On February 25th as part of the What’s Mine Is Yours organization members, I in addition to 14 other members embarked on a mission trip to provide immediate relief to people who were devastated by the earthquake in Haiti. I would like to inform you all therefore, on my safe return from the mission trip and share some of the many compelling experiences I came across during that time. The trip was a success in part because of many kind hearts who contributed to this effort. We came across some bumps along the way, the biggest was having to fly to Dominican Republic when direct flights to Haiti were canceled just days before our trip. Delta was very generous in approving the organization with unlimited baggage at no cost; In which case all the wonderful and much needed donations that were collected and prepared prior to the trip would be transported accordingly. Upon our arrival to the Dominican Republic our organization members loaded two buses that accommodated all 68 boxes as well as a number of luggage and bags and we set off to Haiti. Once in Haiti we were escorted by local Haitian officials and authorities across Port Au Prince to a small town west of Haiti known as “La Plaine, Bon Repos”. There, we were welcomed by a prominent figure in the village, Rony Colin who open this village for our usage and provided additional transportation, shelter and security staff to assist us along the way. Provided with shelter we reorganized the donations into smaller bags and set off to distribute them to facilities and local communities. Over the course of eight days we visited 5 town (Leogane, Arcahaie, Gran Goave/Petit Goave, Carrefour, and La Plaine), 3 churches, and camps.



In these communities we were confronted with the harsh realities inflicted on the lives of too many as a result of the earthquake. The aftermath of the earthquake has changed the lifestyles of these people and present new difficulties and hazards each day. For instance, one woman decided to cook insider her tent because it was raining and consequently the tent caught on fire. Another woman gave birth to twins inside a tent without proper medical attention nor supplies. However despite these hurdles we were able to restore hope to many of these families. Upon our arrival to these communities we found that we were the first organization to have reached them since the earthquake, in which case these families were overjoyed by our presence and our donation strengthen their will and motivation to look forward to a better tomorrow. We distributed food, and what would be the first pair of sneakers, shoes, clothing, toiletries, tents, and toys received since the earthquake.



I, personally was enthralled by an eleven year old girl, Mirtha Ora. She is a bright child who has many aspirations for the future. She was very articulate about who she was and what she wanted. I learned from Mirtha her favorite color, which is orange. She dreams of having a bike of her own, a blue bike one in particular and would love to go to school some day. I was so intrigued by Mirtha that I have promised to adopt her and in the preliminary steps of legitimatizing this claim. One day in the near future I hope to fulfill Mirtha’s dreams so that she can enjoy a normal and healthy life that we all wish for our children.



Furthermore, I would like to thank all the exceptional actors in this effort from Third Square residents, West End and Church Corner Residents, Equity Residential, Big Foot Movers, local businesses, Delta, many many more, and the WMIY organization members. The communities we were able to reach impacted so many lives and this was a gratifying and humbling experience that I shall never forget. Perseverance and patience is essential to rebuilding Haiti. And I have learned that hope is a main ingredient to perseverance and we are dedicated to restoring this sense of hope in the Country of Haiti. Much was done but the reality is that much more is still needed. Your continued support is immensely appreciated and noted. With the support of people like you, What’s Mine Is Yours Organization will continue their efforts to restore Haiti, one community at a time.



Thank you for reading,

CASIMIR DERONETTE