Monday, May 7, 2012

ARTICLE - ORPHANS - ADOPTION - GOD

ORPHANS, HAITI, ADOPTION AND GOD
(Maple Ridge News) - By Brad Warner

A few days ago, I was in the mountains overlooking Port-au-Prince with about a dozen people from our church.

We were close to the village of Fermathe.

Our church recently sent two teams to help a local ministry – God's Littlest Angels (www.glahaiti.org ) – in Haiti.

Twenty-three people went in total, including my oldest son, Caleb It was great to serve together.

The team had a dual role: ministering to more than 90 orphans (babies and toddlers); and helping build a permanent location for their orphanage.

They are, at present, renting three large homes for the ministry. But they have a great piece of land and they are building for the future.

However, the reality is that it will take years to finish their permanent home. And the greater reality is that there is a never-ending stream of Haitian orphans that need a permanent family.

Our connection to the ministry is that one of the families from our church adopted a daughter from this same orphanage a number of years ago. And that family traveled with the team.

Adoption is a great thing for a whole host of reasons. The Bible teaches that "God is a Father to the Fatherless." He is a Father to the orphan.

All of us have a dad. But for some, this is painful to even think about because we may have been abandoned, abused, or neglected by our father. Perhaps we are even an orphan.

Yet of all the words that could have been chosen to reveal God, "Father" is the one that Jesus chose more often than any other. In fact, Jesus even teaches his followers to pray: "Our Father in heaven."

Now let's suppose there was a child who was abandoned, abused, and neglected. Perhaps that child was an orphan. Perhaps he or she was like one of the orphans in Haiti, where I was a few days ago. And one day, a loving father comes to that child, and with a big smile says, "I've chosen to adopt you. I love you. You will inherit all that I have. We have a family that can't wait to meet you. They love you too. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. I will never abandon you. I will love you with a never-ending love."

I think that child would eventually be changed by that father's love. And that's what happens to everyone that's adopted into God's family. Brad Warner is associate pastor at Burnett Fellowship.

ARTICLE - ETHYL MERCAPTAN - DINASA

DINASA COMMUNICATES ON THE SPILL OF ETHYL MERCAPTAN
(Haiti Libre) -

In a press release, the company "Distributeurs Nationaux S.A." (DINASA) gave an explanation on the spill of Ethyl Mercaptan Saturday at the Thor oil terminal [in Carrefour, south of the capital].

Press release of the DINASA "On Saturday, May 5, 2012, at approximately 10:30 AM, following an accidental spill of a quantity of Ethyl Mercaptan, at the Thor terminal, a strong, unpleasant odor spread around the terminal, from the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) facilities, causing the beginning of a panic in the area.

Technicians on site at the terminal responded quickly and mastered the situation, ... without danger. Indeed, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas "LPG", Propane, Butane or Natural Gas is colorless and odorless. The Ethyl Mercaptan is a fragrant liquid which when added to LPG can immediately detect any leakage of product in storage facilities or equipment using LPG, in order to prevent accidents.

DINASA wishes to inform and reassure the residents surrounding the terminal, that at no time, they had been exposed to any physical or health risk, following the limited spill of Ethyl Mercaptan.

DINASA apologizes to the people of Thor for all inconveniences related to this incident.

The Directorate Les Distributeurs Nationaux S.A. (DINASA)"

ARTICLE - CHOLERA IN HAITI

CHOLERA IN HAITI SHOWS NO SIGNS OF BEING STAMPED OUT
(Caribbean 360) -

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Recent reports by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that the cholera strain in Haiti is evolving and possibly becoming endemic to the impoverished Caribbean nation.

The researchers from the CDC reported May 3, the study the indicates that the bacterium is changing as survivors acquire at least some immunity to the original bug, which apparently was imported from Nepal less than two years ago and killed thousands of people.

Cholera experts also say such a development is expected and has happened in cholera epidemics around the world.

“This suggests that the ongoing epidemic in Haiti might be entering its next phase, since we see these shifts where cholera is endemic,” said Dr. Edward T. Ryan, an infectious disease specialist with Massachusetts General Hospital who was not involved with the study.

The change also means it could be easier for Haitians to fall ill a second time to the new cholera version because they don’t have full immunity to it if they don’t take precautions such as washing their hands or chlorinating water.

In a field study published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, co-authors Joan M. Brunkard and Deborah F. Talkington say researchers at the National Public Health Laboratory found that two isolates of the cholera strain collected on March 12 and 13 in Haiti’s Artibonite region differed from the Ogawa version found in Haiti when the disease was discovered in October 2010.

The CDC, the new study says, later confirmed that the isolates belonged to the Inaba serotype, the other major version of the cholera strain.

There is little or no difference in the severity or duration of the disease caused by the two versions, the report added.

