the night shift at the makeshift University of Miami hospital allowing other medical personnel to achieve some much needed rest. During the day the medical team would work alongside other doctors and see several hundred patients per day. The doctors would check patients while Jasvir Kaur organized and set up pharmacies. “It was an amazing experience overall and we met incredible people from around the world who dedicate their lives to this work. What I enjoyed most was going to the village in the mountain, Fontamara, where the Haitian people have never seen a doctor. Fontamara’s Pastor Jonas was grateful we visited his people and wrote each of us thank you letters,” said Jasvir Kaur, Chicago. |
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| Several Sikh youth from Guru Nanak Gurdwara Surrey, BC, Canada joined the UNITED SIKHS base camp in Port-au-Prince to serve hot-meals and did an exemplary job working tirelessly to ensure that thousands of mouths were fed. To ensure this work continues we request you to meet us half way. Your donation of any amount will help save lives by providing food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support to people in need. For more information please visit: https://www.unitedsikhs.org/haitiearthquake Click for video. https://unitedsikhs.org/haitiearthquake/videos/haiti.wmv |
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