Haiti Soleil

Bibliothèque du Soleil Creates an Emergency Group for the Carrefour-Feuilles Community

2010-02-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

The staff of Bibliothèque du Soleil has created an emergency group called Biwo Doleans Sosyal (BDS) to offer condolences to the families of Carrefour-Feuilles who have lost loved ones, provide assistance, and document stories and grievances from the community. The group is also creating jobs for young folks in the community who will be gathering the necessary information to document the story of Carrefour-feuilles after the quake.

By donating to Haiti Soleil you are contributing to the restoration of Bibliothèque du Soleil and its capacity to serve residents of Carrefour-Feuilles who have been greatly impacted by the earthquake.

If you are interested in organizing a fundraiser to benefit Bibliotheque du Soleil, please send an email to Haiti Soleil at hs@haitisoleil.org.

Photos of Bibliotheque du Soleil after the Earthquake

2010-01-18T17:41:00.000-08:00

On Thursday morning, I received word that my father is alive. I finally got a chance to speak to him on Sunday morning. We are happy to report that the staff members of Bibliotheque du Soleil are alive as well.

The community Haiti Soleil supports is one of the badly affected areas in Port-au-Prince. I fear that a number of the 400 patrons of Bibliotheque du Soleil are dead. Certainly all of them have lost loved ones and friends.

Schools, churches, hospitals, and homes in the community have collapsed. As for the library, well, we don't have good news. On Saturday, I received the following message from Edouard, who has been instrumental in helping us set up the computer lab:

"The library's building is no longer a sound structure. Entire complex needs to be taken down. will send pictures when i have power...edwa"

We received pictures from Edouard the following day. The damage is worse than we thought. We have posted the photos on Bibliotheque du Soleil's public facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Port-au-Prince-Haiti/Bibliotheque-du-Soleil/56685888449?v=photos&ref=ts#/album.php?aid=143153&id=56685888449

You can also view photos of Bibliotheque du Soleil's activities and events before the earthquake by clicking on the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Port-au-Prince-Haiti/Bibliotheque-du-Soleil/56685888449?v=photos#/album.php?aid=143483&id=56685888449

There is much work to do in the days ahead for all of us. But I believe together we can help rebuild Port-au-Prince and other areas in Haiti damaged by the earthquake.

In solidarity,
Nadege T. Clitandre, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Haiti Soleil
www.haitisoleil.org
www.facebook.com/haitisoleil
www.twitter.com/haitisoleil

A Message from Executive Director on the Earthquake in Haiti

2010-01-14T07:46:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends,

As many of you know by now, Haiti was hit by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on Tuesday, January 12, 2010. Pictures of damaged and collapsed buildings, including governmental structures such as the presidential palace and popular tourist destinations such as Hotel Montana, have been circulating all over the news and major online social networks like Twitter and Facebook. The offices of major international relief agencies have been toppled, making rescue efforts very difficult. Repeated images of little bodies under the rubble and bruised victims on bloody concrete streets have us all gasping in horror. The city of Port-au-Prince appears to be in ruins. Haitians in the capital are, needless to say, frantic. Many are now homeless, displaced and in need of refuge. Haitian Americans all over the United States are shocked and desperate to reach loved ones back at home. The situation is dire.

I was just beginning to recover from jet lag when I received the news of the earthquake yesterday afternoon around 2pm PST. I returned from Haiti this past Thursday after spending an entire month there setting up a small computer lab at Bibliothèque du Soleil, our community library in Carrefour-Feuilles, Port-au-Prince. My nonprofit organization, Haiti Soleil, received a generous grant from the Irene Scully Family Foundation to increase the services and develop the programs we offer at the library. We also received support and in-kind donations from the Center for Black Studies here at UCSB, The French Department at UC Berkeley, and individual donors for the library’s youth Christmas celebration on December 24, 2009.

