BOVINE HAITI FUND RAISER

The Haiti Disaster Appeal has been sympathetically supported throughout the UK by individuals and a myriad of groups.In the agricultural news this week there was a snippet that was out of the ordinary. 

 

A farmer, a member of a remote rural Rotary group, made a sizeable contribution to the Haiti appeal by selling at auction, one of his cows and her heifer calf. The auctioneers waived their usual commission arrangements, allowing all the proceeds raised from the sale, a sum of £1050, to be given to the disaster appeal.

 HAITI

Last night I heard an American missionary speak these words; "I am stressed, I am very stressed, I am so tired of this, I want it to stop".

This woman runs an orphanage in Haiti. To that point the building was intact, the babies and children were all safe. The nannies would not return into the building because of aftershocks, so the kids and the staff all stayed outside for the night.

"It is fortunate" she said "that at present we do not have any children on ventilators or needing oxygen". 

I was impressed with her 'half full' perspective; the missionary thought that the outdoor style of life lived by the Haitians may have saved thousands of lives. On the other hand, it is likely, by all accounts, that she had no idea of the extent of the horror that has since unfolded.

There can never be enough aid for the disaster relief that is required in all the situations we have heard about, and there have been a great number in recent times. Reconstruction of lives and homes is another ongoing story-cum-disaster in itself. Yet I hear of great triumphs over adversity by individuals and small groups. It gives me hope.