Haiti earthquake appeal update
Campaign News | Monday, 26 July 2010
Cuban role ignored by the media
Seven months on from the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on 12 January 2010, Cuban medical teams are still providing vital health care for the Haitian people. Work that has received scant media coverage despite the fact that Cuban medical teams have made up the largest contingent of health personal on the ground before, during and after the quake.
In the UK, Cuba Solidarity Campaign has continued to raise awareness of the role of Cuban medical teams and appealed for donations to help with their work in Haiti. To date, £26,000 has been transferred directly to Cuba for this purpose, donations from CSC members, local groups, union affiliates and fundraising events.
To promote the brigades and appeal, CSC has a 20 minute DVD, ‘Fireflies in the Night’, which includes interviews with some of the hundreds of Cuban doctors and Cuban trained students from Havana’s Latin American Medical School, together with an A4 briefing on Haiti and Cuba.
Already local CSC groups have been showing the film at meetings throughout the UK, and it was also shown to 200 people at the CSC fringe meeting at Unison conference. At the FBU Conference in May, the union chose to focus their international night on the work of Cuba in Haiti by showing the film and raising £3,140 towards the appeal.
Any organisations or local groups who wish to show the film and receive copies of the briefing can contact CSC on020 8800 0155 or office@cuba-solidarity.org.uk. Donations to Cuba's Haiti Medical Brigades can be made by sending a cheque made payable to CSC, marked Haiti Earthquake to CSC, c/o Unite Woodberry, 218 Green lanes, London, N4 2HB
All money received will go directly to support Cuban medical brigades working in Haiti.
