I was able to speak with many, many recipients of Vodou Aid on
Saturday. The person who handles the food purchases has a cell phone,
so I called him at the time the distribution was happening, and person
after person took the phone to talk with me.

With the $1200 we sent (and it cost $132 to send it by Western Union),
it was possible to purchase one large pig for $300US, and with the
remainder, ten sacks of rice, one large sack of beans, a few gallons
of oil, and a little bread, coffee and sugar to keep hunger cramps
from throwing people on the ground while waiting for the meat, rice
and beans to cook.

So we have about sixty dollars left in the Vodou Aid account, and God
knows there is no end to hunger, so if you haven't had the chance to
give yet, please do:

http://vodouaid.org

Most of the people I spoke to are sleeping outdoors, because their
houses were destroyed. Apparently our area of Haiti was one of the
hardest hit in terms of structural damage.

My significant other's father is dead, killed by a flash flood that
knocked him down and drowned him and washed his body away, never to be
found. But none of our members or associates are showing signs of
disease from water-borne illnesses, and if they do, well, I will use
that sixty dollars to buy antibiotics if necessary to save life.

Everyone was yelling, "Ayibobo! Ayibobo pou Mambo!", Ayibobo being
the Haitian Creole equivalent of Hip Hip Hooray! I hastened to let
them know that the money that bought the food was not my money, it was
money given by you worthy and generous contributors. There were many,
many people there, not just our members, because we give away the food
without regard to religious affiliation, so even the rabid Protestants
put their pride in their pocket and come get food!

Anyway, the food made a huge difference to the health and the morale
of the recipients, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart,
bowing very low before you and kissing the ground. May God and Guinea
bless you.

Peace and love,

Mambo Racine