Statelessness, a problem to be faced and discussed, such is the title of MOSCTHA's forum that had five panelists and more than fifty attendees engaged in a constructive dialogue for three hours on Saturday March 2, 2013. The five panelists consisted of a lawyer, a doctorate student and representatives from the Dominican Republic and their expertise on statelessness, immigration and the Dominican government's laws and policies led to a very insightful discussion.
Francia Garcia was born in 1992 in the Dominican Republic, has never left her country and her nationality is Dominican. But she has not been able to get a Cedula to continue her education. The government says she is a foreigner because her parents were Haitian. Here is her story.
NEW YORK February 19, 2013 – As part of its ongoing campaign to raise awareness about the growing stateless population in the Dominican Republic, MOSCTHA Inc. will host a discussion at Columbia University March 2 featuring leading experts in the medical, legal, human rights and history fields.
The discussion, hosted by MOSCTHA at Columbia University Medical Center, is part of the “No Human Being is Illegal” campaign, an effort to highlight the grave conditions in which thousands of people living in the Dominican Republic find themselves. A growing number of people, many of them sons and daughters of Haitian immigrants who were born in the Dominican Republic, are being stripped of citizenship, leaving them living without fundamental rights. On paper they do not exist in the Dominican Republic or in Haiti. As a result, they are denied access to employment, housing, education, and health care. They cannot own property, open a bank account, get married legally, register the birth of a child, and some face long periods of detention,because they cannot prove who they are or where they come from. Put simply, they are functionally stateless.
The March 2 discussion will bring together Dominican government representatives and victims who will share their unique perspectives on the roots and consequences of citizenship laws in the country. They will join a panel made up of the following experts:
Moderated by: Marlyn Delva, Associate Dean of the Mailman School of Public Health’s Office of Student Affairs at Columbia University and the Dean of Students.
Maria Bizenny, Lawyer practicing in the Dominican Republic,
Mona Kareen, Arabic Litterature Professor at Binghamton University
Edward Paulino, Asst. Professor in the department of History at CUNY’s John Jay College
Sarnata Reynolds, Statelessness Program Manager at Refugee International
Hosted by: Eric Schulze, Co-founder/Creative, organizer of Thirst DC.
MOSCTHA will provide the audience with the opportunity to contribute to the solutions of statelessness, ask questions or express their own views on the issue, and engage in further activism through our “No Human Being Is Illegal” campaign.
The campaign has been in full swing since December, when MOSCTHA hosted a two-day symposium aimed at advocating for stateless individuals and influencing legislation. Additionally, MOSCTHA has posted and distributed photographs and educational materials in key public spaces around the New York/New Jersey area as well as initiated vigorous social media outreach through Facebook, Twitter, and their own website.
Join MOSCTHA this March to bring the crisis of statelessness in the Dominican Republic to the forefront of the international human rights communities. Through this interactive panel discussion we will explore from an international, medical, legal and a historical perspective the roots and consequences of the citizenship laws recently passed in Dominican Republic.
When:
Saturday March 2, 2013 9:30am-12pm
Where:
Julius & Armand Hammer Health Sciences Center, 701 West 168th Street, New York, New York 10032
New York, NY- January 8, 2013: The Socio Cultural Movement for Haitian Workers announced the opening of the new clinic in Petit-Goave, Centre de Sante Integral La Solidarite (CENSI), to be held on January 12, 2013, the third year anniversary of the earthquake that struck the country killing over 300,000 people and leaving over 1 million displaced.
In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, this town continues to lack healthcare services and a hospital for its population exceeding over 13,000 inhabitants MOSCTHA’s initiative of CENSI aims at responding to the difficult health conditions in the Latin American country, which continues to endure a cholera epidemic. The New York Times reported that “the cholera epidemic in Haiti, which began in late 2010, is bad and getting worse” due to the still precarious sanitation system present. Moreover, The Pan American Health Organization has said the disease could have stricken 200,000 to 250,000 people in 2012 and has already killed more than 7,500 since 2010.
In an effort to continue improving the health and lives of the most vulnerable people, CENSI will attend to 10 emergency cases and over 40 patients daily. MOSCTHA’s clinic will offer a much-needed service in a department where, according to the World Health Organization, there are 7.1 doctors per 10,000 people.
What’s important in all of this is the lasting affect that MOSCTHA wishes to have in the Grand Goave region of Haiti. Aid comes and goes, but true development starts with education. “MOSCTHA focuses on promoting education, developing medical infrastructures in underserved areas and fostering cooperative communities. The goal is to maximize resources to improve the conditions of as many as we can in Haiti. We seek not just to aid, but empower people and their different social and cultural backgrounds,” said MOSCTHA Founder Dr. Joseph Cherubin.
"I feel extremely fortunate to be given the opportunity to be part of an organization that has done so much for the Haitian community in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti for so many years. This clinic will make a difference in a community that has been waiting for something to be done since the earthquake in 2010" said MOSCTHA-USA Director, Edison Suero.
With the establishment of this new center, MOSCTHA will continue to provide comprehensive health services to vulnerable populations in Haiti, guaranteeing quality services that will improve the lives of many.
On December 8, 2012, MOSCTHA-USA held its third annual fundraiser in New York City. MOSCTHA combined its annual Fundraiser with a Photo Exhibition that showcase the gripping stories of stateless Dominicans. We want to thank all of you who came to support the cause and the thousands of victims who are suffering of statelessness in the Dominican Republic.
MOSTCHA Inc., Fundraiser/Photo Exhibition to Introduce the Advocacy Campaign in New York against Statelessness in the Dominican Republic.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
At
The Gallery Bar
120 Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002
7-10pm
New York, NY, December 4, 2012: In the Dominican Republic, thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent are living in limbo. They have been denied the fundamental right of citizenship, depriving them access to basic needs and services such as health care, education, pension privileges, and even marriage licenses.
