For the past year alone, Haiti has been in the news for horrible tragedies from the devastating damages in Gonaives to the school collapse in Petionville to the nationwide famine. Haiti became the first free black republic in the world on January 1st, 1804 (Wikipedia). Now, the description of Haiti is followed by "the poorest of the Western hemisphere." It used to be a tourist destination, an exporter of goods that were locally produced, a real paradise that many call home. It took many years for things to be the way they are today. Regardless of who and what deserve the blame, the situation will be worse if something is not done to help the population.

New Face Foundation is a non-profit organization that would provide financial support and services needed by the population. Providing direct aid is one of the best way for relief efforts because many need food, shelter, clothing and money desperately. However, a long term project will definitely have a greater impact. It will take a lot of ideas, work, time, efforts, commitment and money.

The focus is on the long term development of Cap-Haitien, Haiti. Why Cap-Haitien? Some of our members and contributors have lived in the country, have family members there or are still living in it. We can identify the problems firsthand and find feasible solutions much easier. It has its own airport and its own port. It is near the Dominican Republic. It facilitates the task of shipping supplies or buying items needed with money raised for our projects. Hopefully we can create a model that can be duplicated in other cities.

Our first project is the Back-to-School Initiative to encourage student enrollment at the beginning of the school year. The job market is very competitive. Without the proper education, chances for employment are greatly reduced. The goal is to provide supplies assistance to financially strained parents if they manage to enroll their children in school. Donate now to give a child a chance to an education. If the economy is in a recession, what about those who do not have an "economy" in the first place? Donate now to make a difference.

*Blog entries are personal opinion of the author, not the official view of the organization. Painting is a picture taken by Rebekah Lucien, during her trip in Haiti.

If you are interested in owning a similar painting, email me at neddied@newfacefoundation.org.