In an effort to participate in activities for Haiti support and be a part of the world initiatives, Korea Scout Association (KSA) held a charity bazaar and conducted a fundraising campaign.

The bazaar was held during the annual general meeting on 22nd February, Baden Powell's birthday and was titled “Scout Law 3. A SCOUT IS HELPFUL”. A great many items were arranged from scout souvenirs to daily necessities such as scarves, woggles, camping equipment and rice. Hundreds of scouts and leaders were gathered at the National Training Center of KSA to participate in the event.

The fundraising campaign was launched on 15th January with the setting up of 2 collection boxes in the lobby of KSA and National Training Centre. KSA also advised 20 local councils to promote the campaign to each province in order to make it a nationwide event. It also got the utmost out of the online system by delivering a promotional e-mail to 330,000 scouts and leaders and triggering a pop-up window on the KSA website during the event.

The event ended in great success with the collection of KRW 17,683,340 (about USD 15,500) thanks to the deep interest and contribution from the participants, especially the president of KSA, Kang Young-Joong, who donated USD 9,100 for the benefit of the suffering population of Haiti.

Trying to make an effort to help the Haitian community has been one of World Scouting's priorities ever since the earthquake struck on January 12th 2010. Recently the World Scout Bureau received a very special delivery destined for the Scouts in Haiti. Each member of the Girl Scout Troop N°10437, of Woodstock Georgia made a personalized postcard with a heart felt message for their Haitian brothers and sisters.

We here at the World Scout Bureau would like to showcase this kind gesture to our Haitian counterparts as well as the rest of the Scouting community.

Life in Haiti: scout office on the soccer field

Two scout leaders from Turku, Finland, traveled to Haiti to see what scouts had accomplished in 2 months after the earthquake, which killed as many as 220,000 people.“The capital of Haiti Port-au-Prince is full of huge camps where people live. At some camps the scouts are responsible for security, and at some camps the scouts arrange meaningful activities and provide a safe place, where the parents can leave their children for care during the day. Schools have collapsed”, explains Mikko Hongell, who represents scout troop Turun Mikaelin Siniset in Finland.

Right after the earthquake the local scouts took part in rescue operations: to the best of their ability they provided first aid, helped clear the debris, and assisted in distributing food and water. And the impending monsoon season is the reason for stepping up the measures further more."Three camps where tens of thousands of people live need to be moved since they are under the threat of being flooded. Scouts are cooperating with UNICEF and safeguarding the children during the move,” continues Viljami Hätönen.

From sailing in the Caribbean to the disaster area

Sea scouts Mikko and Viljami were set to sail in the Caribbean on tall ship Helena when they heard news of the earthquake which hit Haiti. ”We had very ambivalent feelings about going on a sailing trip, when we knew that within a few hundred kilometers there was so much distress,” said the sea scouts explaining the background of their trip.In the middle of March they traveled to Port-au-Prince for a week. Together, with the National Association of Scouting in Haiti they agreed to document on video, everything the scouts have been doing and continue to do since the earthquake struck the island nation. From this material they will produce a video which will be published on YouTube for everyone to see.

It took a while to get a connection to Haiti. After various turns, Viljami and Mikko made contact with Spanish scout leader Rafael Juliá, who lives in the capital of the Dominican Republic. They agreed to call him upon their arrival in Santo Domingo.The meeting went well in Santo Domingo, after which the plans were clear: "Come to my place on Sunday a week from now at 11 am, we’ll have lunch together, and then we’ll leave for Haiti”, said Juliá. They were joined with three French scout leaders: Vincent Dalonneau, Arnaud Lansard and Etienne Wasser. Both Vincent and Arnaud already had a long experience from Haiti, whereas Etienne visited Haiti for the first time. He has signed up for a 2-year stay to do voluntary work.

In Haiti, they found the local scout office at a temporary camp on the soccer field. The office building could not be used due to risk of collapse. The Finns toured the city for a week with their video camera.

Rover Scout – can you speak French or Haitian Creole?

Even though the infrastructure and the Haitian society are in ruins, the scouts look forward to the future. This summer the local scouting association will start to build a sea scout center. As Haiti is an island country and there are plenty of coastal waters.”But there is a lack of sea scouting skills. If a rover scout group is looking for a cooperation project overseas, this is a good candiate”, the Finns encourage their peers.It would be good to have French speaking people in the team – or even better – speakers of the other national tongue in Haiti, Creole. On the other hand, Finns Hätönen and Hongell managed their trip without a word of French.

A smile is a universal language.

Click here to open this video in Youtube

Text: Aino Öhman, Viljami Hätönen
Pictures: Viljami Hätönen and Mikko Hongell

Elise Vervil- 26 years old
Gideon Group ( Port-au-Prince) – Rover Scout

“I got out of school, I was on the tap tap ( public transportation) when the earthquake struck.
Many people got off the vehicle and blocks of concrete fell on on these people. I didn't understand what was going on. I didn't get off the vehicle. I got out when the earthquake was over and I saw a lot of people trapped under the debris. Along with other people with me I started to lift rocks to save trapped victims. We were able to save 7 people from under the rubble. Thanks to MINUSTAH, we were able to take them to the Hôpital Universitaire de la Paix. I was overwhelmed, I thought that the earthquake had only reached my zone. I called the Haitian Red Cross, but there was no connection. I returned home completely shocked. The next day I went by several hospitals to be of assistance and help with primary care. Even though I did not have much experience with First Aid , my basics came in handy. I put in a lot of myself in order to save lives. I would like to send a message for all my brother scouts: I did not receive any compensation for what I did, but the lives of my brothers is more important than the salary we need; therefore we have to do this with a lot of courage and wisdom.”