Seven years ago, in August 2004, the Dominican government amended immigration laws and passed Law 285-04 which effectively eliminated birthright citizenship. Consequently, a child born in the Dominican Republic is no longer automatically a citizen; citizenship only goes to those individuals who can prove they have at least one documented parent. This active denationalization of Dominican citizens have created a veritable human rights crisis, condemning thousands to statelessness and vulnerable to labor exploitation, illiteracy, delinquency and human trafficking. Now, entire segments of the population throughout the country cannot get health care. Children cannot attend school. The police is no longer obligated to protect them, nor will the government give them identification papers; documentation without which you cannot even leave the country that refuses to recognize you.
"No Human Being is Illegal” is an innovative comprehensive campaign aimed at spreading public awareness in the New York and international community about the daily impact of the under-publicized statelessness crisis in the Dominican Republic.
To launch this campaign, MOSCTHA will combine its annual Fundraiser with a Photo Exhibition that will showcase the gripping stories of stateless Dominicans. The event will be held this Saturday, December 8, 2012, at The Gallery Bar, NYC. With your support we will be able to cover the legal fees and court costs of the victims in the Dominican Republic.
In this event we will honor the work of Solange Pierre, a Dominico-Haitian activist who focused her life-time activism on the fight against anti-Haitianismoin the Dominican Republic. She spent the last years of her life resisting against statelessness. . No Human Being is Illegal” will culminate with a conference in February 2013, in partnership with Columbia University, which will bring together professional experts in the fields of International Law, Human Rights, and Immigration and Policy; in the hopes of finding solutions to the statelessness problem in the Dominican Republic.
MOSCTHA Inc. events are open to the public. All are encouraged to participate. To be automatically added to the guest-list just make a small contribution of $10, $20 or $30 here http://mosctha.org/en/donate.html
Reports of rape and sexual violence have been all too common after the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Nearly 370,000 people remain in displacement camps, according to the U.N. And gruesome reports of violence, inadequate health care and substandard living conditions have painted a picture of horror and hopelessness.
The Dominican government is systematically denying citizenship to thousands of people of Haitian descent born on Dominican soil, creating a growing human rights crisis.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic — Already living in precarious conditions, Dominico-Haitians who have long been considered Dominican citizens under the country’s laws are now being stripped of their citizenship.
In August 2004, the Dominican government passed Law 285-04, denying citizenship to all children of undocumented migrants. A year later, the Dominican Supreme Court upheld the law and found that it could be applied retroactively, effectively denationalizing every Dominican born to a parents without documentation, regardless of the number of years they’ve lived in the country.
Thousands of Haitians have migrated to the Dominican Republic to work in sugar cane fields and for other jobs. The two countries share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. Now, the some 250,000 children born in the Dominican Republic are at risk of becoming functionally stateless.
The Dominican government strips citizenship by refusing to issue a certified birth certificate to those it deems might be of questionable heritage.
A birth certificate is needed to do everything from attend school to marry to apply for a passport. In some cases, it is not even possible to secure a mobile phone contract without a certified birth certificate.
Without recognized status as citizens they also are at an increased risk of contracting disease and becoming victims of human trafficking.
MOSTCHA, a leading advocate for the rights of Haitian immigrants and Dominicans of Haitian descent, is working to document and analyze individual cases of denationalization. MOSTCHA will litigate cases against the Dominican government to push for repeal of the current law and to set new judicial precedents in the face of this irresponsible and unjust legislation.
Several thousand cases of denationalization have already been reported, hundreds are already being contested, and hundreds are currently under investigation
As more and more people are refused recognition by the country, the more probable the issue of statelessness will become a veritable humanitarian crisis.
In coming months, MOSCTHA will launch an advocacy campaign to raise awareness of the situation, both in the Dominican Republic and in New York.
Please help us “Break the Silence,” at this year’s annual event at Columbia University in December and check back for updates on our progress.
The HIV epidemic has already killed around 25 million people in the world out of 60 million that are known to be infected. Because AIDS does not discriminate against race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or class, everyone should be aware about the risks. People living in the island of Hispaniola are very vulnerable to the disease because of the already high prevalence. Hispaniola belongs to the region with the second highest adult HIV prevalence in the world.
This is why MOSCTHA made the commitment to help turn the tide against AIDS by attending the XIX International Aids Conference that will take place July 22nd - 27th in Washington D.C. The conference brings together thousands of people, among them policy makers, scientists, doctors, organization leaders, including MOSCTHA USA leader Edison Suero, MOSCTHA RD Tony Contrera, MOSCTHA Haiti Sherley Ilus Richard and nurse Arrisena Blanc and other activists determined to end the epidemic.
The conference offers the “possibility of beginning to end the AIDS epidemic in our lifetimes.” – The potential is great. With a diverse set of goals like:
To engage key, new and non-traditional stakeholders throughout the world in the development of and participation throughout the conference programme, especially those most engaged in the HIV and AIDS response, including women and girls, men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, sex workers, young people, people who use drugs and people involved in prevention or care programmes targeting the incarcerated.
The conference offers new perspectives, technological advancements and resolutions that will unite victims, doctors, scientists and activists from all over the world and with all kinds of experiences to fight for this global issue. And thanks to the media, we will also be able to stay informed on the topics discussed in the conference through facebook, twitter and the aids2012.org blog, so stay tunned!
This event is brought to us by The International Aids Society in collaboration with the District of Columbia Department of Health, The White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), The Black AIDS Institute, U.S. Positive Women’s Network, National Institutes of Health, HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, UNAIDS, International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS, International Council of AIDS Service Organizations, Global Network of People Living with HIV, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition and Sidaction.