December was a great month for the most part. Staff morale at the library was high.
Overall, many folks in Haiti were relieved that the country experienced a relatively quiet cyclone season. We were also very hopeful as we witnessed some visible signs of development (i.e., investments in the form of hotels and businesses, airport improvements, new airlines flying into Haiti, better roads, more tourist travel....). It is devastating that we are starting the new year with such catastrophe. Haiti does not have the infrastructure to deal with an earthquake and its aftermath. We have no idea how many lives have been lost, nor do we know how long it will take to recover from this humanitarian disaster. Tough times are indeed ahead for a city that is already dealing with overpopulation, growing bidonvilles (shanty towns), and environmental degradation.

I have not heard from my father, the staff of Bibliothèque du Soleil, and the friends in Haiti who support our efforts when we are there. I have been calling my dad repeatedly with no success. I talked to my father just a few hours before the earthquake over an unresolved customer service issue with a computer store in Delmas. Frustrated, I did not get a chance to tell him I loved him before hanging up.

The earthquake is heartbreaking news. I have been receiving a number of calls and emails from concerned individuals wishing to help in any way possible. I am heartened by those who have reached out by extending sympathies and offering encouraging words. For those who are interested in supporting direct relief agencies, please consider donating to organizations such as Doctors without Borders and Partners in Health. I hear that Fondation Connaissance & Liberté/Fondasyon Konesans Ak Libète (FOKAL), a foundation that supports our library in Haiti, is also accepting donations specifically for relief efforts. Other organizations like The Lambi Fund of Haiti provide long term support. Small nonprofit organizations like Haiti Soleil are in need of volunteers interested in supporting educational development in Haiti.

The Board of Haiti Soleil is monitoring the situation in Haiti. As soon as we hear from the staff of Bibliothèque du Soleil, we will post a message on our website and send an email to our supporters.

In Solidarity,

Nadège T. Clitandre, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Haiti Soleil, Inc.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Haiti Soleil and CounterPULSE co-present "The Politics of Poverty"

2009-10-26T18:02:00.000-07:00

Haiti Soleil and CounterPULSE co-present

"The Politics of Poverty"

by Colette Eloi (part of the Performing Diaspora Festival)

Thurs.-Sun. Nov. 12-15 all shows 8 pm @ CounterPULSE

$15-25 pre-sale, $18-25 at the door Single evening tix

Haiti Soleil is co-presenting on Thursday, November 12, 2009

Location: 1310 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103 San Francisco, CA

Haiti Soleil teams up with CounterPULSE, one of the Bay Area's most exciting centers for ground breaking performance, to present "The Politics of Poverty" by Colette Eloi as part of the three-week Performing Diaspora Festival.

Colette Eloi is one of the festival's thirteen California dance, music, theater, media, and interdisciplinary artists who are using traditional forms as a basis for experimentation and innovation, representing the modern California experience. Colette Eloi's work will be shown as part of the showcase that runs from November 12-15 .

For more information:

http://counterpulse.org/performing-diaspora/artists/colette-eloi/

2009-07-04T23:31:00.000-07:00

June 2009 Fundraiser in Washington, D.C. a success!

Haiti Soleil thanks donors Norma Toussaint and Lawrence Green for organizing a successful fundraiser event on June 13 in Washington, DC. for Haiti Soleil's summer camp program.

We also thank all those who attended the fundraiser and donated to the third annual summer camp program, which will commence on July 20, 2009.

Haitian Youth in Action Exhibit in Honor of Flag Day May 2009

2009-05-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

In honor of Flag Day 2009, Haiti Soleil in collaboration with the Santa Barbara Public Library and the Center for Black Studies Research at UCSB, held a reception at the Santa Barbara Central Public Library on Tuesday, May 19 to raise awareness about Bibliotheque du Soleil and Haiti Soleil. The reception was part of the Haiti Youth in Action Exhibit on display at the central library the entire month of May. This exhibit includes portraits of students at Bibliothèque du Soleil as well as colorful drawings by children and teens participating in educational enrichment programs in Haiti.

