ONE LOVE ADVOCATES

Tragedy in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 21:27:00 +0000

As Japan continues to suffer through the aftermath of the earthquake almost one week ago, we continue to search for ways to help the ravaged areas that were hurt most. Omri Maor, a member of the OneLove team from our second trip to Haiti, hoped to reach some more people and ask for help for the Japanese. Here is what he had to say:

Just a few days ago, Japan experienced a 9.0-magnitude earthquake—the most powerful in its known history, and the fifth most powerful globally. The offshore earthquake’s epicenter was closest to the Japanese city of Sendai, about 200 miles north of Tokyo. The earthquake caused a devastating tsunami that has claimed more than 4,300 lives, while at least 8,600 people are still missing.

Although it at first seemed that Japan, possibly the most earthquake-ready country in the world, and one of the most advanced and well-organized, would not need much help with the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami, it quickly became apparent that it is not so. 4.4 million houses have no electricity, and 1.5 million do not have water. Three nuclear reactors suffered explosions, flames consumed oil refineries and factories, hundreds of thousands are living in temporary shelters, and Japan faces a nuclear crisis worse than Three Mile Island due to the earthquake, which was more powerful than scientists predicted even in a worst-case scenario for the Japanese.

While Tokyo emerged relatively scratch-free (“only” facing food and energy shortages and a nuclear radiation scare), some cities are absolutely devastated. Minamisanriku reported over half of its population missing. In Sendai, an Australian professor said that all of his friends have no water, no electricity, or both. Entire cities have been washed away, and the rebuilding process will be costly and difficult.

How to help?

Although Japan is clearly better equipped to deal with a tsunami than Indonesia and other southeast Asian countries were in 2004, if not by virtue of economic power alone, it is still facing a tragedy that is beyond its power to deal with. Many aid organizations need financial help first and foremost in their urgent missions to help, as it allows them the flexibility needed to most efficiently help.

There are some high-tech ways to donate. To name a couple, Apple’s iTunes music store is allowing customers to donate to the American Red Cross with a simple click, and Zynga, creator of Farmville and other social networking games, is doing the same for Save the Children’s Japan’s Earthquake and Tsunami Children Emergency Fund.

There are many opportunities for mobile giving. Two major organizations, the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross, are taking donations by text message: to donate to the Salvation Army, text 'Japan' or 'Quake' to 80888, and to donate to the Red Cross, text 'RedCross' to 90999.

For bloggers, a simple line of code can add a floating bar to the top of your blog, prompting readers to help. Check out hellobar.com for how to copy the code text to your blog.

For more information on how to help, check out the many news sites such as the Christian Science Monitor (http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2011/0315/Japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-How-to-help) and The Boston Globe (http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/articles/2011/03/15/us_officials_counsel_caution_when_donating_money_to_japan_relief_efforts/) for consolidated lists of ways to help Japan.

The horrors of the recent earthquake in Haiti is still fresh in our minds, and now our ability to provide help has improved. Hopefully we can each find our own way to help Japan. And whether you are religious or not, do not forget to pray for the Japanese.

One Love.

Call to Action

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 04:58:00 +0000

As I'm sure you already know, Japan was hit by a massive earthquake followed by an enormous tsunami on March 10th. These natural disasters shook the the nation, which is now in desperate need of help. The death toll is currently at 1,700 but it is rising rapidly, and there are tens of thousands of others who are missing, which does not bode well for the death toll. People have lost everything - their cars, belongings, homes, and even family members - in the sweeping floods from the tsunami.

While this Japanese situation is obviously very different from the Haitian one following the January earthquake, there are also many similarities. First, it's important to remember that real people, just like you and me, are being hurt - the death and missing tolls are not just numbers. Next, Japan is currently in a vital stage of the recovery process. Now that it is fresh in people's minds, it is far more likely to receive support and donations in hopes of restoring Japan back to the way it was. Unfortunately, Haiti is now out of people's minds, and is thus receiving less support than before despite the great needs that are ever-present - "out of sight, out of mind" some would say.