If you would like to learn more about MOSCTHA’s initiatives to fight against HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean, or about other health care services we currently provide, please look through this website or contact us directly at moscthausa@mosctha.org.
heck out the stories of Mirella Escobosa, Juanita Perez, Alicia García, Matilde del Rosario, Cecilia Cenen, Giselda García, and other entrepreneurs whose lifes have been changed thanks to this program. Currently in the five villages where the program is implemented, there are about 220 female-led micro-enterprises, and 31 led by men along with their spouses. The project has launched a system of rotary funds, and created a network of women trained in community development and management.
The 2011 "Break the Silence" event, held in New York on December 3rd, marked another success for MOSCTHA and its fundraising efforts. This year our goal was to bring attention to the healthcare situation in Haiti while supporting the construction of MOSCTHA's new health clinic in Petit-Goave: Centre de Sante Integral, La Solidarite. We would like to thank our sponsors, supporters, staff and volunteers that have made this event possible. We would not have done it without you. Thank you! We hope to see all of our supporters at our next events coming up in 2012.
On December 3rd, 2011 MOSCTHA held its 3rd Annual Fund Raising Event, "MOSCTHA: Break the Silence 2011." This is the video that shows the construction of the health clinic MOSCTHA is building in Petit Goave, Haiti
We would like to take this moment to honor the memory of a great leader, activist, and human being: our beloved friend Sonia Pierre.
Honored with the 2010 International Women of Courage Award, Sonia Pierre became an activist at the young age of 13, when she was arrested for being the spokesperson of a group of Haitian sugar-cane cutters who were protesting for better wages and living conditions. Mrs. Pierre eventually founded and directed the Movement for Dominican Women of Haitian Descent (MUDHA), an NGO that launches public education campaigns and legal actions to fight anti-Haitian discrimination in the Dominican Republic and address the issue of statelessness for people unable to reap the benefits and protections of nationality and citizenship.
Sonia Pierre and MOSCTHA partnered in many occasions to ensure migrant workers access to food and medicine, as well as to address issues of adolescent pregnancy and the prevention of sexually-transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Following the earthquake in Haiti, her organization was among the first responders, bringing aid across the border into Port-au-Prince and neighboring affected areas .Most recently, Mrs Pierre spoke at the 2011 Washington conference and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on statelessness and the right to Nationality.
Once again, we would like to express our most sincere and deep condolences on the passing of a great woman, leader and friend. Our prayers and thoughts are with you and your family. You will be missed
The island of Hispaniolabelongs to the region with the second highest adult HIV prevalence in the world. According to UNAIDS 2010 Global Report, higher prevalence rates are found only in sub-Saharan Africa.This alarming issue has urged MOSCTHA and other HIV stakeholders from the Caribbean to gather and work together at the 2011 Caribbean HIV Conference: Strengthening Evidence To Achieve Sustainable Action. Experts, public officials and HIV community members from across the region will be participating in this multidisciplinary forum, which seeks to forge a wider, more effective response to the epidemic through collaborative approaches.
Over the course of November 18–21, in Nassau, The Bahamas, MOSCTHA USA Director, Edison Suero; Health Programs Directors for MOSCTHA Dominican Republic and MOSCTHA Haiti, Tony Contreras and Doctor Orne Sylvain respectively; as well as health promoters: Maria candida Sepulveda, will hear directly from authorities about the medical, social, and socio-political factors influencing the HIV epidemic. They will also share, and learn from around 2,000 attendees with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. The conference is expected to highlight scientific research findings, implementation lessons learned, skills-building tools, and networking opportunities.
Dr. Perry Gomez, Director of the National AIDS Programme, and Conference co-chair has said that “there has been a lot of progress in the fight against HIV in the Caribbean over the past 10 years, especially in the area of care and treatment, but other recent health challenges, such as other infectious diseases, flu, dengue fever, and, most recently, cholera—along with natural disasters, like hurricanes and earthquakes—have more immediate debilitating impact. In addition, there is increasing concern about noncommunicable diseases. Attention to all these issues has diminished the intensity with which the region has managed its HIV response.”
This year’s theme, Strengthening Evidence To Achieve Sustainable Action, focuses on identifying a viable path that can be maintained in the future regional response to HIV. "In the process of identifying the theme for this Conference, we reviewed the Caribbean's HIV experience over the last three decades or so, and identified two critical and related concepts that we felt should be central to the Conference program -- sustainability and the importance of evidence in guiding the strategies that will attain this goal," said Conference Planning Committee member Roger McLean of the University of the West Indies at St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. "Sustainability is a key challenge facing the regional HIV response, and, to confront it effectively, we need to carefully evaluate what has and hasn't worked well previously, share good practices and lessons learned, and work together in their application through more integrated approaches."
The event is the third Caribbean HIV conference in the past decade, and this year is sponsored by the Government of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the University of Puerto Rico, and conference co-chairs are Professor Daisy M. Gely, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico; Dr. Perry Gomez, Director, Bahamian National AIDS Programme, Princess Margaret Hospital; and Dr. Jack Whitescarver, NIH Associate Director for AIDS Research and Director, Office of AIDS Research, National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
If you’d like to learn more about MOSCTHA’s initiatives to fight against HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean, or about other health care services we currently provide, please look through this website or contact us directly at moscthausa@mosctha.org. You can also contribute this holiday season by attending our annual fundraising event on Dec 3rd in NY! This year’s goal is to furnish MOSCTHA’s newly built health clinic “Centre de Sante Integral, La Solidarite” located in Petit-Goave, Haiti.
Join MOSCTHA-USA for an incredible night filled with live music, food, drinks and do some good! Your presence will support our programs aimed at improving and empowering underrepresented communities in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Maria Martinez, Activista Dominicana de MOSCTHA - Movimiento Socio- Cultural para los Trabajadores Haitianos, habla sobre la situación de los Afrodescendientes y los Dominico-Haitianos en la Republica Dominicana
THE SOCIO CULTURAL MOVEMENT FOR HAITIAN WORKERS (MOSCTHA) Supports CONSTRUCTION OF HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE IN HATI AFTER THE 2010 HAITIAN EARTHQUAKE WITH THE FUNDRAISING Event MOSCTHA: BREAK THE SILENCE 2011.
