DIY Aid Efforts in Haiti
11:17, 10 March 2010
.. Posted in Development, Relief and Advocacy Efforts.. Link
There are always at least a few people who run to a disaster zone, unaffiliated, and try to help. As this story on do-it-yourself (DIY) aid workers in Haiti notes, "The do-it-yourself aid workers say the bigger operation is inefficient and confused, and brag about their ability to get things done quickly, on the cheap."
I respect that some of these efforts have been worthwhile in making a real difference for local people, very quickly. I notice that the DIY efforts that have been successful and are profiled in this article have been done by people with international or medical experience, or who had solid contacts in Haiti. But some DIY volunteering efforts in Haiti have NOT helped, and the Washington Post does a disservice by not talking about such.
For instance, there's the now well-known story of the volunteers from the Baptist Church in Idaho that were arrested on charges of kidnapping and child trafficking; they had said they were going to help children orphaned by the earthquake, but instead took children from desperate parents - details on what was actually going to happen to these children remains sketchy.
Then there is a report by Gawker about a group of volunteers from the Church of Scientology who went to Haiti to help -- and were utterly unprepared for conditions there and did not have the skills that were needed.
We probably won't hear much about the individuals who went to Haiti, untrained, unaffiliated with any reputable organization, and with no contacts within the Haitian government, who, instead of helping, ended up injuring themselves, injuring others, creating discord or misunderstandings, and having to be treated and rescued themselves. They aren't going to blog nor brag about that experience.
I think it's great that small organizations -- nonprofits and for-profit businesses -- that have international or medical experience, who have solid contacts with locals in or near a disaster zone, use their knowledge, contacts and agility to mobilize and get things done quickly. As long as they are prepared, follow local laws, don't get in the way of other efforts and are more focused on the needs of local people than a desire to feel good or get good press, by all means, GO. But nothing I've read has changed my mind about individuals without any experience, training or appropriate contacts packing up and heading to a disaster zone -- it's a bad idea, mostly for locals but also for the volunteers, and I discourage it.
If you want to be ready to volunteer for a disaster, start your training and networking NOW. I have an entire web page of advice on volunteering after disasters that I hope you will find helpful. Combine this with the recommendations for becoming an international volunteer, and you will be the perfect person to help during a major disaster -- someone with the knowledge, skills, experience and connections to help quickly and effectively. I'm taking my own advice, enhancing my existing development experience by taking courses through the local American Red Cross in a few months -- whether I end up applying what I learn through the American Red Cross or some other, smaller effort towards relief efforts after a disaster remains to be seen.