Remember, One Love's mission does not strictly pertain to Haiti, but rather to any and all struggling communities. Obviously there are far more places with problems than there are resources for us to help out, but we've decided that Japan is now in great need and that it is our duty to help. This is a call to action - please try to find a way to help, whether it be through donations or raising awareness. You can donate through PayPal (on the right of the blog), or simply send us a message asking for details and we will happily find a way to make things easy on you. The response that One Love received following the earthquake in Haiti was incredible, and it made me tremendously proud, and more importantly, helped improve the lives of many Haitians plagued by the earthquake. It is my hope that One Love will be able to help the struggling people of Japan much like it helped those of Haiti, and that won't be possible without the support of our friends, family, and community.

Be sure to stay tuned for more news regarding the situation in Japan and One Love's efforts to help.

One Love.

A Changing World

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 23:11:00 +0000

Change is always upon us in the modern world - change in technology, change in climate, change in politics, and more. Several nations around the world have recently experienced political upheaval of their leaders (Egypt, Tunisia, and more seemingly on the way) and the results of these revolutions are yet to be seen. Haiti, not too long ago, also experienced a change in power with few positive outcomes.

Haiti has been plagued by political turmoil for centuries, as elections have been marked by voter intimidation, disorganization, and fraud - and the recent political election was no exception. Before voting ended, the majority of the presidential candidates requested that the election be cancelled, as they believed the election was corrupt. Some candidates were deemed ineligible to run by the current government powers, which only further angered the voting public, as they felt that they were not given the opportunity to be well-represented. Suspicion and bitterness linger in the streets of Port-au-Prince as the March 20th runoff between Michel Martelly and Mirlande H. Manigat (Martelly, a popular Haitian singer, is very popular among the people, while Manigat is Préval's hand-picked successor) comes up.

Now, as Egypt and Tunisia have overthrown their respective regimes (and several other countries are engaging in protests and riots), they enter a very important time - one that will change the course of each nation's history. With the possibilites of violence and corruption looming large, it is our hope that the people of these nations will successfully (and peacefully) come together to create fair, just governments for all of their deserving people. And hopefully, Haiti will learn from its own mistakes and move forward towards a brighter future too.

Crocs - Sandals for Survival

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 04:59:00 +0000

Comfortable, cheap, reliable, convenient, yet incredibly ugly. These are some of the ways in which people characterize Crocs, the foam shoe that took over the shoe market for quite some time a few years ago. To most, these $15 foam sandals are nice to wear here and there, but not much more than that. To the Haitians (especially on Mon Bouton), however, they mean much, much more.

For the residents of Mon Bouton, who take the treacherous hike up and down the mountain on a daily basis, sometimes more than once, shoes are a vital part of their "outfit." Real hiking boots seem ideal for this situation, but they actually pose several problems. First and foremost, they are too rare and expensive for the Haitians to come by easily. Next, in a place as hot and humid as Haiti, hiking boots would likely prove to be too warm and cumbersome. As I learned during my trip, mobility and convenience is key for the Haitians, as they are constantly on the move - in and out of dirt, mud, and water throughout the day. For these reasons exactly, Crocs are the ideal, multi-purpose shoes for many Haitians.

During my second trip to Haiti, as we made our way up the mountain to Mon Bouton, I traveled the same way the Haitians who were lucky enough did: in Crocs (others walked in sandals or with no sandals at all.) Now, the reason I chose to do so was that my other shoes were soaked from our earlier crossing of a river, so I was left with no other options. The seven hour hike up the mountain is hard enough as it is, but being forced to hike it with the traction-less Crocs was a tremendously difficult task. I was constantly slipping and falling over the dirt and rocks. For the Haitians (who also carried some of our bags full of soccer equipment), however, what seemed to me like an impossible task, was second nature. Like many other aspects of survival, their ability to not only stay on pace with us, with the extra baggage they had to carry, but to go almost twice as fast as us has not ceased to amaze me. Even when Toma's heels were basically touching the ground with each step he took, due to a huge hole in the bottom of his Crocs, he was able to keep up his pace.

