By Laura McKillip Wood
In the aftermath of the Aug. 14 earthquake in Haiti which killed more than 2,200 people and reduced many structures to rubble, humanitarian organizations around the world have rushed to provide aid. KORE Foundation, a nonprofit that has worked in Haiti for the last decade, acted quickly by mobilizing local farmers who work within their network to provide aid to people in the most affected areas.
KORE’s purpose is to provide opportunities for Haitian people to overcome poverty and become self-sustaining. Their “business as ministry” approach focuses on economic, physical, and spiritual development. When it began, KORE helped poultry farmers get a start. A few years ago, the organization moved from poultry production to egg production, and now the operations provide an egg a day to more than 8,000 children.
Since KORE is all about eggs, the organization used the resources at their fingertips to respond quickly and efficiently. After the earthquake, KORE farmers and staff began boiling and packaging hard-boiled eggs for people in the hardest-hit areas. These Haitian farmers have now contributed more than 36,500 eggs! Additionally, KORE is teaming up with similar organizations that work with Haitian farmers and small businesses to provide more resources.
“We have been able to support other agriculture producers in Haiti to source locally produced foods, including 2,300 pounds of peanut butter, cereal bars, and close to 50 tons of rice, corn, and beans,” KORE executive director Jennifer Farber said. This is an example of a network of nonprofits working together, using local farmers and agencies, to help meet needs of those affected by the recent disaster.
Additionally, 12,000 pounds of donated medical supplies will be flown from the United States to Haiti on Missionary Flights International at no charge.
Distributing these items is difficult, however. Many roads were damaged by the quake. KORE is looking at options for delivering supplies via air or sea to areas otherwise unreachable.
Though the challenge is great, KORE’s focus on strengthening local farmers remains strong. KORE sees the economic difficulties caused by outside agencies providing free aid to the people of Haiti and hopes to help Haitians build their own economy. Since their farmers and contacts have been working on the ground in their own country for over a decade, they were ready to tackle the challenge of assisting after the earthquake.
For more information about KORE’s work in Haiti and their current focus of earthquake assistance, visit their Facebook page or website. Donate to the relief fund by clicking here. KORE reports that “100 percent of donated funds will go to fill trucks with food, medical supplies and tools to rebuild.”
Laura McKillip Wood, former missionary to Ukraine, now lives in Papillion, Nebraska. She serves as an on-call chaplain at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha. She and her husband, Andrew, have three teenagers.
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