World Bank approves $24.5 million in grants for economic governance, road rehabilitation in Haiti

By Jennifer Browning
Two grants approved by the World Bank Board of Directors totalling $24.5 million will go to support Haiti’s economic governance reform agenda and rehabilitation of key roads and bridges.
The first grant for the Third Economic Governance Reform Operation (EGRO III) for $12.5 million seeks to improve the effectiveness, transparency and accountability of public [...]

Read Full Post »

UN food chief commits to 24-hour hunger strike to draw attention to the 1 billion chronically malnourished

By Jennifer Browning
Because Rome’s U.N. Food and Agriculture offices are unheated at night, U.N. Food Chief Jacques Diouf bundled up with a hat, scarf and overcoat over his pajamas and spent the night on a makeshift mattress in an effort to draw attention to the 1 billion chronically malnourished people before next week’s U.N. food [...]

Read Full Post »

UTHSCSA wins $10,000 grant for Project Medishare on Ideablob.com

By Jennifer Browning
Since their first partnering trip with Project Medishare in December 2008, University of Texas Health and Science Center in San Antonio (UTHSCSA) has been working toward raising enough money to send two medical groups to Haiti in 2010.
They received quite a boost after the group won a $10,000 grant from Ideablob.com this month.
UTHSCSA [...]

Read Full Post »

Carter plans to combat malaria in Haiti and Dominican Republic

By Jennifer Browning
An estimated 30,000 Haitians were infected this year and several thousand more across the border in the Dominican Republic. Such statistics prompted former President Jimmy Carter to begin a $200,000 pilot program to fight malaria in Ouanaminthe and in neighboring Dajabon, Dominican Republic. The pilot program is operated by the noprofit, The Carter [...]

Read Full Post »

Boots made for walking also help Haiti

By Jennifer Browning
Got a mountain in mind to climb? Are the Everglades calling you to traverse it’s ghostly winding paths? Now you can choose your next pair of boots from Timberland, who has created a 16-boot footwear collection specifically for Wyclef Jean’s Yéle Haiti organization. The musician and his organization have teamed up with the [...]

Read Full Post »

Royal Caribbean makes largest investment in Haiti tourism

By Jennifer Browning
Although the cruise line mostly bills the stop as Hispanola, Miami’s Royal Caribbean Cruises has been making Labadee, Haiti a frequent port of call.
Now the cruise line is making a an investment, nearly $55 million, to fuel hope that Haiti can become a popular tourist destination once more.Royal Caribbean Cruises has extended the [...]

Read Full Post »

Haiti receives debt forgiveness as a result of the HIPC Initiative

By Jennifer Browning
Under the enhanced Heavily-Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, United States Ambassador Kenneth H. Merten and Haitian Minister of the Economy and Finance Daniel Dorsainvil today signed a bilateral debt relief agreement.
In recognition of Haiti’s successful completion of the HIPC, under the terms of this agreement, the United States will erase $12.6 million of [...]

Read Full Post »

UM fraternity repairs and donates computers to Project Medishare’s health care workers

By Jennifer Browning
Last Spring, juniors Ananth Sastry and Ashish Shah from University of Miami’s Delta Epsilon Psi Fraternity boarded their flight to Port-au-Prince with four newly repaired computers. Health care agents now use those computers in participation with Project Medishare’s Community Health Program.
The fraternity, which joined UM’s greek life last Fall, voluntarily [...]

Read Full Post »

Farmer, UN Deputy to Special Envoy returns from Haiti

By Jennifer Browning
Paul Farmer returned from Haiti Tuesday marking his first visit to the country in his new capacity as the United Nations’ deputy special envoy. The trip was part of a follow-up trip that UN Special Envoy Bill Clinton made last month to Haiti.
“This island nation is one I am deeply committed to,” [...]

Read Full Post »

New U.S. Ambassador Kenneth H. Merten arrives in Haiti

By Jennifer Browning
The new Ambassador of the United States in Haiti, Ambassador Kenneth H. Merten, arrived Port-au-Prince yesterday where he presented his letters of accreditation to Haitian President  Rene Préval.
Ambassador Merten reiterated the United State’s support to Haiti.

“I know that these are still difficult times and Haiti has many, many needs. I have no [...]

Read Full Post »