On December 3, 2011 MOSCTHA joins efforts with NY local community in building a new health clinic in the town of Petit-Goave, center of the 2010 natural disaster in Haiti.
New York, NY- November 7, 2011: The Socio Cultural Movement for Haitian Workers announced the Fundraising Event MOSCTHA: Break the Silence, to be held on December 3, 2011. The generous support given by the local community will contribute to MOSCTHA planning, construction and sustainability programs for a new clinic in Petit-Goave, Haiti. In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, this town lacks health care services and a hospital for its population exceeding 13,000 inhabitants. The former Haitian Consul General in Dominican Republic and current Minister of Haitians Living Abroad (MHAVE) is endorsing this initiative and will be the keynote speaker of the winter event.
MOSCTHA initiative of the Petit-Goave new clinic aims at responding to the difficult health conditions in the Latin American country. The Institute for Justice andDemocracy in Haiti (IDJH) recently reported that “Haiti is still wounded” and that “there are more than 320,000 cases of cholera reported since the natural disaster. Previous to the earthquake, not a single case of cholera had been registered.” The World Health Organization expects the number of cholera cases in Haiti to reach 500,000 by the end of 2011. Therefore MOSCTHA joins efforts with the NY community to continue improving the health and lives of the most vulnerable people in Haiti by holding a fundraising event. During these years, the Haitian diaspora and multicultural citizens around the United States have shown a great financial assistance and political commitment to lessen the on-going devastating effects of the tragedy occurred in January 12, 2010. “MOSCTHA: Break the Silence” is an opportunity for different populations, government bodies and civil society organizations across the US to reinforce the importance and urgency of taking Haiti out of the debris left by the catastrophe.
“We dream the day when a family can receive the care they urgently need, we dream birthdays of children growing without the pervasive shadow of disease. But we are not alone, this is the dream of Governments, civil society, citizens in Haiti and worldwide. The Petit-Goave new clinic initiative is a step closer to make this dream a reality”, said MOSCTHA-USA Director, Edison Suero.
MOSCTHA: Break the Silence will feature a silent auction promoting medical equipment and Haitian arts. Supplies and surgical apparatuses such as hospital beds, surgical tables, will be auctioned to MOSCTHA supporters and sent to the clinic. This will enable MOSCTHA supporters to have a direct impact on the functioning of the facility. The medical equipment will be auctioned together with traditional crafted pieces from Haiti. Funds from the art auction will be used to purchase more equipment for the clinic.
“MOSCTHA focuses on promoting education, developing medical infrastructures in underserved area and fostering cooperative communities. The goal is to maximize resources to improve the conditions of as many as we can in Haiti. We seek not just to aid, but empower people and their different social and cultural backgrounds,” said MOSCTHA Founder Dr. Joseph Cherubin.
One of the organization’s achievements is Dominican clinic, Centro de Salud Integral: La Solidaridad, accredited for its outstanding health program. The same program will be established at the new health clinic in Haiti, named Centre de Sante Integral: La Solidarite. With the establishment of this new center, MOSCTHA will continue providing comprehensive health services to vulnerable populations in Haiti, guaranteeing quality services that will improve the quality of life for many.
For all press inquiries, contact: MOSCTHA-USA (347-534-2033) and to buy ticket please click here
Edison Suero encourages you to like us on Facebook and also to follow the latest updates on the event onCharity Happenings.
We have a dream for a clinic where every family receives the care they need. Where every child is given a chance to grow up healthy. "Break the Silence" moves us one step closer to achieving this dream. Help us DREAM BIG by attending our next fundraising event.
Amidst continuing political unrest, and a crippling cholera outbreak, Haiti has experienced no shortage of challenges in the recent months. With delays in the delivery of pledges and donor aid, mismanaged funds and alleged corruption, the efforts to “build back better” a nation de-habilitated and destroyed by a 7.0 earthquake have been stymied.
Enter a dynamic team of young activists and artists who have come together to work with MOSCTHA, a locally based organization, to address these issues and dig deeper into the real situation in Haiti, one year after the earthquake. Titled “Stop Indifference. Show Love,” this innovative web-based project will take to the camps and streets of Haiti’s most affected areas to bring the survival stories from Haitians to the rest of the world.
“I saw a picture of Edison Suero, the director of MOSCTHA-USA, standing in front of a town that had been reduced to rubble by the earthquake,” says Caitlin Padgett, project co-director. “The picture was titled, 7 months later – nothing has changed. I started thinking about what the situation would be like one year later and about how important it was to hear directly from Haitians about their perspective on the situation, and I contacted MOSCTHA with the idea for this project.”
The project will launch on January 12, 2010, the one-year anniversary of the earthquake. Each day until Valentine’s Day, the web-based project will showcase stories of real people offering real insights and suggested solutions to their current situation. The project brings together a diverse team of young people with a shared desire to get informed, get involved, and ultimately to inspire others to do the same.
“I wanted to help make a difference. Mostly I shoot celebrities and models for magazines, and I want to use my talent to help people in need,” says New York-based celebrity photographer Aliya Naumoff, whose work has been featured in magazines such as Rolling Stone and Nylon. “By volunteering with the ‘Stop Indifference. Show Love.’ project I hope to contribute my 10 years of photography experience to foster awareness, acceptance and ultimately contribute to progress in Haiti.”
Owen Cook, an award winning young filmmaker and animator from the San Francisco Bay Area, who now lives in New York, wanted to contribute both his experience and ability to create great work with limited resources to the project. “I was also really interested in spending time in Haiti and finding stories that aren’t the ones that are most commonly told,” he elaborated.