At the end of our journey on Mon Bouton, we all left our Crocs for Toma and the rest of the Mon Bouton residents. It was the very least that we could do after they hosted us in their "houses", and more importantly, created an experience for us that we will never forget. Toma took them reluctantly, thanking us endlessly, as if we had just given him the world's greatest gift. To see how grateful he was for what seemed to be a simple, somewhat useless thing truly put things into perspective for me. Omri, Drew, my Dad, and I gave our Crocs away without a second thought, and in the process, changed the way Toma and the others would live - at least until they got holes in their new Crocs. While I thought about the way the Crocs looked, Toma only thought of them as a tool for survival. As usual, he (representing the larger Haitian population) was able to make the most out of the least. My struggles climbing up the mountain with Crocs, not to mention the others' struggles with normal shoes, magnify the Haitians' ability to work through their troubles with persistence and resourcefulness.

While this may seem like a trivial issue to most people, it is in fact a matter of survival for Toma, Jacob, Destine, and countless others who live in similar situations in Haiti. Next time I see a pair of Crocs I'll think of them differently: not as unnecessary, ugly sandals, but rather as a basic necessity.

One Year Later

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 03:43:00 +0000

Over the past year, quite a lot of stuff has happened in my life. I finished Junior year and all of the tests and schoolwork that come with it. I played some soccer. I started One Love Advocates and travelled to Haiti. I met new people and made new friends. I applied to college. I started making a basketball polling website (fansfive.com). I turned eighteen. As you can see, this year has been an exciting, happy, and rather monumental year for me, and many other teenagers around the world as well.

On the other hand, however, Haiti and its people have experienced, arguably, the worst year in their history. The devastating earthquake that shook the nation on January 12th, 2010 (exactly one year ago) has left the already-struggling country a mess. Over 230,000 people have died. Hundreds of thousands of people have been injured. Almost 2 million people are homeless. Thirty percent of civil service jobs have been lost. All but one of the Haitian Government's buildings have been destroyed. Thousands of children have been orphaned. A very large percentage of the money that was pledged to Haiti is yet to reach the Haitian people. A recent Cholera outbreak has already killed thousands of people. Unfortunately, the list of problems seems to be never-ending. Haiti, which was already plagued by great poverty and a virtually non-existent infrastructure, was the perfect "target" for the disaster. The government, the buildings, and the people were all unprepared for the earthquake, leading to the awful situation that the ravaged nation is in today.

While these problems may seem insurmountable, it is our duty to continue to work for the struggling people of Haiti. Despite the challenges, hope persists - aid agencies and individual donors continue to open their hearts and their wallets to help Haiti. Progress is incremental, but improvements are being made every single day. Many organizations are still raising money for Haiti and plan to implement special projects to help people get jobs and education, which will help in both the short-term and the long-term.

One Love Advocates has come a far way as well as it has grown in many ways. Starting as a simple blog with news updates about the situation in Haiti, One Love has grown into a full-on non-profit initiative. Donations have exceeded $15,000 and continue to come in. Thousands of soccer shirts, shorts, and balls have been donated to schools and communities in Haiti. Other high school students have been able to join the One Love cause and help with anything ranging from online solicitation to actually traveling to Haiti. The One Love Advocates Computer Program has expanded and now contains three teachers and more than fifty OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) computers.

These exciting advancements help us see some light at the end of the tunnel that is the disastrous situation in Haiti. Now, more than ever, it is vital that we do not forget about Haiti and its people as there is still a great need for help. While it may seem impossible, Haiti can be fixed step by step, little by little, and it is our job to help fix it.

One Love.

