A10

Sarah McArthur — ORA International Canada

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A child standing in the street crying with nothing but devastation around her, a mother looking in desperation to find something to feed her family, a man looking to rebuild his home that started out simply as a shanty shack (a structure of banana leaves and sticks) — these are the faces of the local Haitian people in Jacmel, Haiti. A tropical storm hit this region on Aug. 27, leaving nothing but disaster in its path.

ORA International Canada (Orphans, Refugees and Aid) is seeking emergency donations from the public to aid the survivors of this disaster.

ORA sponsors the work of inland missionary Bonnie MacAusland, native to Haliburton, Ontario and local Haitian Pastor Daniel and Marlaine Alix. A local news report from the area states more bad weather is still to come. Mudslides came off the mountains, luckily separating into three channels, and crashed down over the city with a population of approximately 20,0000. MacAusland said the mud was four feet deep, with rocks and large boulders covering the ground and wiping out complete crops. The last count of the deceased was 51 people. Most of the local livestock from the orphanage, where the Alixes and their 60 orphans reside, drowned in the flooding.

"We have no food! The destruction from the flooding on the sides of the children's orphanage has washed away the basic structure holding the walls in place. Because we do not have glass in our windows, just openings to the outside, our orphanage was flooded, soaking all the children's beds, clothing and schoolbooks. We are in desperate need at this time," explained Marlaine.

The locals stated that the water levels were so high they were flooding over the entrance bridge to the city.

Coinciding with the increased price in fuel and the tension between feuding governments of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, food prices for a local Haitian person are beyond what they are capable to afford.

With the increased price in rice and basic provisions many families were in dire need even before this storm. Since the storm many families are left without a home, no food, no clean drinking water and no accessibility to basic medicines for injury from the natural disaster.

ORA International Canada is a non-profit, Christian relief organization that serves people in need. The Canadian office has just recently opened its doors in the local Miramichi area, from Peterborough Ontario, and has been working in Haiti for the last 12 years. The organization has representatives in 28 countries around the world, with main headquarters in Germany.

All monies donated greater the $20 will receive a tax receipt. This money will be used to distribute food, clean water and medicine, repair the Faith and Love In Action children's orphanage, rebuild homes and purchase new goats and pigs for the locals. All cheques should be payable to ORA International and mailed to 18 Way Rd.

Trout Brook, N.B., E9E 2T2.

ORA International always takes donations of children's clothing, over the counter medication such as children's Tylenol (liquid and chewable), adult Tylenol or ibuprofen, children's or adult's multivitamins, pregnancy multivitamins, topical anti-fungal creams, antacids, scabies topical cream medication, Gravol and Imodium. Personal hygiene products such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, small bottles of shampoo/conditioner, and items like stickers, balloons, decorative pins, small toys, hair accessories, receiving blankets, fabric, knitted hats and booties for infants and powdered baby formula are also welcome. For more information on ORA's ongoing work in Haiti, please call Sarah McArthur at (506) 773 8815, e-mail info@orainternational.com or visit www.ora-international.org.