Afin de convier le plus de personnes possible à participer à cette activité, Friends of Fokal a récemment diffusé le communiqué de presse que nous diffusons ci-dessous.
New York, NY June 2010 - It is summer, but the painful memory of the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010 continues to live with us daily. And so we wanted to do something to give back in spite of the season that compels us to forget. On Saturday, August 7, 2010 (rain or shine), Friends of FOKAL (the U.S.-based fundraising arm of FOKAL) also known as FOKAL-USA, will lead, thanks to the generosity of many sponsors and partners, an all-day bicycle ride on Long Island, New York. Join us as we “Ride with FOKAL for Haiti.” Ride solo! Ride with family, friends, colleagues and ride for a great cause as you enjoy a few of the beautiful scenic towns of the North Shore of Long Island in support of FOKAL.
The ride will depart out of Huntington, New York, and offer a three-legged route: 5 miles, 25 miles, and 60 miles for the more ambitious. Funds raised will help to provide water access to Dos Malfini, a remote community of approximately 12,000 people, located in the northwest of Port-au-Prince. In Haiti, only 16 % of the rural population has access to supplies of running water compared to 33% in the capital and 24% in other towns, that is roughly 21% of the entire population who have access to running water.
FOKAL, which stands for Fondasyon Konesans Ak Libète (in Creole) or Fondation Connaissance et Liberté (in French), is an independent foundation in Haiti supported by the Open Society Institute and other international and local organizations. Since 1995, FOKAL has been providing a range of educational, human development and economic activities to local communities and community civil society organizations in Haiti. “Haitians are committed to re-building a better future in Haiti and FOKAL is working by their side to achieve this goal (Françoise Girard, Board Member).”
FOKAL’s story is that of partnership, that of integrity and accountability. From the humble beginnings of a library program, the organization emerged to create a web of 35 libraries, an early childhood program, an educational grants program, a dynamic art and culture program, a debate program, grassroots initiatives, and targeted water projects. About three years ago, it added two special projects to its core programming: a water and sanitation project in Labadie (north of Haiti) with the support of Royal Caribbean, and the rehabilitation of the historic national park, Martissant Park (formerly Habitation Leclerc) with support from
The Open Society Institute, The European Union, The World Bank, and many other national and international partners. Beating the odds and impacting sustainable change in Haiti is a formidable task; continuing the struggle by helping to provide water is a step in the long road to reconstruction.
For more information on the ride with FOKAL for Haiti, or media inquiries Please contact:
Reginald St Fort (646) 294 5533 or email rstfort@yahoo.com
Linda Mellon (212) 548 0332 or lmellon@fokal-usa.org
Friends of FOKAL, is a 501 c 3 organization, whose mission is to help raise funds for FOKAL in Haiti.
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