How to Build Hygiene or Education Kits

Washington, DC — Many people have made requests to give more than just money to the people of Haiti - and not just Haiti, but often our projects throughout the world. The commitment to making a difference, good will and generosity is deeply appreciated.

IRD works to be as responsive to the needs on the ground as possible, delivering as high a quality of donations as possible. At this time, the greatest need in Haiti that you can help IRD facilitate is for school and hygiene kits. Here's how to put together a high-quality school kit:

Place the following items in a durable cloth bag:
· 4 unsharpened pencils
· 1 rubber pencil eraser – approximately 1×2 inches
· 1 pair blunt nosed scissors with metal blades
· 1 pencil sharpener
· 1 straight edge ruler – 12 inches, with metric
· Glued or spiral bound notebooks with lined sheets, 8 x 10 ½,
or 8 ½ x 11 inches
Notebooks should total approximately 450 sheets
Do not include more than 6 notebooks
· 1 set assorted colored pencils

Making cloth bags for school kits (optional):
· Cut one piece heavy, durable fabric 14×36 inches or two pieces 14×18 inches
· With right sides together, sew side seams and across the bottom, ½ inch seam
· Serge or zig-zag all seams
· Serge or zig-zag around the top opening of the bag
· Turn top hem down 1 ½ “ and sew
Handles
· Cut two handles 24×3 ½ inches (1 inch webbing may be substituted )
· Fold long sides in ½” then fold in half, lengthwise and sew down both long sides
· Attach and reinforce handles 2” from side seam along hem. Repeat on opposite side.
Handles should be able to hang comfortably over a shoulder like a purse, length
about 21” long
· Sew a 3” strip of Velcro on inside of bag between handle straps

And how to put together a high-quality hygiene kit:

Place the following items in a heavy-duty, one gallon resealable bag. Remove the air before sealing:
· 2 unbreakable combs without sharp handles
· 4 toothbrushes, sealed
· 1 tube of toothpaste (6-8 ounces, no pumps)
· 2 bars of soap (3.5 - 5 ounces each)
· 2 hand towels (approximately 15x25 inches. Dishtowels and washcloths not accepted.)

When completed, contact Bernhard Gallent (bgallent@ird-dc.org) in our logistics department for shipping instructions. We will pass on the name and address of one of several warehouses across the United States who are assembling larger shipments of kits for us to send to Haiti. Unfortunately, we cannot cover the shipping costs to the warehouse. We will be focusing our efforts and funds on covering the expense of shipping to Haiti and supporting our distribution team on the ground there.

Please also consider monetary donations through IRD’s Haiti Earthquake Fund. This is the fastest and most efficient way to get emergency supplies to the earthquake victims, and allows us to procure other essential items like food, water and medicine locally.

You can find the latest news on IRD's relief efforts at www.ird.org, by following us on Twitter @ird_relief, or by becoming an IRD fan on Facebook. You can also donate to IRD's Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund by calling 1-866-595-1100 or texting REBUILD to 85944.