Sophonie François

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 03:55:00 +0000

One of the major differences between the second trip and our first trip was that we were able to develop actual and authentic relationships with local Haitian people. Simply by the nature of the first trip, which involved work with schools and orphanages, there was less room for casual conversation. On Mon Bouton, however, we were able to learn from and about others during meals, hikes, and virtually any other activities. One of the people that we met and befriended is Sophonie François.

Sophonie, 22, traveled up to Mon Bouton along with us and Randy, whom she knows through her sister who is currently living in Rhode Island. We first met Sophonie outside of the hectic airport in Port-au-Prince, when we were focused on guarding our bags and searching for our ride, preventing us from properly greeting each other. After seven of us squeezed into the small 5-seated car, we began our journey together towards Mon Bouton, where we would spend the next week together.

Prior to the trip, we knew very little about Sophonie. In fact, all we knew was that she would be joining us on our adventure to the top of the mountain. However, after spending several days together, we came to learn a great deal about her life, her family, and her dreams and aspirations. Sophonie lived in a house in Port-au-Prince with her parents and one of her older sisters. They sold their old house in order to pay for one of Sophonie's sister's (who now lives and attends school in Rhode Island) education. Although they were forced to move into a smaller house, Sophonie's family remains among the lucky ones in the city, as they actually have a house, and do not live in a tent. However, Sophonie's family has unfortunately experienced great hardship. During the earthquake, one of Sophonie's sisters was killed at the university she attended. Once things calmed down, Sophonie walked several miles to the university in order to check on her sister, only to find out what had happened. Throughout our two trips to Haiti, it seems as though virtually every person that we met has terrible stories such as this one.

Despite the hardship, however, Sophonie (like many other Haitians) remained tremendously kind, positive, and optimistic. During our stay on Mon Bouton, she spent over an hour giving us a detailed account of Haiti's history, answering all of our questions happily, despite her struggles with English. Later, when we returned to Port-au-Prince, she kindly invited us to her house for a dinner that she cooked just for us. And another night, she took us out to her favorite restaurant in Port-au-Prince to give us a sense of the local culture. All of us (Omri, Drew, my Dad, and I) had a lot of fun with her as a friend, and learned a great deal from her as a role model.

Ever since finishing High School, Sophonie's main goal has been to continue her education at a university. Unfortunately, this was never possible because her family did not have enough money to support her. Now, after many years of waiting, Sophonie is finally able to fulfill her dream as she attends a school in Senegal. There is nobody more deserving of the opportunity to achieve a dream than Sophonie, and I wish her only the best in her future endeavors. Personally, and also on behalf of the rest of the One Love crew, I don't believe I have ever met anybody like Sophonie. Her honest, driven, and likable personality has inspired me to become a better person in all aspects of my life, and I'm sure she will continue to affect people the same way in the future.

One Love.

OneLove Photography

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 20:08:00 +0000

Hey everybody,

With college applications and school soccer taking up most of my time, I haven't had the opportunity to update you guys as much as I would like. As part of my college application, I created a website to showcase my photography from my trips to Haiti. Check it out at www.wix.com/nittai/photos and see my favorite photographs from both trips to Haiti. Let me know if you have any other favorites!

Stay tuned for more news.

One Love.

As if the Earthquake wasn't enough

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 23:56:00 +0000

As I'm sure many of you know, there has been a recent outbreak of Cholera in Haiti. The death toll is nearing 600, and, unfortunately, it is likely that things will get worse before they start to get better, as it is said that 2 million Haitians are at danger. In most cases, those infected with the disease do not display symptoms, so the number of those infected with the Cholera is actually thought to be much higher than number of known cases. The recent hurricane, Hurricane Tomas, has only made things worse.

The conditions that facilitate an outbreak of the disease have been present in Haiti for a very long time. These conditions, which most importantly consist of a virtual nonexistent infrastructure, are the same conditions that made Haiti and its people so vulnerable to the January quake. Like many problems in Haiti, this epidemic would be easy to treat given the proper tools and circumstances. Haitians throughout the country, however, still do not have access to the most fundamental necessities such as clean water for drinking, bathing, cooking, and more.

