René Merino

***UPDATE ***

28 February 2010, The What If? Foundation has received no aid from the United Nations, and What If? representatives were turned away at the gate of the UN compound when they attempted to attend an "open" food aid cluster meeting last week.

On 12 January 2010, a magnitude 7.o earthquake rocked the south of Haiti, including its capital city, Port-au-Prince. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians are living outside under tents made of tree branches and bed sheets. While their buildings are destroyed, their spirit and faith live on. Below are photos of Haiti three weeks after the earthquake.

A girl sells produce on the roadside in Port-au-Prince, 11 February 2010.

Riders sit on a tap-tap, a converted pickup truck, in Cité Soleil, 9 February 2010.

Boys bathe in Champ de Mars near the presidential palace in Port-au-Prince, 10 february 2010.

A market in Cité Soleil, 11 February 2010.

A smoldering garbage dump in Cité Soleil,
9 February 2010.

A tent city within view of the toppled presidential palace, 6 February 2010.

An orphan sits tied to a crib outside Grace Children's Hospital, Port-au-Prince, 8 February 2010.

A man with an amputated leg stands on a busy street corner in Port-au-Prince with the help of crutches, 6 February 2010.

Two kids carry a bucket of water into a camp near the earthquake's epicenter in the Léogâne area,
6 February 2010.

A girl stands by her makeshift shop in Champ de Mars, Port-au-Prince, 10 February 2010.

A market scene in Cité Soleil, 11 February 2010.

A man douses himself with water in a camp near Léogâne, 6 February 2010. The camp sits on the field of a small soccer stadium, but feels more like a little city inside.

Worshippers celebrate mass outdoors after the earthquake damaged their church, St. Clair's, in the Ti Plas Kazo area of Port-au-Prince.

Worshippers celebrate mass outdoors after the earthquake damaged their church, St. Claire's, in the Ti Plas Kazo area of Port-au-Prince,
7 February 2010.

A tent city near Port-au-Prince, 11 February 2010.

A woman waits to be seen by doctors volunteering at a one-day medical clinic under a tarp in Cité Soleil,
11 February 2010.

A woman waits to be seen by doctors volunteering at a one-day medical clinic under a tarp in Cité Soleil, 11 February 2010.

A bicycle wheel attached to a wheelchair works as a foot rest, Cité Soleil, 11 February 2010.

A boy sits quietly after receiving medical treatment under a tarp in Cité Soleil, 11 February 2010.

A cook stirs rice in the St. Claire's rectory in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, 9 February 2010. The What If? Foundation, a California nonprofit, sponsors the food program.

A pile of plates ready to be handed out at St. Claire's, 9 February 2010. The food program at St. Claire's feeds at least 1,500 people every day, Monday through Friday, and has been doing so for ten years. The lines have been longer since the earthquake, and the food more difficult to get. This program is a model of efficiency and nutrition compared to the UN World Food Programme's rice-only distributions.

Full plates are moved toward the window of the St. Clair's rectory kitchen, 10 February 2010.

The staff uses a window to get the food outside the St. Claire's rectory kitchen, 10 February 2010.

A plate is handed from one staff member to another, St. Claire's, 10 February 2010.

10 February 2010

A child waits for a plate of food outside St. Claire's rectory kitchen in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood
of Port-au-Prince, 9 February 2010.

The kids go first; then the adults line up for food at St. Claire's rectory, 9 February 2010.

An older child feeds a younger child at St. Claire's rectory in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of
Port-au-Prince, 9 February 2010.

A girl sits and eats her meal as a plate of food is handed to a small child at St. Claire's,
9 February 2010.

Plates and bowls are cleaned in large tubs and used more than once during the meal,
St. Claire's rectory, 9 February 2010.

A woman fills a large bowl with water,
St. Claire's rectory kitchen, 10 February 2010.

A boy cleans the pots,
St. Claire's rectory kitchen, 10 February 2010.

A choir director stands before her choir in the outdoor replacement church at St. Claire's parish in
the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, 10 February 2010. Click for audio/video.

A boy plays with a toy United Nations truck made of plastic bottle caps, tin cans and cardboard
at St. Claire's rectory in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, 7 February 2010.

A toy United Nations truck made of plastic bottle caps, tin cans and cardboard
at St. Claire's rectory in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, 7 February 2010.

The toy truck was carrying, as cargo, materials necessary to build other toy trucks,
St. Claire's, 7 February 2010.

Children play at St. Claire's rectory in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, 7 February 2010. The spray paint refers to the deceased priest, Fr. Gérard Jean-Juste, who called St. Claire's parish home and was a political prisoner of the US-backed coup government in 2005. Jean-Juste was not allowed to run for president by the coup government, and he endorsed René Préval prior to the 2006 election won by Préval. Father Jean-Juste passed away on 27 May 2009. He left behind a parish and a neighborhood full of kind hearts that miss him very much.

