Open Society Institute Responds to Crisis in Haiti

Working with FOKAL, the Soros foundation in Haiti, the Open Society Institute intends to play a leadership role in the country’s redevelopment. In response to the immediate crisis, OSI is giving an initial four million dollars to support the relief efforts for disaster victims. Médecins Sans Frontières, Save the Children, CARE, and Catholic Relief Services will receive one million dollars each. These are organizations doing lifesaving work in Haiti.

George Soros is a longtime supporter of Haiti. He has given some $50 million dollars through his foundations to support public libraries, community water programs, and other projects including urban revitalization in Port-au-Prince. The Soros Economic Development Fund, a sister foundation that works to alleviate poverty, has helped thousands of Haitian entrepreneurs secure microcredit loans.

The Open Estonia Foundation has also given its contribution to the development of Haiti, supporting the Estonian e-Governance Academy’s cooperation with Haitian authorities in developing e-governance. A delegation of Estonian experts was set to visit Port-au-Prince this January, which will now be postponed due to the catastrophe.