Michelle May

First it was Wyclef Jean & now they are attacking Sean Penn- why does the media love to attack celebrities who do charity work?  Is it simply that no good deed go unpunished?  I know, I know, some are simply opportunists- i get that, ie:  what’s her face- the blond- who went to Rwanda to soul search after she gained 5 lbs, etc-.  However Sean Penn & Wyclef have been putting their money where there mouth is for years- not just when it’s fashionable. 

While in PAP i met an evangelical minister from Texas- he started complaining to me:  “Why do the media attack Wyclef?  I saw him with my own eyes, picking up dead bodies!!”  Hey, great point mister.    He went on to say that he has not seen the Red Cross once.  And that it was starting to piss him off.  A conservative evangelical minister from Texas.

Sean Penn came to our camp to drop of a little girl with Hydrocephalus.  He was flying a specialized doc in with his own money to treat her.

Afterwards a group of about 10 of us gathered round him- not b/c of his movies, but becasue of his charity work & activism.  He looked tired and worn- it was clear that he had been working round the clock- for the past MONTH.  Sean gently and humbly told us of the work he and his group J/P HRO had been doing and how he just could not bring himself to leave after what he had seen- every single one of us knew exactly what he meant.  Like me, the man is driven by his heart right now- not dollar signs or fame.  So why must the press attack him?  Let’s even pretend for a moment that he was doing it for fame (which i do not believe he is) then in the grand scheme of things, does it really matter?  Should we continue to wait around for the Red Cross to finally DO something rather than let him?  I would not hold my breath.

THere is no shortage of NGOs in Port au Prince right now- the streets are clogged with SUVs inching along- all with various NGO banners accross them.  Oxfam, Doctors WIthout Borders, Catholic Charities, etc- they are all there… but one big group was surprisingly absent, from my view at least.  I gave them the benefit of the doubt but once again, on my second trip they were nowhere to be found.. and i was not the only one to feel that way.  Why does the media not attack Red Cross who gained the most money rather than the humanitarians who also happen to be celebrities?  A few days ago, Red Cross distributed 5000 tarps in Port au Prince- their “biggest distribution” yet.  Uh, that is sad sad sad.  Wyclef is picking up bodies with his bare hands & Sean Penn has built refugee camps- but the Red Cross: 5000 tarps.  Really? 

 I finally saw the Red Cross once- it was at a mental health meeting at the UN.  I spoke about what we were doing at the hospital- afterwards the Red Cross lady stopped me to ask “what do you think the needs of Haiti are?”  She went on to say that they are still assessing the situation.  I wanted to say:  “shouldn’t I be asking you the questions lady?” but i kept my cool & told her how horrible it was to discharge patients onto the street- how they all had no where to go- most without even a simple thing like tarp to protect them from the elements.  What we need are refugee camps- YESTERDAY and housing that can withstand the fast approaching rainy season & soon thereafter hurricane season.  I explained that i was not the expert.  I arranged a meeting for her with my boss, the head of the UM hospital- but she cancelled last minute and once again asked me on email to answer the same question that i had already verbally answered the day before.

(I wanted to say: read the writing on the wall, lady..)

If you wonder the same about the Red Cross, here is some advice from a friend who shares my frustration:

 
“We need your help…..please continue to work on your own endeavors to solve this problem, however please help us lean on the Red Cross.  Please call your local chapter and speak with the CEO.  Leave a message daily until he/she calls you back. 
http://www.redcross.org/where

Call DC HQ (don’t fall for the 800-get-info routine- they don’t know). Ask them for information regarding distribution of essential items in Haiti.  Tell them that you work with locals that are homeless, tell them that you discharge patients with newly amputated limbs to a street corner filled with rubble.  Tell them you want information to give to these people stating where they can collect a tent, tarp.  Demand an answer regarding supply distribution and fund distribution.  This should be public information.

The estimated population of Haiti is 9.7 million
http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdi&met=sp_pop_totl&idim=country:HTI&dl=en&hl=en&q=haiti+population
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/13/haiti-population-graphic_n_422179.html

Below article states 2.2 billion raised
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5idZiVQhHcyG1gpBjzXaAmmk4_OtAD9E8PTRO0

My elementary math equation from # of people and $ raised, appears that everyone could have a tent….actually, everyone could have had a tent by now.

Google “red cross criticism” - call a local reporter in your area that has reported on this.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&ei=wYmVS77jCJG6swPFgpWmBw&sa=X&oi=spellfullpage&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=2&ved=0CAYQvwUoAQ&&q=red+cross+criticism+haiti&spell=1

Also, Starbucks is taking customer donations and matching them.  What do they do with combined donations?  Turn it over to the Red Cross.  Where is this money?  There are other major corporations that are doing the same.  Call them.”

Tags: earthquake relief, Haiti, Port au Prince, Sean Penn, the Red Cross, Wyclef Jean.