The Bill Brookman Foundation

Statement on the Haiti earthquake.

I have sat with my dying mother for six weeks now, and each day she looks closer to death; and now we have Haiti.

I have just spoken on BBC Radio Leicester about this.

Everywhere mentioned on the news I have stayed in or worked in. The destroyed UN building (the Hotel Christophe) was two streets away from the UNDP compound. Our UNDP office was in the basement. It cannot be there now. All the World Food Programme's massive lorries which distributed rice will be stored there and may be wrecked.

The road from Port-au-Prince up to Petionville rises and snakes its way up a mountainside. This road was always having subsidence. Now this road must have collapsed. All the UN and people I knew were working or resident in what must be a seriously damaged area – the side of an already unstable mountain.

The Hotel Montana was where I was the day after it was stormed by 24,000 people during the elections. Maybe 200 people have been killed there. It is where the press corps would meet to cover this event. The Hotel Creole is, apparently, hit. I stayed there when too exhausted to think straight.

Names others may have heard mentioned: Helène Magnier, Vladimir Laborde, all must be affected. Helene’s house is opposite the UN building. Vladimir lives lower down the road on a 6th floor. It is most likely he has no house.

The Caravane de la Paix members generally live lower down in smaller houses. They should have fared better. Mr Money (Emmanuel Descartes) lives with his parents in a one storey house (probably cracked). Isnel Pierreval's house was similar and may well be damaged.

There will be no internet communication and what exists will be clogged. Janet Grant has already sent a message of support. The Haitian diaspora world-wide will be getting organised. My ticket for Somalia is booked Sunday 24th Jan returning 18th Feb. (Katherine Darton is in charge of logistics, Janet in charge of programming.)

I have no policy or strategy for what we should do. Though everyone should do what ever they wish personally. But it is possible that the Foundation will take on a task.

So many people went to Haiti from the Foundation:

K Darton, J Grant, Barnaby, Jacob, Victoria, Helena, Kate Grant (Janet’s daughter).

If any one has an idea then I am open to ideas. The Foundation was never constituted as a disaster relief or fundraising organisation and my strenuous efforts to reserve the 3 Caravane De La Paix 4x4 vehicles for a rescue project came to nought.

The UK company, Bill Brookman Productions, must stay working for us to survive financially. We have the potential to work with many schools reversing the “tick box” mentality which has blighted schools in recent years. The Performing Arts Group is working with young people all the time so that must stay focussed. The Foundation is committed to implementing and developing the strategic and tactical operations of the UN in Somalia so we must stay clear thinking on that; and a second Brookman family funeral is days away.

Vladimir's brother, Yvens Laborde is Associate Medical Director of a hospital in New Orleans. He could be a point of contact. www.ochsner.org

Bill Brookman

13th January 2010