Back from Haiti with hope in my heart
As many of you know, I was among the 297 wonderful volunteers that traveled to Haiti recently with Irish charity Haven.
As a group, we built 63 semi-detached two-room houses, a community / training centre and a wonderful playground in a hurricane ravaged area of northern Haiti called Gonaives.
It was very tough, both physically working in temperatures of up to 47 degrees celsius and mentally, dealing with the terrible environment where the people of Haiti live. However, to say that this experience is life-changing and most rewarding is an under-statement.
The Haitian people are already being forgotten worldwide with no foreign correspondents left in the country. They are the descendants of the slaves abducted from Africa and they have no oil or other precious natural resources to attract the interests, enterprise and jobs from wealthy nations. What they are, is part of our human race, and they deserve not to be forgotten, they deserve our help to achieve the basic human right of shelter and a fair chance of survival.
I'm going back again to Haiti next April to do some more to help the most unfortunate Haitian people. I want to add to the efforts that are bringing hope to what is perceived by many to be a hopeless situation.
I would like to thank the following most sincerely for their kind donations to Haven: PPG Industries €1,000; Goodyear Dunlop Ireland (€1,500); Hyundai Ireland €400; Continental UK & Ireland (€500); Pirelli UK & Ireland (£500); KIA Ireland €250; Hanover Tyres (€250); Square Fit (€500); Euro Tyres (€250); Sean Cusack (€100); W.H. Nutt & Co. (£100); Michael Scanlan (€100); Pearse O'Loughlin (€30); Richard Gleeson, Hi-Volt (€200); Anthony Neville (€200); National Autoparts (€500); the Irish Motoring Writers Assoc. (€500); Rowena Suthers (€50); Padraig Slattery (€100); Woodford Diagnostics (€100); Mrs. Ethel Field (€25); Conor Horgan (€100); Micheal Keane (€100) and Automotive Publications (€400).
It was all put to the best possible use in Haiti. And several others from the auto trade contacted me with good wishes, having already donated to Haiti, while others wished to remain anonymous.
You can read more about the work of this worthy charity by logging on to: www.havenpartnership.com
And you can also still donate to Haven by forwarding me a crossed cheque, made out to Haven or by credit cards, log on to:
http://www.mycharity.ie/eventhavenpadraic__deanes_ event/
Thank you so much for your generosity.
Padraic Deane,
Managing Editor / Publisher,
Automotive Publications.
00353 (0)90 6625676 (T) 00353 (0)90 6637410 (F)
00353 (0)86 2339713 (M) pdeane@autopub.ie (E)
Automotive Publications Ltd. / Auto Trade Journal,
Glencree House,
Lanesborough Road,
Roscommon, Co. Roscommon, Ireland.
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