HAITI NOT FORGOTTEN

Volunteers continue effort of rebuilding.

The plight of Haiti has not fallen off the radar in Saskatchewan.

After an earthquake devastated the country in January 2010, killing more than 100,000, the international community responded with assistance and supplies.

Four years later, the country is still rebuilding.

Two Saskatchewan groups are heading to the country this month — a 28-strong group from Swift Current, and a 15-member medical, dental and nursing team from the Regina area.

Kevin Snyder is the pastor of East Side Church of God, and is helping co-ordinate the Swift Current mission.

But it’s not just churches that are involved.

Local businesses pitched in to help, supplying funds for tree planting, housing and medical supplies, and a small group of women have spent the year sewing dresses to distribute to people who were left with nothing.

“The situation in Haiti has moved from international disaster relief to redevelopment,” Snyder said, referencing temporary tarpaulin housing as an example.

“These people have been there for four years without the capacity to build, and infrastructure is a mess.”

The group is partnering with an aid organization based in Haiti to ensure everyone who goes along can be tasked with a job for the nine-day stint.

One of those people is Lawrence Reimer, a Swift Current dentist, who has been heading on similar trips for the past 33 years.

He expects Haiti to be no different.

“Over the years in all the places I’ve been ... I’ve found poor people struggling all over the world,” he said.

“It’s about bettering somebody else’s life.”

His wife, Cindy Reimer, will also be heading south and expects to put her skills as a pharmacist to good use.

Then there’s Andrea Carol, who will blog for the group and is going “for no other reason, other than I have two hands and two feet and the ability to contribute.

“Everyone is familiar with the earthquake, but this trip prompted me to do some reading, do some digging and do some research,” she said.

“It’s brought to light that we will respond as a nation to other nations in need for immediate disaster relief, but we forget about the rebuilding and the extended consequences of something like that happening.”

According to a media release, the other group — which is partnering with Haiti-based organization Haiti ARISE — will be operating a medical clinic, overseen by Braam Vermeulen.

It expects to treat around 800 patients, from supplying medications to counselling and foot care, as well as providing referrals for ongoing treatment.

It is the fourth trip to Haiti for the group.