Rotary Guyana donates $1M to Haiti’s hurricane victims

Sep 20, 2008 News

…more contributions forthcoming

Ms. Patricia Bender, President of the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown Central, presenting a cheque to Assistant Governor Keith Williams yesterday.

Rotary Guyana yesterday donated $1M to Haiti to assist in the relief efforts on the island nation, following the severe damage which resulted from recent hurricanes and tropical storms.

Yesterday, Assistant Governor Keith Williams said that the organization will also be assisting in donating suitable items to a container being prepared by the CARICOM Secretariat, while at the same time it will be shipping a consignment of drinking water to that country.

During a press briefing at the Georgetown Club yesterday, Williams pointed out that an appeal for help was made to Rotary Guyana by the organization’s counterparts in Haiti. The one million dollars, he said, were donated by Rotarians and Inner Wheelers.

“Their efforts are being supplemented by a contribution from the Guyana Rotary Disaster Relief Fund.”
The fund, Williams added, was set up in 2005, when Guyana was affected by flooding. The money for that fund was donated by members locally, regionally and internationally.

Williams said that not all of the money was exhausted, and as such some was withdrawn to assist Haiti.
He said that their counterparts in Haiti requested financial assistance.

“It is easier; they will get it faster and will know the immediate needs of the populace… rather than to purchase commodities and send it,” Williams said.

Given Rotary’s well-established network in Haiti, he added, the organization is confident that its donation — monetary, goods and water — will be properly applied and will reach the intended beneficiaries.

In this regard, Rotary International has already endorsed the systems in place by the local Rotarians for the receipt and distribution of aid which it has given, he added.

At yesterday’s press briefing, the President of Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown Central, Patricia Bender, donated $30,000 towards the fund. The Inner Wheel Club comprises the spouses of Rotarians.

Haiti was struck by Tropical Storm Fay on August 15 and 16 last, by Hurricane Gustav on August 26 last, by Tropical Storm Hanna on September 1, and by Hurricane Ike on September 6 and 7.

Tens of thousands of homes were destroyed or damaged during the topical disasters, leaving persons homeless and hungry. Several regional and international organizations have been mobilizing a response to the humanitarian crisis.

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