Kai Buchholz (1976-2010)

SHLF was devastated by the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti. This sorrow was compounded by the news it involved the loss of a mutual friend, another young man committed to making a difference whose life was tragically cut short.

Kai Buchholz, a German national and UN Officer based in the UN Mission in Port au Prince, was a friend to SHLF who had recently embarked on providing local capacity to strengthen our longtime partnership with L’Athletique Haiti, when the earthquake struck.

Like so many of the amazing volunteers involved in SHLF and those who give their own lives to service, Kai was deeply committed to Making a Difference in the lives of others.  To quote a colleague and a friend, “Kai was a great person to work with, really smart, fast, funny, principled, stubborn, outspoken, determined, and so full of life. He did such an excellent job of whatever he was asked to do.”  Kai lived life to its fullest, worked hard and made the most of his time here: a relentless global explorer, excellent cook, generous host, avid skier and passionate soccer fan.

Going to Haiti to work on development projects on behalf of the United Nations was a dream come true for Kai, “He enjoyed it in Haiti. He felt he truly belonged.”  Just hours before the earthquake, Kai posted an excited video on his blog about “the challenges that Haiti was starting to overcome”. Instead, years of sustained effort and the nascent stability was undermined in an instant, when in January 2010, the brutal 7.0 earthquake hit the country, levelling buildings and taking thousands of lives. 

In remembrance of Kai, his friends are partnering with SHLF to support the Brick by Brick campaign, targeted at helping rebuild the perimeter wall around the L’Athletique Haiti facilities.  Re-building the wall will allow this dynamic, community-based organisation to continue providing underprivileged Haitian youth with tutoring and after school sports in a safe environment.  The programme is even more critical a year after the earthquake, as stability and security are far from guaranteed, and access to schools is chronically reduced. 

One year after the Earthquake, Haiti continues to endure unimaginable challenges as they continue the long re-building process – cholera, hurricanes, floods and political instability, have led the leader of LADH to wonder out loud if 2010 is the year of the Apolcalypse.

Nothing will ever compensate for Kai’s life or any of those lost in this tragedy. But as we close in on the one-year anniversary, we have a renewed responsibility to ensure that we pay tribute to those who have pledged their own lives to make a difference. The situation in Haiti is indeed complex and challenging, but in LADH we have found true leadership and commitment to development. 

 Kai recognised that to ensure Haiti’s future, programmes like L’Athletique Haiti are critical.  On the one year anniversary of Kai’s tragic death, we beseech his friends, family, and colleagues to help us to achieve the $25,000 we need to rebuild L’Athletique Haiti’s perimeter wall, and to help achieve one of Kai’s dream of a secure and stable Haiti.

Kai, we of SHLF salute you.