MOSCTHA was one of the first organizations providing emergency and relief work on the ground after the earthquake hit. Building on their established infrastructure and relationships, with 50 Haitian-Dominican staff members and 125 volunteers working in Haiti, MOSCTHA has been able to reach more than 60 of the hardest hit areas, providing relief to more than 80,000 Haitians.
“I believe in the ‘Stop Indifference. Show Love.’ project for several reasons, however, most important among those is the fact that I have heard of no other project like it,” says Alison Désir, MOSCTHA-USA’s Director of Operations and project co-coordinator. “MOSCTHA will be speaking directly with people in Haiti and documenting their struggles, hopes, and solutions for a better Haiti. Having worked in Haiti for several years prior to the earthquake, MOSCTHA is in the perfect position to do just that.”
Capitalizing on the closeness of Valentine’s Day, the project will feature one story a day from launch until February 14th. “This Valentine’s Day, we want people to take a minute, get informed and get involved, and do something that matters – hence the theme of ‘Stop Indifference. Show Love.’” says Padgett. “Supporters can dedicate e-cards to their loved ones while also spreading awareness and donating to a great organization and cause.”
“I feel extremely fortunate to be joining MOSCTHA as we work to launch our latest effort, ‘Stop Indifference. Show Love.’” says Jane Borock, who joins MOSCTHA’s team as Creative Director. “We've all read the articles by American journalists and have seen CNN reports from the ground, but what we haven't done is simply listen.”
The project launches at www.stopindifferenceshowlove.com on January 12th and will be updated daily. A SHOW LOVE Showcase event is planned in New York City on February 14th to feature a montage of the video documentaries and professional photographs taken during the project.
For more information, please contact Alison Désir: 347-534-2033
On December 4, 2010, MOSCTHA-USA held its first fundraiser in NYC. MOSCTHA-USA was founded in 2009 in an effort to bring MOSCTHA’s work to the American public and widen the network and support base to impact change in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Over 150 people attended this event, including two special guests of honor: MOSCTHA founder, Dr. Joseph Cherubin, and Haiti’s Minister of Haitians Abroad, Mr. Edwin Paraison. MOSCTHA: BREAK THE SILENCE, as the event was called, served to do just that; break the silence surrounding the real situation on the ground in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The fundraiser featured a silent art auction, with works of art from local Haitian artisans, as well as a short program to introduce the work that MOSCTHA has been doing since the earthquake. MOSCTHA and MOSCTHA-USA thank everyone who attended the event and everyone who has donated their time and support to our cause over the past 25 years!
On this World AIDS Day 2010, MOSCTHA joins the fight to raise awareness and help stop the spread of HIV. As part of MOSCTHA’s targeted program to HIV/AIDS, we recently launched a new campaign to create awareness, promote responsible sexual behavior, and change unhealthy attitudes toward HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the communities of Anse a Pitre region in southeastern Haiti.
The communities of Anse-a-Pitre, Banane, Boucan Guillaime and Bois D’homme are particularly difficult to access due to very poor road conditions. These conditions have prevented many organizations from implementing development programs in the region resulting in a lack of information regarding sexual and reproductive health. Field research and survey results indicate a significantly low level of knowledge about STIs and HIV/AIDS in the population, as well as, very little willingness to use effective contraception and disease protection.
Our approach will be to work with community leaders in order to:
-Promote understanding of the risks associated with the knowledge, attitude and behavior towards STIs and HIV / AIDS
-Encourage the use of contraceptives and disease protection methods available
-Select and train community health promoters to undertake community awareness and education activities related to STIs and HIV / AIDS.
Through this new program, MOSCTHA aims to reach out to educate a population of 4,000 - 6,000 people. This effort is in addition to our mobile health care units which on a daily basis visit 33 communities across the Dominican Republic to provide access to contraceptive services, family planning, clinical care, sexual and reproductive health care, STD/HIV prevention and treatment, maternal and child healthcare, and the detection and treatment of cervical and breast cancer.
After the passing of hurricane Thomas, which left 21 dead and 9 unaccounted for and also destroyed thousands of houses and left more than 5,000 damaged, the country is more at risk then ever for a continued cholera outbreak, according to several specialists who have said that further spread is imminent. According to official information, until today, Wednesday, November 11, cholera has cost the lives of 643 people and hospitalized more than 10,000. Today alone, 46 have died in the department of Aritbonite where the first case of cholera was discovered.
It should be noted that the epidemic is already present in the Oeste department with 75 confirmed cases and another 100 suspected according to officials. Port-au-Prince, home to countless numbers of encampments, each of which houses up to seven people living in extremely inhumane health conditions, is especially at risk. There is a serious lack of potable drinking water and there is no real sanitation system to avoid the further spread of the cholera outbreak. It is entirely possible that the current situation could become worse than what is already occurring in the department of Aritbonite.
In an effort to improve the living conditions of those most vulnerable, MOSCTHA-HAITI, has been on the forefront of the campaign to help curb the epidemic in 10 encampments in the capital, the 3 in Leogane, the 4 in Grand Goaves, the 3 in Petit-Goaves, and Lester in the department of Artibonite. We have been distributing educational materials, such as: flyers, brochures, flipcharts to be used by local health promoters to capacitate the public, and Pur water tablets do purify drinking water. We have been educating illiterate citizens with physical teaching methods based on the information contained in the flyers and brochures. We have also been capacitating local school children so that they can later teach their family members how to prevent cholera.
Moreover, since yesterday classes have been suspended in Gonaïves, which is a province within the department of the Aritbonite, for fear that the children will be infected by the epidemic. It is not known how long classes will be suspended. In Port-au-Prince, there is already a high level of fear on the same issue, and many parents are thinking of not sending their children to school to receive their daily free meal.
In addition to the information that we are delivering to the population in the encampments and local communities, we are also preparing inter-institutional workshops with the hope of capacitating promoters from other institutions that are working in localities where we have no presence. This will allow us to educate more people on how to protect themselves against cholera in order to prevent the disease from spreading.
