24 January 2010

Puerto Rico’s “Barge of Hope” Sails to Haiti with Relief Supplies

Donated food and supplies gathered from across the island

Although the barge's official name is the Carribean Pride, Puerto Ricans are calling it the "Barge of Hope."

By Howard Cincotta
Special Correspondent

Washington — When the powerful earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, Puerto Rico responded with an outpouring of sympathy and aid by collecting approximately 6 million pounds (2.7 million kilos) of food and medicine, plus electric generators, tarps and other goods.

But shipping such a vast amount of relief supplies presented a formidable problem, with Haiti’s airport severely congested and its seaport heavily damaged.

The solution: a massive barge, 250 feet long and 80 feet wide (76 meters by 24 meters), made available by Pan American Grain, one of the largest food-processing companies in the Caribbean.

The barge’s official name may be Caribbean Pride, but Puerto Ricans immediately dubbed it the “Barge of Hope.”

The deck of the "Barge of Hope"

“This has been very emotional for Puerto Rico,” said Jose Gonzalez Freyre, Pan American Grain’s president. “We have a culture here of going and helping out people in need. Everyone is following the Barge of Hope on its trip.”

The Caribbean island’s 78 municipal centers served as collection points for Haiti relief donations, Freyre said, which were then delivered to the port. The truckers, stevedores and other dock workers all volunteered their time as well.

Pan American Grain donated food along with $150,000 in transportation costs for the barge. “All private donations and private enterprise,” he said.

Puerto Ricans’ generosity has been so overwhelming, however, that an additional 1,500 pallets of relief supplies remain on a pier in San Juan, according to Cable Network News. Freyre said he hoped that another donor would pick up transportation costs for a second shipment.

The Barge of Hope is due to arrive off Port au Prince early January 26 and tie up at a private dock. But the barge draws only six feet of water (1.8 meters), Freyre points out, and if necessary, the barge can be beached. This would allow for a quicker unload and delivery of the supplies to needy people.

The island of Puerto Rico, with a population of almost 4 million, is a territory of the United States rather than a state.

Help save lives in Haiti: Visit the White House Web site for options. The International Committee of the Red Cross provides a service to help people find loved ones, and the State Department has a Person Finder where people can post information about persons missing in Haiti.