During my time in Haiti, witnessing people use the filthy water that ran through the streets as drinking, bathing, or cooking water became a common event. As often as I saw this atrocity, I was never able to shake my shock from it. Bottled (or bagged) water is not the norm, as it is here at home, but rather the exception. When on the mountain, Omri, Drew, my Dad, and I didn't have access to bottled water, but we knew not to drink from untreated water. So we filtered every drop of water that we drank, using a small (and inefficient, at that) filter that we brought along, in order to avoid any sort of illness. The locals, however, do not take these precautions, and expose themselves to dangerous situations (that said, they are probably more resilient as well) . Thus, it does not come as a surprise that an outbreak of cholera is possible.

It's my greatest hope that this epidemic is stopped, so that the innocent Haitian people do not need to endure any more suffering than they already have. We mustn't give up on Haiti, as even the most basic, fundamental things can make an enormous difference in the people's lives. Clean water and education about diseases can literally save thousands of lives, and it is our responsibility, as fellow human beings, to try our best to provide Haitians with these things.

One Love.

The Daily Brink

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 22:09:00 +0000

A couple months ago, I was contacted by a USC student who, along with some peers and friends, was creating a new and creativean online publication and social networking platform that features individuals with uncommon drive and passion. Now, Brink is a finished product and has been a great success. My interview was among the first ones, along with an electric violinist, a boxing champ, an actor, and a model. Check it out here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed working with the Daily Brink.

One Love.

TECH-AVIV PRESENTATION

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 06:57:00 +0000

Hey everybody,

Hope the year has been going well for everyone! Here's a short video of the most recent Tech-Aviv meeting, in which I presented One Love Advocates and the work that we do. TechAviv is the largest global organization of Israeli hi-tech startup founders and investors, with over 2,000 members worldwide, by invitation only. It holds monthly meetings in Israel, New York, the Silicon Valley (where I presented, at Stanford), and Boston, where new companies present a product, and then receive feedback from the many experienced and knowledgable members.

I learned a lot about how I can use social networking technology more effectively and efficiently, I got some tips on how I should expand by making use of the local community, and I even made some new connections. I hope you enjoy the video, and I'd love to hear any feedback. Stay tuned for more.

One Love.

1st Day of School

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 06:45:00 +0000

Whatsup everybody,

This week marked the first day of school for me at Palo Alto High School. I walked around our large campus, full of air-conditioned rooms, trees, and flowers. I met all of my well-trained, seasoned teachers. I got to see all of my friends that I had missed over the summer, and despite all of the work that I will begin to get, it was a fun day.

Now, some 3,000 miles away, imagine that I attended an "ordinary" Haitian school. I wouldn't walk around a campus, but rather around an over-populated tent city. There are no air-conditioned rooms, trees, or flowers. Instead, there are cramped, hot, and open tents surrounded by rubble and destruction. There are limited amounts of teachers for the few kids that are lucky enough to attend school. Unfortunately, this is not imagination, but rather the reality for students in Haiti. We are working as hard as we can to improve the situation, but there is no quick solution for the infrastructural problems that currently exist.

Just something to think about as we embark on one more year of school.

-One Love.

Bake Sale!

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:53:00 +0000

Hey everybody,

It's been a while since I last updated the blog, summer has gotten the best of me... But we've stayed busy as usual with One Love! This weekend, with the help of Ethical Youth Group (a local humanitarian youth group), we set up in front of Border's book store in Palo Alto and held a bake sale. We sold brownies, carrot cake, pecan pie, Rice-Krispie treats, cheerio bars, chocolate chip cookies, caramel brownies, vegan brownies, lemonade, friendship bracelets, and more. Lots of people stopped by and asked about our cause, and it was great to be able to educate people about Haiti and its needs, and receive such a positive response. Many people even donated money without buying any snacks at all!