A dangerous and expanding cholera outbreak in the department of Artibonite has turned into an epidemic. In order to aid those both infected and non-infected, MOSCTHA-HAITI has dispatched a medical team to Artibonite with the hope of curing those infected and preventing further spreading to other parts of the country. We also made a visit to one of the hospitals (St Nicholas) with the largest number of infected patients, 2,500 of the 4,300 infected according to official reports. For this reason we have focused our efforts around this hospital by handing out such medicines as: oral rehydration formulas, clean syringes, aspirin, PUR water treatment tablets, and other supplies.
We have also been in contact with doctors at the hospital about how the outbreak began. According to them, in early October patients began to arrive with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea and they were not aware that it was due to cholera. Only on October 12 when a large amount of infected patients sought care did they begin to draw samples to analyze what was occurring. Once tested, the samples came back positive for cholera and public health officials were quickly alerted.
According to Dr. Colin, the cases did not originate from the city of Saint-Marck, but instead far-off communities where people live close to the river and do not have access to potable water or information on how to use the water that comes from the north river. Moreover, he informed us that with the help of organizations working to stem the outbreak, they have been able to better control the outbreak in the center.
With the information at hand given to us by Dr. Colin, we went to one of the far-off communities named Lester where people live close to the river and use the water to clean and drink. Upon our arrival we carried out a workshop on safely treating water with Pur tablets and taught local citizens how to properly wash local fruits and vegetables. We have been very well received and were asked to return with more Pur tablets.
In our opinion, we believe both far-off communities like Artibonite and main communities like Saint-Marck and Port-au-Prince need a prevention campaign on cholera. Even though medical officials assure us that none of the cases originated in Saint-Marck, we still believe that the entire population has to be sensitized on the risks and symptoms of the disease since there is still a serious lack of knowledge on the epidemic.
MOSCTHA invites you to join us for a celebration of Haitian Art, Music, Culture, and Resilience. Haiti has not forgotten the January 2010 earthquake, and neither should you. This holiday season, show your solidarity and support for those whose lives were forever changed.
Doc. Joseph Cherubin, founder of MOSCTHA, meets with Edwin Paraison, Minister of M.H.A.V.E. (MinistereDes Haitiens Vivant a L'etranger) for the second time. Until this day they have been helping us get both the container and the two ambulances that are still being held by Haitian customs. We have done almost everything we could with no success. We are hopeful that with an intervention directly from Edwin Paraison, we can get both the container and the ambulances out of customs and can finally ensure these invaluable resources reach the people who need it most.
One-and-a-half months later, we still find ourselves fighting with customs agents and other government officials as we try to get our container full of medical supplies to the people of Haiti. We have been told that we are lacking certain paperwork and the Civil Defense Ministry, who is in charge of clearing any donations coming into Haiti, has informed us that there is a 3-month backlog of containers awaiting approval. Moreover, the costs associated with holding the container at the port have risen to over $6,000 and they continue to climb each day. These medical supplies were a donation from Direct Relief and we do not have enough funds to buy new medications in case they expire or we are unable to use them. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians are needlessly suffering as they succumb to infections and diseases that can be cured/prevented with the very same supplies that are being held in our container. The Ministry of Finance was supposed to grant us a permit but has since decided to withdraw their offer and refuses to receive any new documents since they are in the process of moving their office. We have been receiving help from the Minisetere des Hatiens Vivant a L´etrange M.H.A.V.E. (Ministry of Ex-Patriated Haitians) but as of right now we are running out of options and our backs are against the wall. We have been told that some of the blame for this delay has been placed on corrupt activities that are taking place at the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. We fully understand that Haitian officials want to curb this activity, yet at the same time we feel that it is unfair for us to be penalized on the basis of other people´s illegal actions. MOSCTHA has years of experience when it comes to supplying direct aid to Haiti and we have always followed all international laws/ regulations. Furthermore, while we lose both funds and person-time in combating this issue, the Haitian people are paying a far higher price; their lives.
Our truck full with medical supplies being held at the main port in Port Au Prince
Edison Suero and Patrick Cherubin Directors working to get the container out of Haitian customs
We would like to dedicate this entry to commend MOSCTHA’s Director in Haiti, Patrick Cherubin for his remarkable work. Patrick is a dedicated, hardworking employee who served six years as a human rights advocate and community development worker for Haitian immigrants in bateys of the Dominican Republic. Being born and raised in Haiti, Patrick had been actively involved with our work in Port au Prince since 2007, and after the January 12 earthquake he has played a key role in coordinating MOSCTHA’s Relief Efforts. Passionate about humanitarian work and devoted to his job and family, Patrick Cherubin is an example of Haitian youth being engaged in rebuilding Haiti and to us, an invaluable part of MOSCTHA’s family.
The extraordinary program 20 camps in 20 days has concluded successfully after bringing together doctors, volunteers, community leaders and staff members in a joint effort to improve the health and well being of the Haitian population displaced by the January 12 earthquake. In collaboration with ALA Dominicana, and HelpAge, MOSCTHA has accomplished the goal of ensuring provisional shelter to about 2,000 people, distributing toiletry kits to 6,000 people and providing food for 3,000 camp residents of Leogane, Port-Au-Prince, and Petit-Goave. In addition, MOSCTHA and its partner organizations achieved the difficult challenge of bringing, in just 20 days, primary medical assistance and psychosocial support to 5,000 elders, adults and children who lack access to health care after the massive quake.
Haiti Relief Effort codirector Patrick Cherubin expressed some initial concerns about potential risks of interruption posed by the rainy season. Fortunately most of the rain showers had only been at night time and did not interfere with the program operations. 20 camps in 20 days was a cooperative initiative launched to sustain community-based care and mobile clinic outreach among the displaced population of Haiti, with special focus on the elderly victims.
