H20pe for Haiti

Today we're going to be serious, so make yourself a cup of tea and find a comfortable spot. Do you have a little girl or boy? Or a big one? Do you have a soulmate that means the world to you? Mum or dad? Beloved friend? May I suggest you go and hug them now and tell them you love them? Or phone them if they're far away, or write an e-mail. Because life is precious, and we never know when our loved ones might be taken away from us.
Like you, I was shocked watching the reports from the Haiti earthquake. It drove me to tears, and I had to turn off the television many times as I just couldn't take any more heartache. The worst for me was watching the desperate people in the aftermath, fighting to get something to eat and drink for their children. I can just imagine being in the same circumstances, and I tell you, I will also turn violent if necessary to protect my family. In a heartbeat.

Photo from ConcernWorldwide via Flickr

Luckily the dynamic Jeanne from Cooksister did not stand idly by. Together with BloggerAid - Changing the face of famine, she organised an online raffle to raise funds for Concern Worldwide's relief effort in Haiti. This group is a non-governmental international humanitarian organisation working towards the end of extreme poverty worldwide. They have been working in Haiti since 1994, and already had over 100 members on the ground when the earthquake struck. They now have a full scale response in Martissant and St Martin, two of the poorest areas in Port-au-Prince. This involves water distribution, a cash-for-work clean-up campaign, soap distribution, temporary latrines and shelters.

The raffle goes live today, and a list of prizes will be available at Cooksister as well as the BloggerAid website. Tickets cost $10/£6.50/ about 11.15 AUD. All prizes will be shipped worldwide. If you prefer you can make a donation without buying a ticket at H2Ope for Haiti JustGiving donation page. Justgiving will pay all the money raised directly to Concern Worldwide, less their processing fee, and donations can be made via international debit or credit cards as well as Paypal.

Photo from ConcernWorldwide via Flickr

This is a wonderful opportunity to make a small contribution that will make a big difference. b                  zsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxs (the Little Girl's contribution to this post). Anyway, where were we. That's right, big difference. Also remember to look after the people close to you. Go phone your mum. That will make a big difference too.

UPDATE: The list of prizes is now available at Cooksister here. All of them look fabulous, I have my eye on a couple. If you want to know a bit more about South African food culture, my prize is a book called South Africa Eats, by Phillipa Cheifitz. Beautiful photographs, delicious stories, enough to make you book your plane ticket for a trip to experience it all for yourself. I hope this book finds a happy home. Please also have a look at the rest of the prizes, bidding on more than one is highly recommended.