I recently delved into the impactful narrative of What Storm, What Thunder by Haitian author Myriam J.A. Chancy. While the portrayal of the 2010 Haiti earthquake resonated deeply, it also prompted reflections of the tragic earthquakes and storms earlier this year in Nepal, Turkey, Morocco, and Libya. The book’s heartbreaking scenes of children trapped under rubble also brought back difficult memories of my post-earthquake visits to Haiti, Indonesia, and China.
Despite the emotional weight, my ray of hope is that these tragedies will spur positive action. Natural hazard events don't have to turn into widespread, devastating disasters. We have the knowledge to design and build resilient structures to keep communities safe.
Kids on their first day of school outside their newly-built disaster-resilient school building that can also serve as a post-disaster shelter for the community. This school in southern Haiti was possible thanks to donors like you.
These disasters affirm why we do what we do. The key to saving lives and protecting people is in taking action in advance, and in sustaining efforts even as other pressing issues and demands arise over the years. It requires continuously working towards resilient communities long after everyone forgets about the last devastating disaster. Climate change is only making this work all the more urgent and we are actively bringing that lens to our efforts. This is why we take a proactive, long-term approach.
GHI’s Field Engineer visiting with local officials in a community affected by the recent earthquakes in westernmost Nepal, where we have been working since 2016. We are actively exploring how we can provide technical support based on local needs.
Your support makes this possible. With your donation, we will shine light and spark action NOW in places that are at risk from future disasters.
You can contribute at www.geohaz.org/donate. Your donation will be matched up to $70,000 through December 31, thanks to a generous challenge grant from our Board of Trustees.
Thank you for being a catalyst for positive change.
With deep gratitude,
Veronica Cedillos, President and CEO
P.S. Want to hear more about our work? See our 2023 Annual Report
GeoHazards International
Bhutan · Dominican Republic · Haiti · India · Nepal · U.S.A.