Haiti Soleil Fundraiser in New York

2009-03-04T20:48:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, March 7, 2009, an Informational Session/Fundraiser for Haiti Soleil will take place at Casa Frela Gallery in Harlem, New York. This event will also be a closing reception for photographer Tony Savino's exhibit, "Fete St. Yves: Beyond the Mountains," currently on display at Casa Frela.

Along with celebrating Mr. Savino's work and his contributions to Haitian communities in New York and abroad, this gathering seeks to cultivate a network of supporters and volunteers for HaitiSoleil in the New York area.

Time: 12pm - 4pm

Location: Casa Frela Gallery, 47 W. 119th Street, New York, NY

For more information on Casa Frela, please visit http://casafrela.com or contact Ferentz Lafargue at Ferentz@Ferentz.com.

Happy New Year 2009 with Updates and Goals

2009-01-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

CAMP D'ETE DU SOLEIL 2008

Happy New Year everyone! Haiti Soleil is starting off the New Year with renewed energy to organize awareness and fundraiser events for 2009. Thanks to those of you who donated to our organization last year, we were able to support the programs at Bibliotheque du Soleil. Much of the donations received before July were spent on our library's 2nd annual summer camp program, which began in July and ended in September. Fourty (40) kids participated in the program. Photos of the summer camp program will be posted shortly on our website

FALL 2008 FUNDRAISER A SUCCESS!

Thanks to all those who participated in our Fall 2008 Fundraiser. We reached our Fall fundraiser goal. There were two gatherings and one small benefit concert hosted by Haiti Soleil supporters in Brooklyn, New York (Ferentz Lafargue), Austin,Texas (Joao Vargas), and Oakland, CA (Voleine and Tim Suttle). These supporters raised in total $1600. Haiti Soleil also received a $2500 Platinum Sponsorship donation from the Irene Scully Foundation. The rest of the funds raised came from individual donors. The donations will be used to modernize electricity and provide internet service at Bibliothèque du Soleil. We will send out an updated report of how the funds were used to our donors in June 2008. Photos from the fundraiser events will be posted in the near future.

OUR GOALS FOR 2009

We want you to know that your generous donation helps us accomplish our work in Haiti and gives us the drive to continue our mission to build and develop community libraries and museums in Haiti. This year, our goal is to raise funds to support our youth and cultural awareness programs, sponsor presentations, and cover the cost of ten (10) laptops for Bibliothèque du Soleil. We will be organizing a number of activities and fundraiser events in the Bay Area and other parts of California to raise awareness about Haiti, and nurture a relationship with California residents interested in supporting youth education in Haiti. We hope to work with individuals and groups in other parts of the US who wish to collaborate with us to organize events to raise awareness about our cause.

As we will be providing Internet service at our library in Port-au-Prince, our goal is to launch the website for Bibliothèque du Soleil.

We hope to send more musical instruments, art supplies, and other educational materials for the library's afterschool program and summer camp. We will be sending science supplies this year.

We will also have a large fundraiser drive in Fall 2009 and hope you will join us in our efforts.

Thank you for all your support!

In solidarity,
Nadège T. Clitandre
Executive Director
Haiti Soleil, Inc.

Impact of Hurricane Hanna on Bibliothèque du Soleil

2008-09-06T09:51:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends of Haiti Soleil,

Many of you have been sending messages expressing concern about the impact of Hurricane Gustav and Hanna on Bibliothèque du Soleil, our library in Haiti. Hanna in particular has become the deadliest storm of the season. So far 137 people have been killed by the storm. In Port-au-Prince, trees have been uprooted, light poles and electric lines are down, and many houses are now roofless. But as Josette Perard, Haiti Director of Lambi Fund, said, "this is nothing compared to the devastation which has struck other communities throughout the country." The city of Gonaives, in particular, is dealing with major floods and mudslides.

