National News

'Building Hope and Homes in Haiti'

4 March 2010: TSSA member, Maureen Sneyd of CIE Executive Grades Branch, is travelling as a volunteer with Haven, a registered Irish charity and is seeking sponsorship from member(s)/Branches/SOGs/Divisional Councils. Please be generous in your support.

Haven is an international development agency which is building homes for the people of Haiti. The project is a building project – with 250 volunteers from Ireland travelling to Haiti on 25th April 2010. Volunteers will build houses alongside the Haitian community, stay in basic accommodation and see at first hand the realities of life for millions of Haiti's people. In travelling with Haven, Maureen has committed to raising €4,500 – and with the assistance and support of TSSA she hopes to exceed that target.

The project builds homes and communities, by training, up-skilling and employing local Haitian people to build homes all year round, in a country where unemployment stands at more than 50% and opportunities are few. In addition to the home building project, Haven is working to improve the sanitary living conditions for 18,000 Haitians through the construction of latrines to prevent the spread of disease in the makeshift tightly packed camps erected since the earthquake. The building of these is operated on a 'cash for work' basis that gives employment and more importantly, dignity, to Haitians.

The Association's Executive Committee at their recent meeting made a donation of €250 to the sponsorship campaign and are seeking your support in this very worthwhile cause. In addition to the human losses, recent reports have conveyed the drastic humanitarian and health situation, exacerbated by the fact that many buildings have been totally destroyed.

Donations can be made through the website below and there is an additional link to donate to particular volunteers also. The option of donating via Haven's Bank is through their Bank of Ireland account:

Account Number: 41877036
Sort Code: 90-09-73
Account Name: Haven Community Foundation

Donations can also be posted direct to: Haven, The Malthouse, South Block, Grand Canal Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland. The web-site for Haven is www.havenpartnership.ie

Registered Office: Nerney's Court, Off Temple Street, Dublin 1