Please visit: CHFInternational.org
(A friend of mine was profiling Haitian relief efforts for his blog. He asked me to write this post as a contribution.)
CHF International, an international development organization based in Silver Spring, Md., has been working on infrastructure and employment programs in Haiti since 2006 with funding provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). When the 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti Jan. 12, CHF was one of a few aid groups able to provide fast assistance to the small mountain town of Petit Goâve, where more than 1,100 people died. The organization had 170 staff members in Haiti already at the time of the quake, including experts in infrastructure and construction.
Originally called the Cooperative Housing Foundation, CHF is creating jobs for up to 3,500 Haitians to help with cleanup in the Port-au-Prince area over the next few months, the organization’s director of Haitian relief efforts, Alberto Wilde, told Agence France Presse. In coming months, CHF will focus on building temporary homes, employing more Haitians in cleanup efforts, and creating earthquake-resistant buildings.
Since 1952, CHF International has worked in more than 100 countries and now works in an average of 30 countries a year, according to its Web site. Charity Navigator, a guide to charity organizations, classifies CHF International as “highly rated,” with an overall score of four stars.
