Actor, director, and activist Sean Penn and philanthropist/entrepreneur Diana Jenkins have launched their new campaign, Beat the Rain, in hopes of relocating many thousands of Haitians currently living in tent cities before the onset of heavy rains – the rainy season begins in March. The goal is to protect those Haitians living in tent cities and camps from the potential outbreak of disease such as cholera, typhoid, malaria, tetanus, and tuberculosis.

An estimated $8 million is needed to build temporary, 500 square foot homes and to expedite relocation.

The Beat the Rain campaign mission is to raise funds for secure, temporary homes and to call on local officials to expedite the inspection process to protect citizens from the rain and even more destruction.

“When the rain comes,” Penn says, “it’s going to be a public health disaster. It could easily be on the scale of the earthquake itself. What we’re trying to do is prevent it. The inspection process is too slow and people are not being let back into their homes. There is enormous risk if they are not relocated or given better means of shelter soon.”

Penn went on to say that disease is already spreading. “There were incredible hygiene problems within the neighborhoods prior to the quake. This is a new disaster waiting to happen, if we do not take action now and do something to prevent it.”

J/P HRO has already accomplished some pretty amazing feats.

Some examples of their accomplishments include:

1. Delivering more than 100,000 pounds of medical supplies.
2. Distributing roughly 2,000 meals a day to earthquake victims.
3. They have successfully cut through red tape and bureaucracy in order to get large shipments of antibiotics and anesthetics into the country.
4. They have donated much needed medical equipment such as an X-ray machine, ultrasound machine, and ventilators to hospitals.

You can donate through the J/P HRO website.