Dear Rotarians and DRRAG Members,

I am extremely pleased to see all the out pouring of concern and services for the Haiti earthquake disaster.  Your response clearly demonstrates the heart and soul of Rotary and our ability to spontaneously coalesce around a disaster and unify into response with money, service and support. 

As the relief-to-development process evolves, needs and services change, it is worth keeping in mind the best ways to help so that your efforts can have the maximum impact as the needs change.  In the first days of a disaster the best way for individuals to help is to give money to the appropriate aid workers that are on the ground.  We have Rotarians group on the ground.  For Rotarians that want to contribute money there are Four major Rotary funds established for the Haitian disaster:

1. District 4060 Haiti Disaster Relief Fund (the 4060 fund). 
   This fund has been established by the Governor of District 4060 (Dominican Republic) and his special committee to administer the fund.  The funds are collected and administered locally.  All funds will be accounted for in the traditional Rotary manner.  All funds are exclusively for the Haiti earthquake response.   
2.  District 7020 Disaster Fund (the 7020 fund). 
   This fund has been established by the Governor of District 7020 and his special committee to administer the fund.  The funds are also collected and administered locally and will be accounted for in the proper Rotary fashion.  All funds are exclusively for the Haiti earthquake response. View further details through DRRAG or visit the District website.
   
   
3. The Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund, (Haiti DAF)
   A DAF (Donor Advised Fund) fund set up in The Rotary Foundation (TRF).  For more information go to the DRRAG web site or to the Rotary International site at www.rotary.org and "click" on: "contribute to the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund."
4. AquaBox District 6330 Stratford Ontario

Here is how these funds are intended to work:  The two local funds (the 4060 fund and the 7020 fund) are for immediate on the ground relief and humanitarian efforts (provide basic needs and stabilized the population).  The relief effort starts right away, but should be ended quickly, within three months, (context will determine the actual timing).  The DAF fund will be primarily to "handshake" with the relief effort and carry the process into recovery as quickly as possible.  There is still a lot of humanitarian work in the recovery process, but it is important to move quickly into recovery, because until people are "in recovery" they cannot start to rebuild their lives; they are stuck in a holding pattern of "waiting and being taken care of."  Recovery quickly becomes the most important issue and assistance program.  If Katrina is any example, it is recovery where Rotarians can have the greatest and most effective impact, both because of what Rotary is and the fact that most of the current aid workers will soon leave. 

There are many agencies, associations and aid groups (including Rotarians) that will be collection funds for the Haiti disaster.  Rotarians are free to give and support whomever they wish not just the funds noted above.

The current feeling in the international community is that the Haiti situation will be one of the largest recovery-rebuilding undertakings ever.  So, although it is important to give to the relief effort, and we should, I would caution Rotary clubs to not put all their resources into relief; there will be long term recovery issue, and humanitarian needs, in which Rotarians will want to be involved over the next couple of years.  One of Rotary's strengths is that it is at a disaster site before the disaster, during the disaster and after the disaster and it personally cares about the local future, long after the aid workers have departed. 

I should also point out that this disaster may prove to be the international community's worst nightmare, because we are working with extreme devastation, in one of the poorest countries in the world, with an almost functionless government, and in an urban setting, and I emphasize urban setting.  No one is well equipped to handle this context.  I also point out that we have only about four months before the hurricane season starts.

The current Haiti incident clearly demonstrates the important need for Rotary International to have a well functioning, worldwide framework and financing structure, as envisioned by the creators of DRRAG, to enable the rotary world to react timely, responsively and effectively when a disaster strikes.

I applaud all of you and look forward to a strong Rotary effort to rebuild Haiti better than it was and help move this country into the developed world.  My sincere thanks for your efforts. 

Yours in Rotary,

Lee Malany
President and CEO
Disaster Relief, Rotarian Action Group
January 15, 2010