Health officials have been paying especially close attention to cholera infection rates in Haiti as it heads into the rainy season, when conditions are ripe for the spread of the waterborne disease because of a paltry sewage and sanitation system.

So far, there has been evidence of a small jump in the number of reported cases, but nothing compared to the threefold spike seen at the same time a year ago.

Still, the Pan American Health Organization warns that between 200,000 and 250,000 people could contract the disease this year, many of them during the rainy and the hurricane season that peaks in late summer and early autumn.

Haiti currently has the highest number of cholera cases in the world. Health officials say the disease has sickened more than 534,000 people, or five percent of the population, and killed 7,000 others since United Nations’ peacekeepers from Nepal, according to scientific studies, were blamed for introducing the disease to the Caribbean nation in October 2010. But the infection rate is believed to be much higher because not all cases are reported.

In an effort to stem the spread of the disease, the Boston-based Partners in Health and its partner, the Gheskio Center, have launched a campaign to vaccinate 100,000 Haitians, or 1 percent of the national population, in a neighborhood in Port-au-Prince and in a rural area north of the capital.

“The good news is that the cholera vaccine that has been piloted in Haiti provides protection to both versions of the organism,” Ryan said.

The Connecticut-based health group AmeriCares announced this week that it is delivering more than 100,000 liters of intravenous solutions to cholera patients in Haiti. The group says the shipment contains enough IV fluids to treat at least 17,000 people.

ARTICLE - CRACKDOWN ON WOULD-BE SOLDIERS

HAITI POLICE, UN CRACK DOWN ON WOULD-BE SOLDIERS
(FOX) - AP

PORT-AU-PRINCE – Haitian police and U.N. peacekeepers have begun cracking down on bands of armed men lobbying for the country to restore its armed forces, a U.N. spokesman said Monday.

Lt. Cmdr. Jim Hoeft said U.N. troops and national police officers set up checkpoints Sunday in Haiti's capital and others parts of the country and detained two armed men in downtown Port-au-Prince wearing military fatigues. They were then taken to a police station.

The effort aims to discourage an illegal group of armed men from parading around Port-au-Prince in military uniforms as if they were on patrol. The lightly armed men have been seen directing traffic and even sweeping streets.

"These checkpoints were set up because there's a stability issue with a proclaimed armed force that hasn't been officially created by the government of Haiti," Hoeft said by telephone.

Despite repeated orders from the government of Haitian President Michel Martelly, the men haven't stopped carrying their weapons or cleared out of several former military bases they took over three months ago.

Led by a group of veterans, they hope Martelly will honor his campaign proposal to restore the armed forces, which were abolished in 1995 because of their abusive past. They also want to lead an interim force until Martelly formally establishes the military.

Foreign diplomats have opposed restoration of the military, saying money should go toward the understaffed police force and rebuilding following the 2010 earthquake.

The armed men have become an embarrassment to the Haitian government and the United Nations. Their military-like presence summons uncomfortable memories of private militias that worked on behalf of earlier administrations.

Yves Jeudy, a former sergeant and one of the leaders of the armed group at a base outside Haiti's capital, confirmed that police and the U.N. troops detained two of the men but didn't have any other details.

ARTICLE - BRINGING STUDENTS TO SASKATCHEWAN

PROGRAM BRINGING YOUNG HAITIAN STUDENTS TO SASKATCHEWAN
(Regina Leader Post) - By Tonaya Marr

Two years after an earthquake devastated their country, five Haitian students are getting the chance to make a change - beginning with their education.

The students will be given the chance to learn away from home, at Ecole Secondaire College Mathieu in Gravelbourg.

Part of a program called "Project Haiti," the students will be moving to Gravelbourg for the opportunity to finish high school. Project Haiti is a partnership between College Mathieu and Western Canada Relief for Haiti.

The project is meant to create some of the future leaders of Haiti through high school education.

The students will be taking an alternative curriculum that focuses heavily on leadership skills, along with typical high school courses.

After graduation, organizers hope the students will either return to Haiti to help rebuild the devastated nation, or pursue further education.

"My personal dream is that those kids will realize that they can go back and educate their brothers and sisters," said Frankie LeClare, superintendent of education for the Conseil des Ecoles Fransaskoises. "So they can contribute in terms of education, health in the country or infrastructure."

The organizations sent a group to La Petite Savanne, a community adopted by Western Canada Relief for Haiti, in March. The group met with 20 students nominated by community leaders and elders to take part in the program. From this group, five students between the ages of 16 and 18 were chosen to live and study in Gravelbourg, while earning their high school diplomas,

"We had to go (by) their age, their level of maturity - those were the first two criteria," said LeClare. Students were also evaluated on their verbal and oral French skills, and the likelihood that they would be able to remain in Canada for the duration of study.

