Published: Friday, 29th January, 2010 12:00pm

Ferbane Cluny sisters' aid appeal for Haiti

"Most of the people from the city centre have gone to the relative safety of Petionville. There are hundreds of people there at the moment looking to the sisters for help. They are hungry, wounded, all without shelter."

That's the account of Haiti by Sister Christiane, a member of the Sisters of Joseph of Cluny, based in St Joseph's Convent and the Gallen Priory in Ferbane, who have been working in the devastated country since 1864.

Sr Christiane emailed Sr Joseph Fallon of St Joseph's Convent, to inform her of the damage caused to the schools and buildings run by the Sisters and to appeal for money to buy food and medical supplies.

Today, 80 sisters work in 14 Cluny communities around Haiti. Seven are based in Port au Prince and two in Jacmel in the southeast, which are the most devastated areas after the earthquake two weeks ago.

Two of the three major Cluny establishments in Port au Prince were completely destroyed and hundreds of desperate adults and children are flocking to the sisters for help. They are now sleeping with the sisters in the open.

The school 'Externat' is completely destroyed. It educated 600 primary pupils by day and 60 street children in the evenings. A number of adults and children were in the building when the earthquake struck; at the time of Sr Christiane's email, they had not been found.

A new orphanage 'La Madeleine', which was due to open this month, also collapsed. There are now over 300 people and many children looking for help from the Cluny sisters in that area.

'Mere Louise' a school for very poor children was also completely destroyed. Principal Sr Edwige Désir was trapped in the rubble for over 12 hours and suffered two broken legs. Around 650 children aged from three to ten years attended.

"Even in the good times, these children were given one meal a day by the sisters. The school is completely destroyed," said Sr Christiane.

A primary school for 513 pupils, a secondary school for 400 pupils and a literacy centre for 102 adults were also destroyed. The sisters also ran a dispensary and so many people are coming to them, asking for medicine.

The Jacmel school, survived but is damaged. In Petionville, there was "quiet a bit of damage" but not as bad. The sisters run a primary school for 500 children and a literacy centre for about 100 adults.

Sr Joseph said that money is needed for food, water, medical supplies and other supplies.

"There is no food and some unscrupulous drivers in the suburbs are asking the people to pay $20 per person to go to nearby towns to buy food. Of course the people cannot afford this," she said.

However, the nuns can organise trips to the safer towns to buy supplies. Teachers, nurses and social workers from the order are working in various locations around Haiti and will also buy supplies, even across the border in the Dominican Republic.

"Normally, €1 would feed a child for a day. But with the situation of transport and the rocketing of prices in the nearby towns, we estimate just under €2 per person per day," added Sr Joseph.

The Sister in Charge in the Gallen Priory and St Joseph's Convent are able to take donations directly, or you can donate through the Cluny Mission Account 03353010, sort code 932515.