We want you to know that the library did not suffer any major damages. In July, a large tree that provided shade in the backyard was torn down by a heavy tropical storm. As a result, the commencement of the summer camp program was rescheduled for a later date. The summer camp program has indeed taken place, but certain events and activities were postponed due to Gustav and Hanna. The activities at the library have since resumed and the summer camp program has been extended for another two weeks.

Kids and students however are directly impacted by the Hurricane. Because of Hanna and other anticipated hurricanes, the Minister of Education postponed the opening of classes. Bibliothèque du Soleil is happy to be providing a space for kids and young adults to engage in educational activities as they wait for school to open their doors.

While the library was not devastated by the Hurricane, many of the patrons who frequent the library were not so lucky. Families, property and businesses in the neighborhood of Carrefour-Feuilles were directly impacted.

For those who are interested learning more about environmental concerns and sustainable development in Haiti, please contact the Lambi Fund of Haiti at info@lambifund.org. Lambi Fund has been working towards alternative sustainable development in Haiti since 1994.

Again, Haiti Soleil thanks you for your expressed concerns about our library and its patrons.

In solidarity,
Nadege T. Citandre
Executive Director
Haiti Soleil, Inc.

Haiti Soleil is Now on Facebook

2008-08-29T20:22:00.001-07:00

2nd annual Haitian/Francophone Book Fair at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

2008-08-25T00:26:00.001-07:00

On May 24, 2008, Nadège T. Clitandre, Executive Director of Haiti Soleil, Inc. attended the 2nd annual Haitian/Francophone Book Fair at Howard University in Washington, D.C. to celebrate Haitian literature and writers from Haiti. Organized by the Association of Haitian Professionals (AHP) and the Embassy of the Republic of Haiti in Washington, D.C., the fair included about 30 Haitian writers from Haiti, the United States and Canada.. Through their generosity, many of the writers at the fair donated books to Bibliothèque du Soleil, the library Haiti Soleil is supporting in Carrefour feuilles, Haiti. On behalf of Bibliothèque du Soleil, Haiti Soleil, Inc. thanks all the writers who donated their books

Haitian Flag Day

2008-08-25T00:25:00.001-07:00

In celebration of Haitian Flag Day on May 18, the Center for Black Studies Research at the University of California, Santa Barbara sponsored a book drive and a bake sale fro Bibliothèque du Soleil. The book drive, held on Tuesday, May 20, was organized by the ladies of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority at UCSB. The bake sale, held on Friday, May 23rd, was organized by Akanke student organization. Haiti Soleil, Inc. would like to thank The Center for Black Studies for their continuous support and everyone at UCSB who made both events successful.

Haiti Connexion

2008-08-25T00:23:00.000-07:00

Haiti Connexion (HC), a Haitian network and registered Florida based LLC invested in connecting Haitians all over the world, joins the fundraising effort to support Bibliothèque du Soleil through the Starfish Program, a new HC initiative aimed at supporting educational and cultural centers in Haiti. HC began its fundraising campaign for Bibliothèque du Soleil during the Christmas 2007 Holidays. To learn more about HC, check out its website at http://www.haiticonnexionnetwork.com.

H5 donates to Haiti Soleil

2008-08-25T00:15:00.001-07:00

During the entire month of May 2007, H5, a small business in San Francisco that helps companies and law firms manage their document reviews, organized a fundraiser for Bibliothèque du Soleil, Haiti Soleil's library in Haiti. To commence the fundraiser, Nadège T. Clitandre, Haiti Soleil's founder and Executive Director, provided a powerpoint presentation to H5 employees on Haiti's history, culture and current conditions as well the state of education in Haiti. The fundraiser was a success. A monetary donation of over $1000.00 was received from H5 employees. A used computer, scanner and printer was also donated to the library in Haiti. In addition to individual donations, Haiti Soleil received a matching corporate donation from H5. Haiti Soleil thanks H5 and all its employees for their donations.

For information on H5, visit their website at www.h5techonologies.com.

Support Haiti Soleil

2008-08-25T00:02:00.000-07:00

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	A Nonprofit for Haiti
	Supporting a Library