6 Months Later

Several days ago (the 12th) marked the 6-month "anniversary" of the devastating earthquake that shook all of Haiti. On January 12, 2010 the world watched as millions of Haitian people were killed, injured, or displaced, and reacted with extreme generosity and compassion. Over 5 billion dollars were pledged by countries around the world in hopes of rebuilding the already-damaged Haiti.

Six months later, however, little has changed. Only 28,000 of the 1.5 million Haitians displaced by the earthquake have moved into houses and out of tents. Incomprehensible amounts of debris and rubble remain prevalent and visible throughout the city of Port-au-Prince. Hospitals continue to close due to a lack of funding, and people continue to die due to a lack of treatment.

While this news may seem discouraging at first, it is exactly the reason that people must continue to give. With other important news such as the oil spill in the Gulf, it is easy for us to forget the tragedy that occurred in Haiti; "Out of sight, out of mind" some may say. In order for the Haitian people to successfully leapfrog the under-development and poverty that they currently experience, people around the world must provide them with a constant flow of support.

There is definitely still reason to be optimistic: there hasn't been an outbreak of disease and there is an upcoming presidential election on November 28th. The current Haitian government has been overwhelmed with the difficulty and complexity involved with coordinating city cleanups, medical facilities, etc... This past weekend at the World Future Society panel that I spoke at, I was lucky enough to meet a potential Haitian presidential candidate by the name of Pierre Armand. There are currently twelve political platforms in the running for the presidency, and Armand has spoken with six of them in hopes of having them support him in his campaign. He is an incredible man, both kind and intelligent, and I wish him the best in his run for the Haitian presidency.

While a new Haitian President can definitely be a step in the right direction, a great deal of work must still be done. I will do everything in my power to help Haiti overcome its struggles, and I hope that in six more months, there will be more encouraging news. In the meantime, however, any helpful effort can truly make a difference. It may seem that large organizations are the only ones that have large impacts on Haitian life due to their funding, but this is clearly not the case, as the majority of the money pledged towards helping Haiti hasn't yet reached Haiti. The key, in my opinion, is to work directly with people on the ground so that you can interact with the locals that are living through the struggles in Haiti, and thus understand what the most glaring needs are. Grass roots organizations, such as One Love, can collectively have as serious of an impact as large NGOs through hard work and commitment.

One Love.