Recovery and Reportage » Andrew Bigosinski Reports from Jacmel

25 January 2010

photo: Andrew Bigosinski, Director of Ciné Lekol, teaching an editing class in Spring 2009

“Aid is slowly getting to Jacmel, but now the problem is distribution. Communities outside of the city center that also need help are easily overlooked in the frenzy. Clean water is in short supply and Ciné Institute is also helping to facilitate the receiving and installation of water treatment systems here in Jacmel. We are making personal efforts to connect community leaders to the resources — but our own resources are limited. The students will be reporting on the distribution of aid from their own unique perspective as recipients and citizens, updated on our blog.”

“The school has moved to a safe compound near the airport. We work outside. The students continue to report to our blog page, and credit the school for helping them cope with this catastrophe. By developing a safe haven where the students can communicate with other students, share experiences and work through this overwhelming catastrophe, we are all starting the healing process together. There is so much to rebuild; we cannot lose hope.”

“We are still getting crazy strong aftershocks at least once a day, and usually more often. These frighteningly quick tremors send us running in all directions. We work outdoors, sleep outdoors — everything. We are all too tense and frightened to go inside. We had one just today — and people lose it. They cry, faint, run, go wild and children cry. It is straining all of us to no end: such a strange kind of mind torture. None of us have peaceful sleeps as we wake at the slightest noise. We are eating one well-rounded meal a day here at the school, as we have shifted all our on-hand cash resources to a food program for the staff and students.”

“We remain dedicated to documenting and reporting this enormous catastrophe from within this impoverished and resource-depleted nation. Our students have a unique and personal perspective on all this, and understand the importance of this project. The great outpouring of encouragement from all our supporters motivates us to continue despite the great feelings of loss all around us. So I take this moment to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. And from us all here in Jacmel: THANK YOU!”

Andrew Bigosinski, Director of the Ciné Lekol

3 Comments so far

Posted By: Earl on January 26th, 2010 12:49 am

I have been talking to the owners of Timberline Geodesics about a new dome for your operation. Do you have land or a place to build a 50 foot dome ? It would for a more permanent place. I should be in Jacmel first part of Feb. I will get in touch with you there.
I am an internet distribution person.
I hope I can help.
Earl
Posted By: Marie Hartley on January 28th, 2010 6:31 pm

I have been in intermittant contact with a community that my church visited last year that happens to be located further down the small road along which the airstrip is located. they still have of yet received no relief supplies. The pasteur would be able to service his congregation, the 200 students that attend the primary school that the church runs and their respective families, as well as the community around them. I have sent his name to people with resources and connections and still nothing has happened to my knowledge to help him help his community–and they are on the same street as the incoming supplies! I’m hoping that things are changing for the better. I will keep trying to contact the pastor (pasteur Joseph Belizaire-l’Église des Orangers). There is also a young man who attends another church in town (university student, teacher at the school and teacher at the music and English school) who was trying to help his pastor get connected to the means of getting aid to his congregation. I still have not received word that he has been succesful making that connection. Why is it so complicated? There are many capable and caring leaders in the Haitian community. How can I help them make the connection? I’m in Massachusetts.
Posted By: Nicholas Guccione on February 13th, 2010 3:10 pm

May God bless your efforts Andrew, and all the great people of the Cine institute!

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