"You have to remember that these individuals have nothing," said Roland Lafrance, chairperson of Western Canada Relief for Haiti. "All they have is the ability, we feel, because we had a team go down and assess them. They have the ability, according to our team, to be successful."

Gravelbourg and College Mathieu were natural choices for the project, as the high school is French-speaking and has dormitories available for the foreign students.

"I personally think it's wonderful," said Nicolas Couture, a Grade 12 student at College Mathieu.

"It's a great way to advertise our school and to participate in the reconstruction of Haiti."

It will cost $26,500 per year to keep each student at the school. However, volunteers believe getting the students into the country will be easier than it sounds.

Both organizations are seeking donations from individuals, organizations and companies.

The five students will require air transport, clothing, insurance and lodging, as well as other expenses, during their time in Canada.

Already, the project has raised around $8,000 for their cause.

Being able to introduce the students to the school, community and Canadian weather in September would be ideal, but in order to make that happen, funding would need to be secured soon.

LeClare plans to see the program continue and evolve over the next five years, hopefully resulting in partnerships with post-secondary institutions.

"It's a long-term goal for us, but really and truly, when you think about it in terms of Haiti, it's a short-term goal."

ARTICLE - WESLEYAN SCHOOL - PETIT-GOAVE

REOPENING OF THE WESLEYAN SCHOOL BUSINESS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE TO PETIT-GOAVE
(Haiti Libre) -

The Wesleyan Business and Computer Science School [founded in 1996], recognized as one of the best vocational schools in the city of Petit-Goâve, reopened its doors this Saturday, May 5, 2012, during, an official ceremony; in the presence of personalities from civil society and the banking sector.

This school which has already trained some excellent professionals coming from Léogâne, Miragoâne, Grand-Goâve, Papette, Vialet, and Dufort, returns after two years .... thanks to the determination of Ms. Marie Yvanne Bonne-Annee, the wife of Pastor Nathaniel Bonne-Annee, Director of the Wesleyan school.

Equipped with well furnished rooms and equipped with the latest generation computers, latest application software and an experienced teaching staff, the Wesleyan Business and Computer Science School is unique, and aims to train executives in accounting and computer science.

Speaking in his capacity as master of ceremonies, Reverend Pastor Volsaint Francisque declared "[...] As an educational institution, the idea of ​​being strong must be a constant worry for those responsible. The pursuit of excellence must be one of the fundamental values ​​that the Christian as well as a Christian institution must cultivate," asking God to extend the boundaries of the school's financial resources to enable it to acquire more qualified human resources to help managers to achieve their objective: .... excellence... "God willing, may the boundaries of the school's performance extend throughout the department; that the school be considered as the best computer education institution in the region."

Pastor Nathaniel Bonne-Annee, has for his part, emphasized his message on the importance and usefulness of the computer "[...] Some daily activities require the use of a computer: Internet, GPS, internet cafe, home-banking, e-commerce, music, etc... But also, in the management of a company, a hospital for both financial resources, and for human resources... Our society has, and will increasingly need qualified computer scientists... The computer is part of our daily lives."

ARTICLE - HAITIAN BEER TAKES TOP PRIZE

THE HAITIAN BEER PRESTIGE WON GOLD AT THE 2012 WORLD BEER CUP
(Haiti Libre) -

Saturday, during a gala event in San Diego [California], winners of the 2012 World Beer Cup have been announced. "Prestige", the lager beer of Haiti, produced in Port-au-Prince by Brasserie Nationale d'Haiti (Brana), won the "Gold" in the category of beers "American-Style Cream or Ale" among 23 beers competing in this category. The beer "Old Style" of Pabst Brewing Co. brewery won silver, and the "Milwaukee's Best" of the brewery, Miller Brewing Co., won bronze.

This year, the competition boasted the strongest field of entrants on record, with 799 breweries from 54 countries and 45 U.S. states entering 3,921 beers in 95 beer style categories; a 17.7 percent increase over 2010. The entries were eligible for gold, silver and bronze awards in their respective categories. Judges presented a total of 284 awards.

The 2012 judging panel was the largest and most international in the history of the World Beer Cup. Judges from 27 countries conducted blind tasting evaluations of the beers to determine the winners. Drawn from the ranks of professional brewers and brewing industry experts, these 211 judges came mostly from international breweries, with some 67% from outside the U.S.

Learn more about Prestige beer:
In 1976, just over two years after the creation of Brana, its founder, Michael Madsen, launched a light beer on the Haitian market. In 2000, it won the gold medal at the World Beer Cup in the category Lager American-Style. In 2005, the Prestige beer had begun to be exported to the United States. Prestige remains the first, and so far the only Haitian beer, and owns 98% of the local market share.