As the eyes of the world turn toward Haiti, Hope Force works alongside other relief organizations to ensure supplies are getting to the survivors as quickly as possible. An earthquake of this magnitude in and of itself is a humanitarian disaster. Coupled with the remote area in which the epicenter was located, the civil unrest within the country of Haiti itself and the Covid pandemic — the pathway to provide disaster relief is difficult to say the least.
In light of these realities, the in-country directors of Hope Force Haiti, Rene and Marianne Lako, continue to work tirelessly to serve the people and country they love. On the front end, this couple is utilizing their proximity to the epicenter in order to ensure immediate relief and aid are being supplied to the people. At the same time, they are working to create a pathway of service for our organization and others to ensure our response is effective and efficient.
From where Rene and Marianne live, La Plaine Baladeres is about five hours away by truck, much of which is on dangerous, mountainous roads. This rural community consists of mostly small traditional homes made of concrete. Estimates were heard that 80-90% of the homes were destroyed or heavily damaged. Unfortunately, upon assessment of the area, those figures were confirmed. Most of the homes were built without rebar for support, and instead, timber was used for supports. For almost every home, the only thing left standing are a few of those timbers.
