This week we had the honor of hosting BBC news correspondent Will Grant and his team at our Cap Haitien campus. It was a warm, sunny day and quiet, with no aircraft on the flight path overhead and very little traffic on the rural roads outside our gates.
They brought cameras and mics and a genuine desire to learn more about urgent issues like rising hunger and malnutrition as things in Haiti continue to deteriorate.
It was a long visit and Jenn tried not to spend too much time wondering what sound byte they’d would ultimately extract from several hours of conversation.
But in the end, Will and his team got it.
In the news segment, which aired throughout the day on Thursday, they shared footage of our team at work, mothers learning in our education pavilion, and children getting essential nutrition.
They even shared the statistic we are most proud of “less than 1% of children who recover from Malnutrition at our centers have to be readmitted because of relapse.”
Importantly, the BBC made clear that Cap Haitien is still a safe haven from the violence of Port au Prince.
We are grateful that the coverage showed Second Mile Haiti’s Malnutrition Treatment Center as the beacon of hope that it is.
Their interview with Jenn was also a reminder to all that large aid organizations, like the Red Cross, have a history of failing to meet the mark in Haiti and that by finding a local non-profit working on the ground, you can be better assured that your donations will reach the people who are suffering.
In the end Will was able to conclude that while “millions are caught in a perfect storm of politics, violence, homelessness and hunger…children seemingly have more of a chance in Cap-Haitien.”
We have you to thank. It is because of your support that we are able to be a source of strength during this dark time.
In the coming days and weeks we will be making changes that allow us to open our doors even wider during this time, something our budget, of course, did not anticipate.
If you have people in your networks that would like to support the people of Haiti during this humanitarian crisis we hope you will share this clip as an example of one organization directly involved in relief efforts.
You can watch the clip here.
Second Mile Haiti is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization. EIN: 45-3643634.
Named a Top-Rated Charity by trusted charity evaluators including Candid and Charity Navigator for measures like transparency, financial stewardship, and impact.