A visit to North Otago by the United Nation's third highest administrator, former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark, has been described as unique, recognising a North Otago programme to provide assistance in Haiti.
Miss Clark is taking time during her annual holidays in the South Island on August 10 to attend a Hearts and Hands For Haiti function in the Opera House, in her role as administrator of the United Nations development programme.
A member of the Hearts and Hands for Haiti (HHH) trust, Bruce Albiston, said yesterday Miss Clark was "honouring North Otago in a unique way".
She had looked at the HHH programme and regarded it as a model for long-term help for Haiti.
The North Otago-funded programme is based on Robyn Couper, an Oamaru woman who has served as a missionary in Haiti for 33 years. It was a response to the January 2010 earthquake in the country and is aimed at providing long-term assistance.
HHH had arranged a mayoral reception with Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton on August 10 to honour Ms Couper, medical teams and volunteers who had helped in Haiti and groups and organisations which had raised funds for the programme.
Mr Albiston spoke at yesterday's Waitaki District Council's public forum and Mr Familton said two teams had been sent to Haiti by the North Otago trust with a $120,000 budget.
One project being worked on was the establishment of a school of physiotherapy, working with Haitian health authorities. A third group would return to Haiti later this year to complete plans.
The lack of trained physiotherapists to rehabilitate quake victims was identified by HHH as a major issue.
