February 5, 2010 (Miami, FL) - About the same time as I sent the details of my eminent departure to Haiti on a cargo vessel loaded with relief supplies a tête-à-tête was taking place along the Miami River. One of the two individuals who had slaved for weeks on genuinely humanitarian effort to fill the hold of a cargo vessel with relief supplies donated by an assortment of NGO’s, was facing yet another unanticipated road block.

The clock was ticking down. We were within 24 hours of the estimated time of departure of the Sea Flower. Since the moment that Robert Dietrich and Doug Lofland heard about the devastating quake that had hit Haiti, they have focused their time and resources on organizing a cargo of aid supplies collected by a coalition of local governments and NGOs, with the City of Miami in the lead.

By privately sponsoring a cargo vessel, they thought that they could fill a sorely needed gap. As two members of a very small minority of American business owners who had invested in Haiti and were trying to make a long-term difference in their communities in Haiti, they know the country’s geography, culture and facilities better than most. Through their families and employees in Haiti, they had direct accounts of the physical devastation, lawlessness and suffering that was taking place.

Sea Flower’s 75-meter by 15-meter hold was finally filled with life saving supplies of water, rice, beans, clothes, tents, hygiene products, crutches, wheel chairs and cooking oil. In Haiti’s world turned upside down, these supplies are more valuable than gold. When someone saw the cargo today, the comment was, “You will be a rich man when you get there.”

Robert’s response floored the Haitian. “This cargo is not for sale. We are distributing to the earthquake survivors in Haiti for free. This is donated cargo.”

Carefully working with NGO’s, the UN, the City of Miami, agents and the Society for Human Rights to dot i’s, cross t’s and jump through hoops to ensure that the supplies could be transferred off of the Sea Flower when it reached Les Cayes and Petit Gouve, Robert never thought that he would be held up in Miami.

A safe landing and transfer of supplies to responsible, trustworthy NGO’s and authorities in Haiti would bring an end to the gross riches that were being made by an elite few in Haiti. We’ve all heard that Haiti is one of the poorest and corrupt countries on the planet, but to put it into perspective, the average weekly wage in Haiti is less than $10.00. Post earthquake, while relief supplies are purportedly stymied offshore or in guarded warehouses, those lucky enough to scavenge together cash (don’t forget, nothing works there right now, especially not the ATM machines), a cup of cooking oil is $5.00.

At 5:00 PM on Friday, the ship insisted that two previously arranged observers that would travel with the ship needed insurance. At that late hour, it would be impossible to satisfy their demands until Monday.

While earthquake survivors’ lives are dangling in the balance between life and death, we are doing our best in a chaotic Miami, where most others have shifted their focus to the Super Bowl weekend festivities.

Robert Dietrich and Doug Lofland atop part of the donated Haitian relief supplies in the hold of the Sea Flower courtesy of Haiti-Life.org