Jean-Louis Marc Stevenson- 20 years old
Néhémie le Batisseur Group ( Port-au-Prince )- Rover Scout

“After the quake, along with 4 other scouts we went into a national school on the “petite place cazeau”. As soon as we arrived we were able to, save 14 injured people from under the debris and to take out 100 deceased individuals. Around 6 in the afternoon, we headed towards the police station situated on Delmas 33, as soon as we reached the premises there were about 4 police officers who were alive but trapped inside the station. However, there was a person who had a collapsed wall over his foot. I had to cut his foot with only a knife to serve as equipment, in order to get him out and save him. Afterwards, he got out of it alive. We did not have enough equipment to place people outside. The only option we had was to cut the foot. Another police officer had a whole arm flattened so I made a tourniquet on his upper arm with my scarf. He could not move his arm at all, it was completely flattened. The only option was to cut the arm. I could not sedate him, but I was able to buy clarin ( a local alcohol). The police officer gave me his consent and I amputated his arm.
The officer said that in such incidents, there no longer exists a social rank, everyone is on an equal sanding. He thanked me for having saved his life. As he told me himself “ too bad for the arm, it was necessary.”

After the disaster I became sick, I caught malaria. The stress was overbearing. I had a breakdown, I was traumatised. I wasn't feeling well, I was in distress because I saw a hole filled with cadavers. I wanted to save lives. But my head hurts because the events were so horrifying. I was sick for 2 weeks. Despite that I am ready, to continue to save lives, to save my country. Things are going a bit better even though, I continue to feel the vibrations within me.

A message: I would like to say that for me scouting is beautiful movement and that I will stay. In the movement I feel more and more comfortable and happy. I wish for all the scouts of the world to come and visit us!”

Rousseau Marckenson- 25 years old
The St. John Group ( Port-au-Prince)-Troop Leader

On January 12th I was with my brother, my little sister and a friend. After the disaster,we managed to get out safe and sound. Throughout the earthquake I was frozen. As I was leaving my house I heard a woman cry “help, help!!”. I remembered that a scout is trained to serve and save human life, so I went into the house from which I heard the cries, and I found a young girl with blocks of concrete over her. I helped her and we were able to get her out. Afterwards she thanked me so many times that it was as though I was like a God to her. We reached other places with some of my friends to help other people get out. We were able to save about a dozen people. A few days later, the stench of the dead was quite unpleasant, almost intolerable. Then, as a scout I started providing people in my region - since many people had gone mad or had been severely traumatised- with psychological support. This was because I had attended a seminar organised by the scouts, regarding psychological support after the cyclones of 2008. We organized psychological support sessions for the Gonaives population.
Till today I continue to converse with people and to provide them with support.

Message: A scout smiles though through times of hardship, and to all scouts and non-scouts people who lost a close one, life goes on. I love my country, Haiti.”

Romain Jérôme – 39 years old
Charlemagne Peralte- Group Leader

“ I pulled out many people in a super marker: 16 alive and 6 dead. Afterwards, at a different location, we continued to remove people from the debris. And we continue to do so till today. We serve the population. We are constantly searching for work to be of assistance. We take all the people who want to help along with us. We provided First Aid to the injured victims.

Message: We need more support were there to be another disaster. Help us by providing us with the necessary equipment.”

Since the horrifying earthquake which struck Haiti on Jan 12th, the Scouts and CARE International have had the opportunity to join forces and strengthen their ties in order to help the victims of the Haitian catastrophe. Thanks to CARE International- which has been a great support for the scouts in Haiti- CNN reporter Moni Basu and Camera man Gabe Ramirez of CNN, were put into contact with Leogane scout, Joanie Yetsin.

On Feb 4th an article and a video were published by CNN, about this brave young lady, who continues to help her country and her immediate community- despite her personal tragedy- by waking up every morning, putting on her scout uniform and joining her troop.“I will do my very best to help others that is what I have been trained to do “, she said regarding her 5 years of training with the scouts, when interviewed.

Another encouraging statement was heard from Sophie Perez, the director of CARE Haiti, regarding scout action:“ The scouts are particularly important because its a youth organisation, more than 50% of the population in Haiti are young people, so it's very important to involve them right from the start in this long attempt at reconstruction of the country”.

By empowering the youth to play an active role in their society, the Scouts are proving to be a key player in the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase in Haiti.

