Haiti was always one of those magical places that when I hear about it, I feel like I have a connection with it even if I haven't been there yet. From paintings of Gaugin to working with one of it most important essential oils:
Haitian vetiver. Not to mention the legendary Tiare flower and Monoi de Tahiti. I feel as if I have bonded with this island olfacatorily from a long distance... One of my students went for a visit there last year and told me so much about just one grapefruit she ate and how fragrant and flavourful it was. It may seem weird to be so obsessed about a grapefruit but it must have been something special. And it must also have something with the soil of this volcanic island. Which of course comes at a very heavy price. A tragedy that we have now witnessed all around the world through the internet, television, radio and newspapers.
The Examiner and Now Public have published its
resources and recommendations for which charities are most trustworthy to donate to that will immediately and directly help the aggressive earthquake (7.0 on the Richter scale) that shattered the island of Haiti January 12th, 2010. These two publications have also made a promise to match the amount donated by their team of writers around the world; and
being among them makes me even more motivated to contribute to the effort - knowing that it will be raising an even greater sum of money to bring some hope and relief to this tragic moment in human history.
What I am proposing is this: for every bottle that you order that contains
Haitian Vetiver, I will contribute 45% of the retail price (up to $75 depending on size of bottle purchased) to Doctors Without Borders. Because we are pressed for time, the sooner we get this money out, the better. So I am extending this offer until Monday only - and than I'm going to see what else I can do to lend my (very little) hand to help out.
Participating fragrances:
Hanami
Sabotage
Vetiver Racinettes
Bon ZaiCorallel'Herbe Rouge
Megumi
The organizations that are supposed to be trustworthy and effective for this tragic event - to which you can send your donation or contribution on your own ASAP are:
| Charity/Organization | What you can do | More info
|
| Red Cross | Text "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 | RedCross.org |
| Doctors Without Borders | Donate to help medical aid workers | DoctorsWithoutBorders.org |
| CARE | Donate miles for food distributors | Care.org |
| Partners in Health | Donate to support their field hospitals | PIH.org |
| Salvation Army | Help send boxes of rice, soy, vitamins | SalvationArmy.org |
| World Vision | Send supplies: blankets, tarps, etc. | WorldVision.org |
| Oxfam | Donate to help stationed volunteers | OxFamAmerica.org |
| UNICEF | Help children in Haiti | UnicefUSA.org |
| IRD | Help supply sanitation, medicine, etc. | IRD.org |
| Yéle Foundation | Text "Yele" to 501501 to donate $5 | Yele.org |
| Soles 4 Souls | Donate your shoes to Haiti victims | Soles4Souls.org |
P.s. I couldn't bring myself to post a picture of the earthquake here on this blog. It's devastating beyond belief. I'm sure you've seen the pictures already, but if not you can
click here.
