By Danny Crowley and Sofia Mateus

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A HAITIAN City student trying to raise money to help her family and fellow countrymen has launched her own aid campaign by posting an appeal video on YouTube.

Sendra Dorce, 42, who is studying for an Executive MBA at CASS Business School, has 25 family members living in Haiti, 24 of which have thankfully been accounted for. But along with the majority of Haitians they are still in need of food and shelter. She said: “My cousins don’t know where their next meal is coming from. We’re normally the ones giving help to other people. People need tents and portable toilets. It’s humbling to be begging for food.”

She is working with the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) which works with charities such as Oxfam and CARE. She has the support of the Haitian Consulate in Paris and is also liaising with local NGO’s, working in Haiti with her family and victims.

In her YouTube video (below) Sendra says: “I am here to ask for help, your help. Together we can and we will rebuild Haiti”. She goes on to talk about her organisation, Humanity Unite for Haiti, which aims to provide “immediate” emergency relief to Haitians. She hopes her organisation can also help the country in the future. She says: “In the long term I want to provide educational programmes to Haitians and facilitate financing to local businesses so that we can make Haiti stronger than ever before.”

She sought help from City’s dean of students asking him to put out a general appeal. But the dean was unable to help and she was sent back to CASS, who were more helpful. They redirected her to people who were able to help her with logistics.

Sendra has decided to raise and take control of the funds herself. She feels money raised by other organisations often gets spent on administrative costs and less is spent on directly helping the people in need. She plans to charter a plane, which will carry food and goods.

She added: “Haitians are strong. The country has been neglected but we have a rich history that keeps us going. This is an opportunity to take charge of our destiny.”