To read the full article and view the video please click on the links below:

CNN article

Video

IOM (International Migration Organisation) and USAID (United States Agency for International Development), which are in charge of the distribution of non-dietary relief, have informed Haitian Organizations that there is a grave need for a Regional Association.The association would serve as a focal point for coordination, to help improve the efficiency, of providing the aid and support needed by the Haitian population . On the same note, the scouts plan to join some of these regional communication centers, which are yet to be determined and fully collaborated upon. They will for example, be in charge of organizing the food line-ups operated by the US Army in Port-au-Prince. As part of it's -Education- unit, UNESCO has asked the Haitian Scouts to integrate the assessment teams, in order to launch a scholastic census programme.

The Haitian Scouts have facilitated communication between the Dominican and Haitian Ministries of Youth, by maintaining the already established liaisons with the Dominican Scouts. Soon, a Scout conference is expected to take place in St. Domingo so as to outline, the efforts deployed for the reconstruction of Haiti and the various training tools that will be required. The greater objective of this conference, which is highly anticipated by the Haitian Scouts, is to put in place a network of Youth Associations in Haiti.

Immediately after his return to France, Fédéric Amiel, a logistcian sent to Haiti by the Scouts et Guides de France, was received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to present the results and outcome of his mission.
World Scouting Bureau.

You might expect to see Wilner Ulysse helping a little old lady cross the street. That’s the classic image of a dutiful Scout. But Wilner, age 23, has a much more important good deed for today.

He is one of the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Girl Guides of Léogane, a hard-hit town near the epicenter of last week’s deadly earthquake. Their town was all but destroyed -- most people here have lost homes or family members, and funerals have become a tragically frequent occurrence. But despite their own trauma and loss, the young people of Léogane are rallying to the aid of their fellow citizens.

Wilner and his fellow Scouts have joined the CARE team delivering urgent help near the center of Léogane. The telecommunications office, idle since phone service was knocked out by the quake, is serving as a temporary town hall and humanitarian aid center. Here, the CARE staff set up operations to deliver vital aid to the traumatized survivors, above all women.

The job of the Scouts is to provide security and comfort. The boys, tall and brave, stand guard at the entrance of the compound. The girls walk side-by-side with the women, softly touching the occasional arm or shoulder, as they walk to the distribution point. The women look exhausted, but a few smiles break out as they receive a precious gift – hygiene kits including soap, toothpaste, towels, and sanitary napkins, all packed in a five-gallon bucket that can be used to collect and purify water. Still, the faces at the CARE truck are tired, lined, and sweaty.

The bright young Scouts look serious – most have suffered grievous losses of their own – but their faces are full of compassion for the mothers and grandmothers they gently guide.

“We can only imagine how traumatized and heartbroken these women feel,” said Sophie Perez, CARE Haiti country director. “As much as material aid, they need to know that the world cares about them, and that they are not alone. To have these lovely young people literally standing by their side is a great comfort at this terrible time.”

Many of the women at Wednesday’s distribution have lost their homes and are living in the open, in tents makeshift shelters. Even those whose houses were left standing are often afraid to go inside, because of a series of terrifying aftershocks.

“To lose one’s home, loved ones, and then still to feel constantly afraid – it’s more than anyone should have to bear,” says Sophie. “We are committed to work very hard so that they do not continue to suffer needlessly.”

And so is Wilner. In seven years as a Scout, it’s certainly the most important thing he’s accomplished.

Is there an Earthquake Merit Badge?

Text prepared from article by Rick Perera, CARE Communications Coordinator in Haiti.

For more information please visit CARE Website at the following address: www.careinternational.org.uk

To contribute to CARE's donations please follow this link

Day in and day out, the members of the National Association of the Scouts of Haiti (NASH) prepare themselves in Port-au-Prince as well as in several other important locations. The complications with transportation and communication make it difficult to reach the outer provinces struck by the quake. This nonetheless, does not prevent the Scouts from being of assistance to all those who may be in need of their help.

Yesterday, a team of 8 scouts proficient in French, English and Creole started working as translators in the hospitals of Port-au-Prince. A free international calling centre also benefits from translators to help manage the sudden surge of people. The Scouts of Marchand Dessalines are in charge of a refugee camp in Artibonite, and NASH is collaborating with the French Embassy for the set up of the Champs-de-Mars camp in Port-au-Prince.

Today, the Scouts will help Haiti's civil Protection to put up a refugee camp. Twenty scouts will join the Brazilian Embassy to help the Brazilians with their action. The number of allocated Scouts involved with relief efforts in the regions affected by the earthquake were of 250 in Port-au-Prince, 150 in Jacmel, 150 in Peit Goave and 150 in Léogane. An indefinite number is active, however no census has been taken. Many NASH members are involved in the reception of refugees in the Provinces.

During a meeting that was held on the 23rd January in Port-au-Prince, the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) incorporated the National Association of the Scouts of Haiti (NASH) in the humanitarian coordination. Scouts will be involved “ in all activities and tasks needing their support”, especially in the transit camps and displaced people camps. It will consist mostly of setting up the camp and the transportation of equipment.

The humanitarian coordination is composed mostly of local NGOs, branches of international NGOs as well as representatives of Haitian civil society demonstrating the capacity of the population to take charge of the larger part of the rescue and reconstruction efforts.