Vive Haiti started as a simple meeting of students and faculty in Charles Drew House. “[I] felt compelled to do something, anything really, besides sitting by and gawking at the horrendous reports pouring in from news stations around the world,” said Amanda Bass ’11E, who organized the meeting. “It was [at that meeting] that we discussed fundraising ideas and Amherst students’ response to the crisis.”
According to Elias Aba Milki ’10, everyone at the meeting came together “through word of mouth — it was for anyone who was interested.” The committee arose from common concern among students and faculty members, said Kate Berry ’12. “There was interest on both sides in determining some sort of response to the earthquake from Amherst. [The committee] naturally evolved from those conversations,” she explained.
At the first meeting, members came up with the idea to sell silicone wristbands to raise money. According to Bass, the wristbands will be red and blue, the colors of the Haitian flag, and will read ‘Vive Haiti’. Starting Monday, Feb.1, the wristbands will be on sale during lunch and dinner hours in Valentine Dining Hall and Keefe Campus Center. They will cost five dollars, “although we encourage everyone to donate whatever they are able,” said Berry. In addition to raising money, Vive Haiti hopes that the wristbands will also raise awareness and allow students to display their support.
To encourage students to buy wristbands, Amherst’s sales from the first seven days will be compared to Williams’ first seven days of fundraising in a friendly competition, said committee member Kayleigh O’Keeffe ’12. The winner of the competition will be announced at the home basketball game against Williams on Feb. 12.
Vive Haiti is optimistic for the sale of wristbands to faculty and students alike. “We see this as a challenge — if we push hard, we can get every student to wear a wristband,” said Aba Milki.
Additionally, Director of Religious Life Dr. Rev. Paul Sorrentino and Shanika Audige ’12 are organizing a candlelight vigil that will be held on Thurs. February 11. “It will be a time for individuals to pray for the people of Haiti, loved ones, family and friends affected by the disaster,” said Bass. Students will be given the opportunity to speak at the vigil, and a capella groups will perform.
Organizers hope that the vigil will both bring students together and help raise awareness. “It is easy to see the earthquake as something very remote, something that happened far away,” explained Berry. “In reality, it has a profound impact on many members of the Amherst community. The vigil will be a show of support … a place for the community to connect and reflect.”
A big issue the committee is currently facing is deciding to which organization it will donate the money raised. Small organizations can be scams, while big organizations run the risk of corruption, explained Aba Milki, who is in charge of researching potential organizations. “The selection process is very well-thought out and well-researched,” he said. “We want to be certain that the money is going to do exactly what we want it to.”
Accordingly, Vive Haiti decided to have a set of principles that will govern the decision. “These principles are not limitations, but guidelines to help us make the best decision,” said Aba Milki. Anyone is welcome to add to the list, which is subject to change. “[The list] will represent the intent behind all of our effort,” he continued.
For example, one principle states that any organization Vive Haiti donates money to will be committed to working toward immediate relief as well as long-term development. “It could take 10 years to rebuild Haiti,” said Aba Milki. “We want to make sure that we do not just contribute to the first month, but for as long as we can.”
Vive Haiti is also looking to find worthwhile organizations that may not be receiving the media attention and vast funding that some larger organizations are receiving, such as Partners in Health. While these heavily publicized organizations’ efforts are commendable, Aba Milki explained, “they work in very specific regions in Haiti. We need to find organizations that need but aren’t getting a lot of funding from other colleges.”
Additionally, the principles stipulate that the organizations have a history of working in Haiti and promoting local control. The organization should be transparent in how it will use the donations it receives and do at least some of its work at the grassroots level.
According to Berry, these principles are an important part of Vive Haiti’s mission. “That’s one piece that is really unique about Vive Haiti — we are committed to thinking deeply before we donate, to really considering the efficacy and sustainability of Amherst’s contribution to Haiti.”
Later this week, members of Vive Haiti will vote on the list Aba Milki has compiled of programs that abide by their principles.
In addition to working on the Amherst campus, members of Vive Haiti are also collaborating with the other Five Colleges. According to Berry, representatives from the Five Colleges began meeting over Interterm. “Each college is responding to the crisis in slightly different ways,” said Bass. “However, ideas about a Five College event to raise funds have been discussed.”
“Students so rarely collaborate in an effort like this,” said Berry, “so I’m very excited about what we are working on.”
Members each had their own reasons for becoming involved with Vive Haiti. “I, like everyone on the committee, was very moved by the press coverage of the earthquake,” said Berry. “We at Amherst are in a position to help, so why shouldn't we? I was involved in disaster relief efforts at my high school following the Southeast Asia tsunami and Hurricane Katrina; it is remarkable what a community can do when it comes together, and I wanted to be a part of that effort.”
“I became involved because I believe that it’s important to move beyond an egocentric existence — one in which suffering that doesn’t reach our own front is dismissed,” said Bass. “What happened in Haiti affects each and every of us, whether we know it or not. I couldn’t just sit by and watch.”