An ICAT Logistics Case Study Helping a Haitian Orphanage
A Haitian orphanage that is home to 96 orphaned children is in critical need of a vehicle to use for daily transportation, emergency medical situations, and hauling goods. ICAT steps in to help.
One Call
In the wake of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, “Rendez-vous: Haiti” helped build a new facility, the Village Notre Dame de Lourdes, in Santo, a suburb of Port Au Prince. This facility, which is home to 96 orphaned children, as well as an elementary school, was in need of a vehicle to use for daily transportation, emergency medical situations, and hauling goods.
In addition, a reliable vehicle was critical for coordination of donations with multiple different offices, meeting people, bringing reports and following up with previous donations. Without a reliable vehicle, the facility had to rely on friends for transportation and the car that was available would often break down.
Right Solution
ICAT Logistics partnered with Rendez-vous: Haiti to provide transportation to this facility. Once a vehicle was donated, the process to move the vehicle to the orphanage required obtaining a donation letter and then having it notarized by the U.S. Embassy of Haiti.
Once this was accomplished, ICAT facilitated the logistics of clearing the donation through U.S. Customs for export, shipping the truck to Port Au Prince and clearing import customs there. ICAT and Rendez-vous: Haiti teamed up with the Archbishop of Port Au Prince, to use his tax exempt number to avoid a hefty sales tax.
Done!
Once the donation of a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado truck was secured, there was an enormous amount of paperwork and red tape that had to be dealt with before the truck could be imported to the facility without exorbitant import taxes, as this truck was a gift. Not all logistics partners would have walked this organization through the proper steps to avoid unnecessary costs. ICAT thinks differently: when we take on a job, all of our expertise and focus goes into getting the job done right for the client.
The knowledgeable team at ICAT was able to explain the paperwork and walk all parties involved through the process. The importance of the vehicle to this facility cannot be overstated. It allows the caretakers to transport children to the doctor for both emergencies and regular appointments, as well as daily transportation for volunteer’s needs, church participation, and the coordination of donations. The bottom line—this truck was invaluable and having a reliable mean of transportation was a great relief for the staff of the orphanage.
