The cost for unloading the truck in Florida and reloading it into a shipping container (plus the costs of shipping from Florida to Port-au-Prince) came to $5,940. It was due upon arrival into Haiti. We were not charged storage from Sep-Dec while we waited for Haiti’s shipping lanes to open.
Often, donations of medical equipment and supplies acquired stateside, are not used as intended due to lack of funds at shipping time. Contents have to be randomly dispersed at ports.
However, in our situation:
1) We had come too far to see everything unravel at Haiti's doorstep; we knew of the enormous time, money, and efforts that had brought the project into Florida and then into Haiti.
2) Without payment, we knew that customs officials would disperse the contents of the container at will.
3) We personally knew of the great need in the receiving community (and surrounding communities) to have access to medical care and believed our next move was the right thing to do.
Remember the question we posed at the beginning: What would you have done?!
| CLICK to read all project-related blog posts
Make a contribution through the orange 'Give Now' button on far right.