GFW Update on Haiti

Dear Friends,

We are all concerned about the ongoing crisis in Haiti. I would like to fill you in on how the Global Fund for Women has responded since the earthquake.

First off, we’ve since heard from three of our advisors in Haiti who thankfully survived the earthquake. We sent a letter of solidarity, in French and English, to our grantee partners and to also let them know that they can use their current grants as needed.

We have been collaborating with sister organizations, including MADRE, Ms. Foundation, Astraea Foundation, Women Thrive and AWID. We’re working together to ensure that women’s work is highlighted during this disaster, especially as human rights defenders, to ensure that women are part of relief and re-building efforts. Please read this analysis by Erika Guevara Ross, our Americas Program Director, of collective efforts.

To date we have raised over $17,000 in online appeals. Additionally, we received two gifts of $10,000 from the Ms. Foundation and the Libra Foundation, and one $25,000 grant from the Smiling Children Foundation in Switzerland. We are giving an emergency grant of $20,000 to MADRE whose local partner, Zanme Lasante (Partners in Health in Haiti), has been operating their clinic. This grant will also support MADRE’s delegation of midwives and health professionals to Haiti and the emergency supplies.

This week we sent two grants to Haiti: $7,000 to CAFRA (Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action) to support their immediate on the ground organizing efforts, and $8,000 to Groupe d’Appui au developpement du Sud (Support Group of Development of the South).

We will continue to prioritize responding to the needs of our grantees once we know their longer-term plans.

Thank you once again for your support in this critical period.

Please continue to also read our updates on Haiti.

In solidarity,

Kavita Ramdas