Haiti disaster relief by November

The convoy of containers were taken to the Port of Point Lisas and was scheduled to leave Trinidad on Saturday for the eight day voyage to Haiti. The estimated cost of the cargo is $2 Million.

Speaking to reporters prior to the convoy’s departure top Point Lisas, San Fernando Mayor Kazim Hosein exclaimed: “We are ready to leave San Fernando for Point Lisas and then the shores of Haiti to assist in this humanitarian act today.

We are the first persons to be shipping out these containers which was collected in just 11 days’ time.” He added, “everything is volunteerism, we have Eagles (transport), we have Ma Pau, we have Laings, we have the Sangre Grade Corporation, we have Penal, the list is long and everything has been done through volunteerism.” Meanwhile, “Help 4 Haiti” committee chairman, Sadiq Baksh is being transshipped through Jamaica while a Haitian Non-Governmental Organization “will receive, clear, weigh and distribute all the stocks that we have sent.” He described the generosity demonstrated by individuals and organizations as a “phenomenal, awesome response from the citizens, who have again demonstrated that people who give get more pleasures from those whop receive.” “We have people who volunteered, from a homeless person who took whatever money he had and bought half a bag of stuff to granny Kathleen from La Brea who is visually impaired but who insisted that we came and collected what she had,” Baksh said.

Asked whether the aid would be distributed to those persons most in need, Baksh said, “it’s difficult to say, 100 percent, we have looked at the best practices and now we will try our best that it will reach the poorest of the poor and those in need.” Asked about the recent tragedy at Sangre Grande where unusually large waves wreaked havoc with fishing boats, he said a separate relief effort had been collected and had already been dispatched to the region.