MOSCTHA has already begun to rebuild a prosperous Haiti, engaging the local communities and other humanitarian organizations. You can also be part of this collaborative mission. Contact us to find out ways to get involved.
An elderly man waits on line to receive medical care
An elderly women receives food
Coordinator Patrick Cherubin helps with the distribution of food
Women wait patiently to receive food and toilettry kit
It has been four months since the deadly 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti killing over 300,000 people and destroying schools, hospitals and entire communities. Yet today victims who survived the catastrophe are still living under precarious cardboard shacks, in need of medical attention and struggling to feed their hungry families. MOSCTHA and all of the Haiti Relief Effort team members were one of the first responders that came together to support the recovery and reconstruction of the devastated country.
Thanks to our donors, partner organizations, and the extraordinary work of our staff members and volunteers, MOSCTHA has been able to bring help to more than 60 different communities in Haiti and assist over 80,000 people.
Working side by side with community leaders, MOSCTHA has addressed the needs of under-served communities around Port au Prince and many other cities such as Jacmel, Leogane, Petit Goave and Grand Goave.
However, the work is still not done. Haiti still needs of our support and this can only happen if we work together. Please continue supporting MOSCTHA, your contribution will ensure a brighter future for Haiti.
Bringing hope to the children of Haiti
Working with community leaders to build a better Haiti
A light of hope for Haiti. After all this uncertainty a light finally starts to raise for the children of Haiti. More than half of the schools that were closed or destroyed after the January 12, earthquake are expected to re-open this fall. Please continue supporting MOSCTHA, your contribution will ensure a brighter future for Haiti.
Recently we made one of our daily visits to a Batey, which is located just outside Santo Domingo. In an effort to reach as many people as we can, our ambulance travels from Tuesday to Friday to various Bateys. Last visit was focused on the needs of women at Batey Naranjo. Josefina Celestino and Selena Tolentino, Batey Naranjo coordinators, assisted in directing our focus to those women most in need.
We were able to provide women with routine consultations, and prescriptions for oral contraceptive pill (commonly referred to in the US at ‘birth control’). Also, they were able to obtain a pap test administered by our gynecologist. The Pap test is a method of examining cells collected from the cervix. The main purpose of this test is to screen and detect cancer, infection, and abnormal inflammation. It is important women receive this test twice a year to provide proper care and medication in order to prevent disease.
A seminar was conducted to spread knowledge and raise awareness of diseases. The main aim of the seminar was to provide the participants with information on how to protect themselves, how to talk with their partners about the necessity of practicing safe sex, and how to reduce the danger of transmitting HIV/AIDS and other STD’s.
We had an amazing counselor named Senia Vallejo. She has a beautiful, amazing gift of being able to reach out and touch people. Her optimistic and liberating talk provided encouragement and fellowship for all the women. She was a counselor, as well as a mentor. Senia spoke about the opportunities available, and how their challenges could be surmounted with commitment. We believe that the discussion was very effective and useful, that a lot of the women had heard this information for the first time. Also, they had gained very important theoretical and practical knowledge. Also, we believe that the participants now understood the necessity of using measures of protection during sex, and learned how to talk about that with their partners.
Mobile Clinic in Batey El Naranjo
Health Promoter Josefina Celestino
Medical Supplies to be distributed to the community of El Naranjo
Women wait in line to be seen by a gynecologist
Senia Vallejo Counselor, Mentor and Coordinator
Grandmother awaits to be treated
Staff members working with the kids of Batey El Naranjo
On behalf of MOSCTHA and all our team members and affiliates, we would like to thank the USAID for their incredible support since the devastating Haiti earthquake. With the assistance of USAID, tens of thousands of affected Haitian citizens have been provided with much needed aid. But there can be no doubt – Haiti has a long and difficult path ahead. MOSCTHA stands ready to assist in overcoming the obstacles to long-term recovery that are certain to challenge those working to rebuild Haiti and insure its future prosperity.
In addition to the struggle to find food and a safe place to sleep, people in Haiti also find it difficult to acquire basic items such as soap, shampoo, deodorant, and toothbrushes. Without these simple necessities, routine daily hygienic activities such as brushing their teeth or washing their hands can prove to be a challenge. But thanks to USAID, we have received 1000 boxes of toiletry and hygiene kits for distribution. These kits assist in restoring a sense of normal life to those affected by the earthquake, but more importantly, allow children and their families to maintain their health.
The distributions of these kits will be initially provided to the cities of Anse-A-Pitre, Fond Parisien, and Ganthier. However, this is just the beginning of our work to help supply struggling Haitians with the basic hygiene necessities they still lack. MOSCTHA will continue to focus its efforts on providing humanitarian assistance to communities that have yet to receive aid since the January 12, 2010 earthquake.
MOSCTHA, together with the assistance of USAID, will endeavor to continue the difficult mission of rebuilding Haiti, as well as the dignity of its people, with the hope of providing for a better tomorrow.
As the people of Haiti struggle to recover from the devastating earthquake that struck on January 12, 2010, we must remember that this is just the beginning. The images of the terrible disaster are beginning to fade from television screens and the mainstream news cycle. However, there is a lot of work left to be done and the future generations of Haiti depend on it. The people of Haiti must not be forgotten. MOSCTHA was one of the first organizations on the ground responding to the needs of Haiti following the earthquake by providing food, medical supplies, and shelter to the thousands of refugees of the disaster. The dedicated volunteers of MOSCTHA continue to provide humanitarian aid to the displaced Haitian population, but especially to the children who have been separated from their families and need special protection from hunger, disease, and exploitation. MOSCTHA is staffed by dedicated individuals who are committed to seeing Haiti grow stronger in the face of this unimaginable adversity, and they are committed to the work that lies ahead. There is much work still to be done. The extraordinary and committed work of MOSCTHA can only continue with your support. MOSCTHA is dedicated to the vision of a prosperous Haiti, but this can only come about with your chartable donation. The future of Haiti depends on your support, and together we can all make a difference – the children of Haiti depend on it.
