Each year, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awards a single organzation one million dollars for its contributions to global health.  A list of this year's nominees can be found here.  Five of these nominees are organizations active in Haiti.  I am familiar with, and very much respect the work of, FOSREF, GHESKIO, and Partners in Health.  If you know of the other two organizations listed, please feel free to provide information in the comments section below.  Once the awardee has been selected, we will post it as well.  

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is very active in Haiti, particularly in the sectors of  water/sanitation and nutrition.   UNICEF recently released their annual Humanitarian Action Report.  It is intended for donors, but if you are interested in knowing what UNICEF did in Haiti during 2008 and seeks to accomplish in 2009, this is a good place to start.  The Haiti section is copied below.

It is Kanaval season in Haiti!  This is not a time to dwell on one’s sorrows but a time to focus on living.  It is a loud, vibrant, and wonderful time of the year.  No matter how bad things get, Kanaval will always be for friendships, relationships, music, dancing, tradition (and drinking.) But as another proverb goes, after the dance the drum is heavy.  When Kanaval is over, it’s back to work for all.  Achieving food security is task #1.

Below is a CNN-Money article on a company which has received exclusive rights for household electricity monitors in Haiti.  It made me remember when I visited the local electricity bureau (EDH) in Hinche.  The officials said they would set up my house for electricity but never came.  Because of the wait, a friend insisted on getting a ladder, cutting open the line, and splicing a wire to my house.  It worked.  The EDH officials say people are stealing electricity.  The consumer says EDH is slow and unresponsive.  Both are right.  Perhaps these new devices can help make both parties happy? Time will tell.

Konbit Sante is a non profit organization based in Portland, Maine.  Their focus is improving the physical infrastructure of Cap Haitian’s Justinian Hospital and building the capacity of its staff.  Konbit Sante has helped to upgrade facilities, water supply, electricity, medical equipment, and computer information systems.  In addition, it has set in place  numerous training opportunities for health care providers.  The attached annual report provides background on their accomplishments in 2008.  Especially exciting is the new Women’s Initiative, dedicated to improving maternal health.

Below is an article in the Catholic Sentinel about the Louverture Cleary School, a respected institution in Port au Prince that admits students based  solely on merit, not their ability to pay.  When we think of development, too often we just think about physical infrastructure.  In terms of human development, education is essential.  The graduates of Louverture Cleary, many of whom grew up in the most "hopeless" parts of Port au Prince, have gone on to be doctors, engineers, and community organizers.  Bélimaire Emmanuel's story below illustrates how critical education is to cultivate a new generation of leadership in Haiti.

The past year has been hard for Haiti.  As usual, an emergency occurred that galvanized the attention of the international community temporarily. Humanitarian responders ramped up operations to deal with the crisis at hand. Commitments were made from donors, some of which were even kept.  But other emergencies happened around the world in other countries, and the political will to help Haiti make it from emergency to development mode fades.  Below is a Miami Herald article by Jacqueline Charles, touching on the issue of "Haiti Fatigue."  Has the world grown tired of Haiti?

Below is a blog concerning Smile Train, an organization that works with health care providers throughout the developing world to repair cleft lips and palates.  Smile Train will send a Surgical Volunteers International Team to Port au Prince from February 27- March 7.  While there, the team will both perform surgeries and teach local surgeons to do the same. This approach is cost-effective and builds local capacity. If you or a colleagues knows of a Haitian child with a cleft, please contact Smile Train and Surgical Volunteers International prior to the trip.

Today is the second Sunday into Carnival season and all the antics are already in full swing and from now on they will build and build each Sunday up until Mardi Gras. Bourik (BOS) had a chance to get up close and personal with an original karnaval troupe in Cayes Jacmel.

Wyclef Jean is a talented and electic musician whose message has always been one of non-violence, unity, and triumphing over adversity.  He has become a roving ambassador for both Haiti and hip hop alike.  As a philanthropist, his Yele Foundation is a positive force for change in Cite Soleil, Gonaives, and elsewhere.  During an interview today on 60 minutes he spoke about how he seeks to make a difference for and give hope to Haiti's urban youth. Click here to learn more about his music and here to learn about Yele. A summary of the interview is below.