*UPDATE * 28 February 2010, The What If? Foundation has received no aid from the United Nations, and What If? representatives were turned away at the gate of the UN compound when they attempted to attend an "open" food aid cluster meeting last week. On 12 January 2010, a magnitude 7.o earthquake rocked the south of Haiti, including its capital city, Port-au-Prince. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians are living outside under tents made of tree branches and bed sheets. While their buildings are destroyed, their spirit and faith live on. Below are photos of Haiti three weeks after the earthquake. A girl sells produce on the roadside in Port-au-Prince, 11 February 2010. Riders sit on a tap-tap, a converted pickup truck, in Cité Soleil, 9 February 2010. Boys bathe in Champ de Mars near the presidential palace in Port-au-Prince, 10 february 2010.
A market in Cité Soleil, 11 February 2010.		A smoldering garbage dump in Cité Soleil, 9 February 2010.
A tent city within view of the toppled presidential palace, 6 February 2010.
An orphan sits tied to a crib outside Grace Children's Hospital, Port-au-Prince, 8 February 2010.		A man with an amputated leg stands on a busy street corner in Port-au-Prince with the help of crutches, 6 February 2010.
Two kids carry a bucket of water into a camp near the earthquake's epicenter in the Léogâne area, 6 February 2010. A girl stands by her makeshift shop in Champ de Mars, Port-au-Prince, 10 February 2010. A market scene in Cité Soleil, 11 February 2010.
A man douses himself with water in a camp near Léogâne, 6 February 2010. The camp sits on the field of a small soccer stadium, but feels more like a little city inside.		Worshippers celebrate mass outdoors after the earthquake damaged their church, St. Claire's, in the Ti Plas Kazo area of Port-au-Prince, 7 February 2010.
A tent city near Port-au-Prince, 11 February 2010. A woman waits to be seen by doctors volunteering at a one-day medical clinic under a tarp in Cité Soleil, 11 February 2010.
A woman waits to be seen by doctors volunteering at a one-day medical clinic under a tarp in Cité Soleil, 11 February 2010.		A bicycle wheel attached to a wheelchair works as a foot rest, Cité Soleil, 11 February 2010.
A boy sits quietly after receiving medical treatment under a tarp in Cité Soleil, 11 February 2010. A cook stirs rice in the St. Claire's rectory in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, 9 February 2010. The What If? Foundation, a California nonprofit, sponsors the food program. A pile of plates ready to be handed out at St. Claire's, 9 February 2010. The food program at St. Claire's feeds at least 1,500 people every day, Monday through Friday, and has been doing so for ten years. The lines have been longer since the earthquake, and the food more difficult to get. This program is a model of efficiency and nutrition compared to the UN World Food Programme's rice-only distributions.
Full plates are moved toward the window of the St. Clair's rectory kitchen, 10 February 2010.		The staff uses a window to get the food outside the St. Claire's rectory kitchen, 10 February 2010.
A plate is handed from one staff member to another, St. Claire's, 10 February 2010. 10 February 2010 A child waits for a plate of food outside St. Claire's rectory kitchen in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, 9 February 2010. The kids go first; then the adults line up for food at St. Claire's rectory, 9 February 2010. An older child feeds a younger child at St. Claire's rectory in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, 9 February 2010.
A girl sits and eats her meal as a plate of food is handed to a small child at St. Claire's, 9 February 2010.		Plates and bowls are cleaned in large tubs and used more than once during the meal, St. Claire's rectory, 9 February 2010.

A woman fills a large bowl with water, St. Claire's rectory kitchen, 10 February 2010.		A boy cleans the pots, St. Claire's rectory kitchen, 10 February 2010.
A choir director stands before her choir in the outdoor replacement church at St. Claire's parish in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, 10 February 2010. Click for audio/video. A boy plays with a toy United Nations truck made of plastic bottle caps, tin cans and cardboard at St. Claire's rectory in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, 7 February 2010. A boy plays with a toy United Nations truck made of plastic bottle caps, tin cans and cardboard at St. Claire's rectory in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, 7 February 2010. A toy United Nations truck made of plastic bottle caps, tin cans and cardboard at St. Claire's rectory in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, 7 February 2010. The toy truck was carrying, as cargo, materials necessary to build other toy trucks, St. Claire's, 7 February 2010. Children play at St. Claire's rectory in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, 7 February 2010. The spray paint refers to the deceased priest, Fr. Gérard Jean-Juste, who called St. Claire's parish home and was a political prisoner of the US-backed coup government in 2005. Jean-Juste was not allowed to run for president by the coup government, and he endorsed René Préval prior to the 2006 election won by Préval. Father Jean-Juste passed away on 27 May 2009. He left behind a parish and a neighborhood full of kind hearts that miss him very much.