Life is Getting Harder (and scarier) in Haiti

In less than two months the rice price has doubled from $35 to $70 for a 120 pound sack, and gasoline has seen its third price hike. The shrinking U.S. dollar doesn't help either. So, for the children, we must ask for more financial help from OI donors.

This July, we must move the children to a new home and new school in a new town. Everything in Haiti is expensive, if you can get it at all. The reason that less than 20% of children in Haiti go to school is because their parents can't afford the high tuition rates, or the uniforms, books, and travel to get there.

Right now we need $5,000 in additional donations to secure our first year rental house and make the July move. Our regular transfer payments are maxed out because of the inflationary crisis, which isn't going away.

Our loyal Haitian staff does a great job of stretching every dollar and keeping our kids supplied... but it has become impossible to keep up on the child sponsorship rates we receive.

So we are asking you for special humanitarian donations for Haiti. All are tax deductible. And all money will IMMEDIATELY go to Haiti to secure our kids' future. Since they were orphaned by Hurricane Jeanne in 2004, they have no one to look to but us. Please help.

– Linda Stanley, Executive Director, Orphans International America, New York