Medway Rotarian Joins Relief Effort in Haiti

Medway Rotarian David Hatcher flew out to Haiti on 11th March to join the ShelterBox operation. A former Chief Superintendent of Kent Police and the British Transport Police, David is never far away from an opportunity to roll up his sleeves.

David Hatcher with some recipients David made it through a rigorous selection process to become one a member of the ShelterBox Response Team back in September last year. He is ready to be deployed to disasters anywhere in the world and he leapt at the chance to assist in Haiti.

David said "so far I have been to the urban area of Port au Prince (Gressier) where we helped the locals in the countryside (38 families in a rural community) put up secondhand tents a local Rotarian's wife had acquired." Next he left the capital and "…went into the mountains to an area called Boutiler where we supplied tents to families living on the hillside, demonstrating how to erect them and helping them with site preparation etc…"

Example of living conditions Summing up the situation, he said "there is still an estimated 1.5 million people living on the streets in parks etc. There are even shanty shacks on the 4 foot wide central reservations in down town Port au Prince - crazy living conditions. 5 storey buildings have just pancaked and there are doubtless still many bodies to be unearthed when they get round to clearing the sites."

When the devastating earthquake hit just west of Port-au-Prince on 12th January, the ShelterBox team began preparing to deploy aid to Haiti. As a non-political organisation, ShelterBox and Rotary International are granted access to areas devastated by natural disasters when aid is most needed - immediately. There is no waiting for international governments to agree to send aid. With ShelterBox, aid is already boxed up and ready to go.

Example of living conditions ShelterBox was founded by Rotarian Tom Henderson in 2000 when he saw the devastation caused by a natural disaster on the news one evening. He created a single box of essential items that would provide for a family as local, national and international organisations started rebuilding the area hit. His aim was to provide shelter, warmth and dignity to these victims.

Today, ShelterBox has been adopted by Rotary International and its 33,000 member clubs. Rotary Clubs, private companies and even individual sponsors fund ShelterBoxes that have supported nearly a million people worldwide in over 60 countries.