Update from Benite
Dear Friends, Co-Labors Partners,
It was 4 :53 when I was getting ready to attend a conference at 5PM with a professor. Sunddendly, I heard a great noise and a big shaking. I run to open the door to go outside. I stand in front of the door and a voice told me not to open it and I went to hide under the desks in the room and in seconds the heavy concrete ceiling fell down. Dust, breathing hard, thinking about my family, my wife, my little Daisie, I could hear the others crying already for help. It reminds me instantly about what had happened 2 years ago when a school collapsed in Port-au-Prince 2 years ago where children stayed there for 2, 3 days under the rubble. I thought that It was going to be the same happening to me.
Instantly, I began to say that I am not going to die now. I found a crack of about 14 inches high between two concrete beams( Concrete beam of the floor that I was on and the beam of the ceiling under which I was) and I scrolled myself out and jumped about 20 feet from the first floor. I am alive but I am still under shock, traumatized when I still see myself laughing with the person behind me and in front of me a few seconds before the event. I am still wondering why I am still alive ? How could I be here still ?
The country has lost a lot, it country to rebuild. We lost human resources, professors, entrepreneurs, teachers, workers, students, etc. According to the last estimates some 150,000 or more have died and more than 250,000 are wounded. Thousands of houses are destroyed, either in Port-au-Prince or outside of Port-au-Prince.
In Vignier, where we live, we have lost many things :
1. The school has collapsed and need to be rebuilt.
2. We lost chairs, benches, desks, file cabinets
3. The sewing class has destroyed with every thing inside
4. The cafeteria is on the point to collapse and need to be demolished as soon as possible
5. The depot where we used to put food and other items is on the point to fell down. It needs to be demolished before it fell down by itself.
6. We lost our solar panels for they were on top of the school
7. The front of the church is destroyed and need big repair.
8. Money that I have to do payroll and to buy food is lost under the rubble, papers, documents, my address book, etc.
9. I lost most of my clothes, my shoes
10. I lost my laptop, my phones and all most of the numbers.
11. My satellite dish is impacted and I had to come to an internet cafe to write you.
12. I am sleeping me and my family and some other families outside.
That was what had happened on the compound in Vignier but there are many others in Vignier and around that lost their houses as well. So, it is a tough situation but it is not over yet.
Haiti needs you and Vignier needs you and I need you.
1. Prayers for Haiti, for the work in Vignier, I am still under that shock and I am traumatized sometimes.
2. Your advice is needed on how to approach the situation
3. We need builders- Construction teams- come and help us rebuilt.
4. Be our agent to help mobilize resources to help rebuild Vignier, Haiti, etc.
5. Doctors, nurses to come to help in the restoration of people physically, mentally, spiritually
6. Etc.
We need you to stand alongside of us now so that we can get back on our feet for the situation is terrible.
I am considering taking some trips to Canada or the US when the time will be perfect. So, I will let you know. For now you can call me at this number : 011-509-3775 9309 until I can find a way to buy my own phone.
We love you all and thank you
Bro. Benite Jeune