Los Toros Jan 2010 Mission - Haiti Earthquake

The Earthquake - the Effects on Los Toros

    The perspective of one person……………………………..       (Espanol abajo)

John and Terrie Gallo and Dee Schlecht had already left but I and Tommy Atwell were still in Los Toros during the earthquake. Many people in Los Toros felt the earth shake; I saw the ceiling fans swinging back and forth in the library.

Eleazor had been working on the electric invisor in the library and one of the batteries had just exploded, he came running to me; “My God, the whole town shook”! Little did he know that Haiti shook with hundreds the force we felt in Los Toros. And when the people of Los Toros heard of the terrible damage and loss of life in Haiti their first words were, “O God, those people are so poor and now this.” Everyone in the village spoke of concern and care for those suffering from the terrible disaster. They know and understand poverty and they know and understand suffering so they have much solidarity with the people of Haiti.

There is a doctor from Haiti working as an intern in the Medical Clinic in Los Toros and she was very worried about her family; sad to say in a few days she found out that four of them were killed in the quake. The hospital in the city nearest to Los Toros, Azua, was filled with casualties and it is at least a four to six hour trip to the area of the quake from there. Dominicans are scraping up from the little they have to give help to the Haitians. Though they have not been close friends in the past today they hire Haitians to work with them in their fields and a number of them live in Los Toros. The people of Los Toros now treat the Haitians with respect and try to help them; the Haitians work hard in their fields and they are trying to provide them with food and shelter when possible.

What can “We” do to help?

First of all the recovery work is for professionals and it is important to stay out of their way. Many international groups are participating and they know the best way to do the immediate work of recovery. They are recruiting the right type of help and leading them in the effort to recovery from this great calamity. If you wish to donate, the World Mission Office of the Archdiocese is accepting donations for short term and long term aid:

Please send your checks marked Haitian Relief and payable to: World Mission Ministries, PO Box 3087, Milwaukee, WI 53201-3087.

In the long term we can continue to work with the people of Los Toros to help the process of integration of migrating Haitians into their community. They need healthcare, housing and education; we can integrate them into some of our programs and by helping them we will indirectly and also directly help their relatives across the border who are suffering in Haiti. Unfortunately there is a language and literacy barrier that is difficult to overcome but with time and determination we could make progress. Haitians that migrate to the Dominican Republic come from severely impoverished areas and have little or no education with limited communication skills. They are separated form their families and culture and have few social outlets; this means it is difficult for them to make progress in their lives and integrate into a foreign community and a foreign culture. There are few agencies working with them and since their status is not legal they are fearful of government officials and strangers. It is difficult to win their trust and confidence and make friends with them. Only after years of greeting them and giving them bread do they acknowledge and greet me. Perhaps younger people could more easily work with them because they may be less threatening and more flexible. Nonetheless integration is a long term project that requires a lot of cooperation and collaboration on the part of Dominicans, Haitians and third parties.

Deacon Don Kabara

                                   Espanol

El Terremoto - los Efectos en Los Toros 

John y Terrie Gallo y Dee Schlecht ya habían salido pero yo todavía estaba en Los Toros durante el terremoto juntos con Tommy Atwell. Muchas personas en Los Toros sentían el terremoto. Yo vi los abanicas del techo girando de un lado a otro en la biblioteca. Eleazor había estado trabajando con el invisor eléctrico en la biblioteca y uno de las baterías  había explotado, él corre a mí; “Mi Dios, el pueblo entero agitó”! Pero en realidad en este momento el no sabe que Haití agitó con centenares la fuerza que nosotros sentíamos en Los Toros. Y cuando las personas de Los Toros oyeron del daño terrible y pérdida de vida en Haití, sus primeras palabras eran, "O Dios, esas personas son tan pobres y ahora esto". Ahora hay una doctora de Haití que trabaja como un interno en la Clínica Médica en Los Toros y ella estaba muy angustiada sobre su familia; triste para decir por unos días ella averiguó que se mataron cuatro de ellos en el temblor. El hospital en la ciudad más cercano a Los Toros, Azua, estaba lleno con víctimas. Los Dominicanos están raspando a del poco que ellos tienen que darles ayuda a los Haitianos - tan generosos!

¿Como podemos hacer "Nosotros" para ayudar? 

En primer lugar el trabajo de la recuperación es para los profesionales y es importante quedarse fuera de su manera. Muchos grupos internacionales están participando y ellos saben la manera mejor de hacer el trabajo inmediato de recuperación. Si usted desea donar, la Oficina de la Misión Mundial de la Archidiócesis está aceptando donaciones: 

Por favor envíe sus cheques marcaron Alivio Haitiano y pagable a: Ministerios de la Misión mundiales, PO Box 3087, Milwaukee, WI 53201-3087. 

En el tiempo largo nosotros podemos continuar trabajando con las personas de Los Toros ayudar el proceso de integración de emigrar a los Haitianos en su comunidad. Ellos necesitan salud, hogares y educación; nosotros podemos integrarlos en algunos de nuestros programas y ayudándolos nosotros mandamos indirectamente y también directamente sus parientes  la ayuda por la frontera en Haití que está sufriendo.

El Los Toros Comité de parroquia San Jose tiene una reunión en Feb. 3 a 7:00 PM.

Más información y fotografías de nuestra Misión del enero a Los Toros están en la Página de Internet de Misión - www.lostorosmission.com. 

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For More Information about the Los Toros Mission Committee......

  Please contact:
Mike Haischer - 262- 375-2625
or
Don Kabara - 262-377-7527