FoodForThePoorCanadaandAirTransatImpactReport
EmergencyFlightforHurricaneReliefinHaiti
HurricaneMatthewdevastatedHaitianlivesinOctober.Inthemidstofthedestructionand
despair,lifeandhealthwasagifttheAirTransatteam,inpartnershipwithFoodForThe
Poor,gavetotensofthousandsofHaitians,throughthedistributionofcleanwaterand
medicines.
FoodForThePooruseditsstrongdistributionnetworkinHaititodelivertheAirTransat
emergencyreliefflightshipmentof2.8millionAquatabswaterpurificationtabletsand
medicinesworthoveronemilliondollarsdirectlytoindividualsandtomanyinstitutions
servingthepeopleofHaiti.
Childrenatoneoftheorphanageswhobenefittedfromcleanwaterandmedicinesprovided
bytheAirTransatemergencyflightinNovember.
AmongtherecipientswasLaNouvelleEcoleCommunautairedeGrandDuc,aschool
locatedinaremotepartofthecountry.Principaloftheschool,Mrs.Monclair,sharedabit
ofwhatlifeislikeinthecommunityandthedifferencetheselifesavinggiftshavemadeto
residentsthere.“Peopleinthisareadon’treceivehelpveryoftenbecauseofthedistance.
Theyareverypoor,andafterMatthew,theybecameevenpoorer.”
Inanefforttohelpthestudentsandtheirfamilies,shesoughttheadviceofafriendwho
encouragedhertocontacttheFoodForThePoorregionaldistributioncentrefor
assistance.ShevisitedthecentreandreceivedasupplyofAquatabsthatsheinturn
distributedtothepeopleinthecommunity.
“Beforegivingthemout,Ihadtotrainthepeopleonhowtousethetabletsandthe
importanceofusingthemcorrectly,”sheexplained.“Someofthechildrenatschoolwere
havingdiarrheabecauseofthewatertheyweredrinkingsothetabletshavereallymadea
bigdifferenceintermsofprovidingthemwithcleandrinkingwater.Onbehalfofthe
community,IjustwanttosayabigthankyoutoourdonorsinCanadaforbeingsokindto
us.Wereallyappreciateyourkindness.”
Anotherbeneficiaryorganization,theCentredeSantedeCavaillon,sawasteadystreamof
peoplecominginsearchofhelp.HurricaneMatthewmadeabadsituationunbearablefor
thepeopleofthecommunity.Theriversbecamemorepolluted,andsomanypeoplelost
theirlives;otherslosthomesandallthattheyhad.Accordingtoamemberofstaffatthe
centre,thereisgreatneedforAquatabsandoralserum,whichhelpedtosignificantly
reducethenumberofdeathsinthecommunityfollowingHurricaneMatthew.
Incommunitiesacrossthecountry,similarstorieswererepeated.Manyweresavedfrom
poorhealthanddeaththankstotheavailabilityofwaterpurificationtablets,rehydration
medicationandtheothermedicines.
Dr.ClertidaCassamajor:“IamverygratefultoFoodForThePoorforhelpingussavea
seven-month-oldbabywhowascompletelydehydratedfromgastroenteritis.Thepediatric
electrolyte(oralrehydrationsalts)administeredatourmobileclinicsavedherlife.
Dr.MichelJr.Grammond,CliniqueMedicaledeCampPerrin:“It’sapleasureformeto
expressmygratitudetoday.Youdon’tknowwhatyouhavedone.Asadoctor,myjobisto
helppeopleinneed,healthesickandreducepain.WhenIsaweverybodycomingintothe
clinicaftertheHurricaneIpanickedbecauseIknewIdidn’thaveenoughmedicineforall
thepeople;Iwouldn’tbeabletodomyjob.ThankGodyousentustheitemsatagoodtime;
theAquatabswereveryhelpfulforme.Ihadbeenaskingthepeopletoboilwaterbefore
drinkingitbutIknewthatmostofthemwouldn’tdoitbecausetheydidn’thavethe
financialmeanstobuythecharcoaltodoso.Toyoudonor,Iamaskingyounottostop
sendingtheAquatabs,youaresavinglives;Itiswayeasiertoputatabletinwaterthanitis
tobuycoaltoboilwater.Godwillblessyouforallthegoodyouhavedone.”
OnbehalfofthepeopleofHaiti,somuchgratitudegoesouttoJean-FrançoisLemay,Gilles
HudicourtandalloftheAirTransatteammemberswhomadethisgiftoflifeareality.Huge
respectandthanksforsogenerouslyofferingyourtime,staffandadedicatedaircraftto
helpinHaiti’stimeofneed.ThecombinationofAirTransat’scorporatesocial
responsibilityandtheindividualstaffmembers’kindnesswillalwaysberemembered.
Sinceregratitude
SamanthaMahfood
ExecutiveDirector
FoodForThePoorCanada