Loading the truck with medication
Food that will be distributed
Rice being distrubuted in communities around Port-Au-Prince
One of many children at the MOSCTHA´s Compound
Distributing water and food at the camp in Carousel
We arrived in Haiti for the fifth time with more supplies just for the people of Haiti who are in need RIGHT NOW!! The more supplies we get the more people we´ll be able to help in Haiti.
We arrived in Haiti Wednesday February 3, 2010 for the fourth time. We were able to bring a team of medical specialist and social workers to help us with our continuous effort to aid the people in Haiti. With just 22 days after the earthquake occurred we have been able to help over 30,000 people. On this trip alone we brought 5,000 boxes of water, tons of supplies including rice, corn, oil, plantains, mats, tents, and more medications. MOSCTHA believes in more than a quick fix. We believe in lasting results. We understand that Haiti will need us in the long run that is why we are devoted and dedicated in making a difference. We are already working in seven different refugee camps around Port Au Prince, Jacmel, and Petit Goave, and we will continue to help many more.
Medical supplies donated by Direct Relief International.
An infant receives medical care in a refugee camp.
A child is being treated for an infected finger.
Children at the orphanage in Leogane play as their lives get back to normal.
Mosctha and Mudha are supporting patients that were affected by the earthquake on January 12, 2010 in Haiti. These patients have been operated on and treated by public hospitals in the Dominican Republic. They are now being received in our clinic Health Center La Solidaridad (CENCI), which has been publicly recognized by the Dominican Republic health department. These patients will be at our health center until they recover and after that we will be placing them in rented homes for their long term recuperations. Currently we have received 20 patients in which 15 of them are still receiving medical assistance, while the other 5 are already staying in the rented homes. These patients will eventually be sent back to Haiti after they are fully recovered.
Our group of volunteers that remained in Haiti has arrived at an orphanage in Leogan, which was destroyed after the earthquake. There are currently over 75 children living at this site with limited food and water. When Mosctha arrived it was evident that these children were also in need of medical attention. We were able to arrive with enough resources to feed and hydrate all of the children; however with the amount of children at the site we need more resources.
A group of medical specialists and volunteers arrived in Haiti with a purpose…to save lives. We were successful in aiding over 300 injured victims in local communities; Matissant, Fontamara, and Bel-Air. Our medical team consists of general doctors, pediatrics, gynecologists, emergency aid, and EMT specialists. They performed medical acts, which included everything from finger amputations to providing antibiotics and vitamins to the malnourished. Our volunteers were a key factor in the process as they assisted our medical team in performing as well as maintaining the organization and security of the site. There were hundreds of victims that arrived at the site with expectations of receiving aid, however our medical supplies for the day was limited and we were not able to treat everyone. We continue to ask for your support in any way possible. There are still thousands of victims who have gone untreated, which could eventually lead to death. We encourage you to continue to support our efforts. We are in need of both medical supplies as well as medical volunteers. You can also support us by making a donation right now by following the link below.
Volunteers unloading the supplies
Victims waiting in line to be treated.
Infant in Bel-Air receives treatment for leg wound.
Elder man is being treated for infected laceration.
Infant in Martissan cries over treatment.
Young boy´s head is stabilizes in order to treat a severe wound.
Volunteers maintaining site security.
Medical team works continuously to treat as many victims as possible.
Mosctha is in cooperation with several other organizations preparing for our departure to Haiti. We have received enough food, water, and medical supplies to aid over 20,000 victims within the disaster areas. We are traveling with a team of over 50 volunteers. We have a unique collaboration of medical specialists, professional rescuers, and water sanitation experts as well as technical volunteers in order to better serve our efforts. However, we are still in need of your help! We need more volunteers who have experience in the medical field and also volunteers willing to donate their time to our cause. We are also in great need of medical supplies, food and water! Haiti is currently in critical condition, but our efforts towards assisting are long term, so we are in continuous need of supplies. Your support is appreciated!
Two volunteers assist in loading the ambulance with medical supplies
Just a small portion of the tons of water that we are bringing
New York, NY- January 8, 2013: The Socio Cultural Movement for Haitian Workers announced the opening of the new clinic in Petit-Goave, Centre de Sante Integral La Solidarite (CENSI), to be held on January 12, 2013, the third year anniversary of the earthquake that struck the country killing over 300,000 people and leaving over 1 million displaced.
The HIV epidemic has already killed around 25 million people in the world out of 60 million that are known to be infected. Because AIDS does not discriminate against race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or class, everyone should be aware about the risks. People living in the island of Hispaniola are very vulnerable to the disease because of the already high prevalence. Hispaniola belongs to the region with the second highest adult HIV prevalence in the world. 
Honored with the 2010 International Women of Courage Award, Sonia Pierre became an activist at the young age of 13, when she was arrested for being the spokesperson of a group of Haitian sugar-cane cutters who were protesting for better wages and living conditions. Mrs. Pierre eventually founded and directed the Movement for Dominican Women of Haitian Descent (MUDHA), an NGO that launches public education campaigns and legal actions to fight anti-Haitian discrimination in the Dominican Republic and address the issue of statelessness for people unable to reap the benefits and protections of nationality and citizenship.
(New York) December 20, 2010
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After the passing of hurricane Thomas, which left 21 dead and 9 unaccounted for and also destroyed thousands of houses and left more than 5,000 damaged, the country is more at risk then ever for a continued cholera outbreak, according to several specialists who have said that further spread is imminent. According to official information, until today, Wednesday, November 11, cholera has cost the lives of 643 people and hospitalized more than 10,000. Today alone, 46 have died in the department of Aritbonite where the first case of cholera was discovered.
