NRECA International Foundation Team Making a Difference in Haiti
(International Foundation, January 22, 2010)

The powerful January 12 earthquake that leveled much of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, triggered a massive, international humanitarian response. Among the first relief personnel on the ground was an NRECA International Foundation team lead by program veteran Myk Manon.

The team, which includes substation expert Bud Stanley and engineer Christian Ponce, was in place within days. They have worked to rapidly assess damage to the city's electrical grid and help repair equipment and restore power to critical facilities, including one of Port-Au-Prince's primary central hospitals.

Here is a summary of the team's work as of January 22, 2010:

• First electricity sector assessment team to arrive in Port-au-Prince and conduct on-the-ground inspections.



• Assessed power requirements for a hospital in Jimani town on the Haiti-Dominican Republic border, an area receiving refugees and earthquake victims; secured a temporary generator for the hospital.



• Successfully repaired two 250kva generators at University Hospital Center in central Port-au-Prince and provided an assessment of the facility's power requirements.



• First on-the-ground visual inspection the city's distribution network and initial assessment of eight substations.



• Assisted Haitian power authority in establishing priorities for system repairs.

In addition to ongoing assessment and repair work, the team is helping create standardized inspection sheets in English, French and Spanish for international relief teams. They are also working on an initial materials list for repairing the city's distribution network.

Donate to the Cause

The needs for rebuilding Port-Au-Prince's electrical infrastructure are monumental.

The NRECA International Foundation is seeking donations for its Haiti Relief Fund. Until further notice, all contributions received through the Foundation Web site will be earmarked for International Programs efforts in Haiti.

You can also donate by mail. Send checks to the NRECA International Foundation at 4301 Wilson Blvd.; Arlington, VA -- 22203. Please indicate the donation is for the “Haiti Relief Fund.” (As always, all donations are tax-deductible.)