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Donate Directly to Haitian Family

Fam,

I realize that we're all scrambling to get involved in the relief efforts. But if you're like me, then you probably want to do something that you know will have a direct impact on individuals that you can relate to - real people, that you might have access to...albeit through facebook. Thank the Lord for facebook!

I was finally able to connect with two of my Haitian brothers through facebook. They were en route to Port-au-Prince to visit their parents when the earthquake hit. Thankfully, they are all safe, but their community is in ruins. They are taking a HUGE risk, like so many others, to travel back and forth from the DR to bring home medical supplies and other much needed resources.

Please donate what you can to support their efforts to ensure the well-being of their family, and rebuild their community. I'm collecting funds, and have made arrangements to wire every cent directly to the family. A payment to them will be wired every two weeks. Email me personally to learn how you can contribute: selam.mulugeta@gmail.com.

Here's some background on my motivation for all of this:

Back in 2004, I studied abroad at PUCMM in Santiago, Dominican Republic in order expand my education in Anthropology and African Studies. In addition to completing college credits, I walked away with lasting friendships, a new understanding of Black Womanhood, ethnicism, and of course, an insatiable love of Kompa music. The people who made this possible for me are my dear friends Richard and Nico Gaspard, and the rest of the Haitian crew that could fit in the back of their raggedy pick-up truck. Oh the truck!

Richard and Nico pretty much MADE my study abroad experience. I was a struggling student, with nothing but the good sense God gave me. They took me wherever I needed to go in the country, and made it a point to educate me about their experiences as Haitian men in a dominantly Dominican society. The parallels to being a minority in my own community were unmistakable. We had an instant bond. The exposure they gave me to Haitian life taught me so much about my own Ethiopian heritage, and how to think about my identity in the context of Black, African, and womanist politics. I will always be grateful to them for being true friends when I needed them most, and for creating experiences that have made me who I am today.

Please support my effort to give back to these brothers. Make a donation that you can trust will help at least one family. My family.