HAITI TASK FORCE - STORY SUMMARY
This posting contains the following
-- ONE - A brief history of the Haiti Task Force (Purpose)
-- TWO - The First Point-of-Contact
-- THREE - DAF Account Holders
-- FOUR - ROTAH - What is it?
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HAITI TASK FORCE - WHAT IS THE PURPOSE?
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Our Rotary District 7020 has established the Haiti Task Force as the conduit for all Foundation-related projects. We have established a Haiti Task Force whose role is:
-- to review the initiatives intended for Haiti with The Rotary Foundation (TRF) involvement, and
-- to help designate the appropriate Club or Clubs, and
-- to ensure the ability of TRF compliance before moving forward
We created the Haiti Task Force three years ago (2007), and developed it significantly over the last year with this purpose.
The Haiti Task Force does not replace the Club-to-Club connection. It simply ensures that we start off within The Rotary Foundation (TRF) compliance, as follows:
#1 - A Local Community Needs Survey is completed with the involvement of the local club. This will prevent our historical problem of projects being parachuted in that subwequently end up with an uninvolved, unsupporting club and community.
#2 - The local involved club is, in fact, interested in that particular project theme, and they have the resources to meet the required obligations of any TRF grant. There must be involvement of the club and an appointed and involved club committee for stewardship.
#3 - The club has the ability to provide the stewardship necessary to remain compliant with the TRF criteria. (Some clubs are struggling to survive, and the integrity of the club itself is sometimes the challenge, not whether or not it can handle the Matching Grant.)
The Haiti Task Force has taken on an additional role since this latest disaster - the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010. The Task Force is the Point of Entry for the Disaster Relief Projects, and as such, is responsible to co-ordinate the distribution of the relief resources with all 19 clubs.
In many instances, the clubs themselves are extremely challenged. It is the wish of the Task Force to facilitate as much as possible the administration and co-ordination of the projects for the clubs.
The Task Force also has a broader view off the overall Haiti situation and the Relief Initatives within Rotary and with the nation of Haiti. The Task Force is better prepared to locate and promote synergies and opportunities between clubs.
In addition, the Task Force has been briefed by
-- the Prime Minister
-- United Nations
-- Red Cross
-- Haiti's Education Ministry
-- Haiti's Health Commission.
The Task Force has also been represented on the Government's Post-Disaster National Assessment Committee which has made recommendations to the international commmunity on the recovery priorities in Haiti.
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TWO - FIRST POINT-OF-CONTACT
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The Haiti Task Force is now the First Point-of-Contact for the vetting of any projects which are to include Donar Advised Funds (DAF) or District 7020 Disaster Relief funds.
Once approved by the Task Force, the applications move on to the DAF Account Holders for consideration.
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THREE - DAF ACCOUNT HOLDERS
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DAF Account holders are the following:
-- Eric Adamson (Rotary International Vice President and Director)
-- Barry Rassin PRID
-- Bob Stuart PRID
-- John Smarge RIDE
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FOUR - ROTAH - WHAT IS IT?
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ROTAH is Rotary's NGO in Haiti. ROTAH is the instrument that will allow us to bring things in to the country duty-free and no hold-up at Customs.
Rotary, through ROTAH, is of the same status as the Red Cross, Word Vision, etc.
It is a great thing and PDG Dick McCombe can be very proud of his accomplishments in this area as it has taken three years to achieve this status! Well done, PDG Dick!
Note: ROTAH is Regroupement Oeuvrant a Travers des Actions Humanitaires en Haiti
