January 15, 2010
Dear SMNE members,
The news, images and stories coming out of Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake that shook the capital city of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas on Tuesday are unimaginably heart-wrenching.
According to the International Red Cross, as many as 50,000 are dead and three million others affected by earthquake devastation. Time is running out to find family members and other survivors who are buried in the debris.
As many desperately join the search, large equipment is lacking leaving many to dig through the rubble with only shovels and their hands to free those trapped underneath. Those organizations helping in the rescue efforts are saying that every dollar can help.
Beyond our sympathy, we Ethiopians cannot sit by and do nothing. That is why we, the members of the SMNE with our mission of putting humanity above anything else, are compelled to help the best we can with financial donations to these people.
As I listened to new updates on the Haitian earthquake on an Internet radio station out of Washington DC, the speaker called Haiti, before the earthquake, the Ethiopia of the Western hemisphere. For Ethiopians who do not know, there is more we have in common with the Haitians then being poor.
In 1934, when the Fascist Italians under Mussolini invaded Ethiopia, Haiti was one of the five countries to condemn the invasion. Haitians were there for Ethiopians at their time of need, will we be there for them now?
We encourage Ethiopians to send your contributions to the people of Haiti through a reputable charity of your choice, for it can save lives. Some children of SMNE members were emotionally struck by the suffering and told their parents they wanted to contribute, some even giving all of their savings.
Their parents helped them spread the word and I have been told that they have now donated $3,137 to the International Red Cross. In time of great need, our response to the suffering and pain of others should have no national boundaries. May God use us to help our Haitian brothers and sisters.
CALL TO ACTION!
The people of Haiti need your help.
Here are only a few possibilities of organizations doing work in Haiti who could utilize your donations:
- Doctors Without Borders: https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=197&hbc=1&source=AZE1001D1001
- Yéle Haiti: https://co.clickandpledge.com/
- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): http://www.icrc.org/
Here are the other best ways to aid the crisis relief and rescue efforts:
Donate $$ via text message:
- 1. Donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund by texting “Yele” to 501501 (the amount will be charged to your cell phone bill) or visit http//www.Yele.org and click “Donate.”
- 2. Donate $10 through the U.S. Dept. of State: text “HAITI” to “90999″ and $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross, charged to your cell phone bill. Or call (800) RED-CROSS.
Thank you so much for being an awesome inspiration to us all. …Your contributions are immeasurable.
Respectfully yours,
Mr. Obang Metho and Executive Members of the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia
PO Box 50561 Arlington, VA 22205 Phone: (202) 725-1616 Email: obang@solidaritymovement.org
View article in Word 
View article as a PDF
January 16th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Dear Obang,
God bless you. I think you are the one to teach us about reaching out, have conscious, ACT because our Ethiopia and those who suffer need help. It is for sure, we Ethiopians have been really indifferent when it comes to these things. Please keep remind us who we are.
January 16th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
That being said, we know for sure NGOs that existed within and those of certain Western international organization and governments shows through these supports Haiti had not progressed. Haiti’s history tells us that. So, I am very skeptical of giving donations through department state even. So, people before you give, research organizations/governments that really do give and care the development towards Haiti. Heard, MSF, International Red Cross, Irish NGOs, etc have good reputations.
January 16th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front (EPPF) freedom fighters killed 20 weyanes
http://ecadforum.com/blog/?p=3157
January 16th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
This Haiti`s tragedy remind me of Ethiopias tragic times, when the Amhara Dominated Governments dropping cluster bombs on innocent Eritreans childrens and innocent Tigrian childrens.
January 17th, 2010 at 3:26 am
I was reading many sites regarding Haiti’s plight. They all have something in common as what is going on in our country today. IMF, World Bank and the West create dictatorship as in Meles today to force the people into poverty through privatization, free market and importing food rather than producing food. This is exactly what is happening in Ethiopia. Meles was being bombarded by those Western nations to privatize. Luckily he refused on certain things, he was also clever on allowing part share with the people and foreign businesses and made sure every businesses is owned by under EFFORT. I am not sure if EFFORT is any good anyways, the only thing is that Meles did not allow full control of businesses to the West. Unfortunately, he leased the land to foreigners also. Since free market, without regulation has proved to be detrimental to poor nations, Western nations wants this. This tells us they wish the downfall of Ethiopia also. Haiti is the result of this. Ethiopia’s famine is no different, it is a forced free market policy owned by dictator Meles. Haiti’s problem is the exact mirror of Ethiopia’s problem. We need to rise up and say no to dictatorship and West’s greedy policy.
January 17th, 2010 at 5:22 am
Haitians were there for Ethiopians at their time of need…
Thank you for submitting this cool story - Trackback from DigEthiopia…
January 17th, 2010 at 9:29 am
Alulla !
Why are you salivating by the killing of an ethiopian by another ethiopian? the happiest person about this news is Issayas and his thug arrogant militias along with his puppy Diasporas.
January 17th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front (EPPF) freedom fighters killed 20 weyanes http://ecadforum.com/blog/?p=3157
January 19th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
Allula! አንተ
ሽንፍላሻቢያ! ገና ትቃጠላለህ የኢትዮያን እድገት በሰማህ ቁጥር ዓይንህ ድልህ መምሰሉን ,አንጀትህ ዕርር! ኩርምት ማለቱን አያቋርጥም,,,,,,ይልቅስ እንደነገርኩህ ስደት ጠይቅ ወያኔን!!January 29th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
sad news
January 31st, 2010 at 5:56 pm
sad news