It was a great success, as we raised over $255 dollars for our cause. The members of the Ethical Youth Group also got a chance to pass out fliers and tell people about One Love, which proved to be a unique and important experience. Additionally, it was fun for me to work with other kids who are all interested in and dedicated to helping those who truly need help, which is what One Love is all about. That's all for now, but be sure to stay tuned for more updates about our current work and some more reflections about our past trips and future plans!

One Love.

6 Months Later

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:12:00 +0000

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.

Haiti Reflections - Part II

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:44:00 +0000

Here's Part 2 of our reflection about our recent trip to Haiti.
Enjoy!

One Love.

Haiti Reflections - Part I

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 01:18:00 +0000

Hey everybody

Here's a video of the team reflecting on our experiences, take-aways, and lessons learned from our latest trip to Haiti. It was great for us to get together and talk about the trip, as we realized that we all observed similar things and were able to enhance our thoughts and reflections regarding all of our work in Haiti.

This is Part I of two videos - we will upload the next one in a couple of days. Hope you enjoy it!

Nittai
One Love.

Living in the mountain or the city

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 23:10:00 +0000

After living on Mon Bouton for 4 days and breathing in Port-au-Prince for five, it has become clear to us that almost all Haitians, regardless of whether on the mountain or in the city, live in very tough conditions by American standards. But our abrupt transition from mountain to city got us thinking about the differences in the living conditions in the two environments.

It was pretty clear that the people living in cities like Leogan (the epicenter) and Port-au-Prince were impacted by the earthquake in a far harsher and more direct way than the people on the mountain. Although there were some who died in land slides towards the bottom of the mountains, and others trapped in concrete churches, most of the houses were wooden and thus did not collapse. Loss of life is always tragic, but the sheer numbers in the city are terrible. Every city person we asked lost at least one family member. Furthermore, over one million people are estimated to be living in tents. It definitely seems that the cities bore the brunt of the quake.

Besides the earthquake, we wondered to ourselves if the standards of life were better in the mountain or in the city, and where we would prefer to live. The mountain is pristine, slow, familial, and as close to nature as it gets today. Port-au-Prince, on the other hand, is dirty, with trash and rubble strewn everywhere, and is noisy, bustling, and cut-throat. When we thought about whether we preferred the dirt floors and bug-infested walls in the houses of Mon Bouton, or the tiny tents and shacks of the makeshift tent cities, we did not come to a clear decision.

In the end, we found that there were simply too many variables, such as living alone or with family, to definitively say where we would prefer to live. Although we felt that the organic life on the mountain produces happier people, as we saw in Mon Bouton, like many Haitians we decided that the exciting (yet questionnable) opportunities for advancement and success in the city were worth the sacrifices in living conditions. But seeing life in the tent cities post-earthquake with our own eyes has made us less confident of that conclusion.

"Wash-Wash" Water

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:39:00 +0000

Water is needed by everyone. No matter who you are or where you are, water is the necessity of life. Yet due to our trip to Mon Bouton, we truly saw how much some people need it compared to others. We were showed (not as a lesson, just by the nature of our stay there) the true value and appreciation we should have for water, and learned to conserve what we have because you never know where its coming from or what someone might have to go through to get it for you.

For the entirety of our stay on Mon Bouton, our water came from what the locals called the "Wash-Wash". However, it took us till our second night to realize this. Before then we had just figured the water came out of some pump or source nearby. We were maybe using more water than we needed, whether it was to wash our feet off, or to filter for drinking. What we didn't know is just what type of effort it actually took to get the precious water, and just how valuable it was to these people who had so little.

In the afternoon of our second day, after we had already used some water, we hiked down to the all important "Wash-Wash". We really weren't sure what we were in for, but soon found ourselves on a longer and more difficult hike than any of us had expected or hoped for. After what seemed like many slips and a lot of "almost there"s, an hour and a half later we finally reached the famed "Wash-Wash".

It wasn't what we were expecting, to say the least. It wasn't a crystal geyser or a water pump or an Arrowhead truck, it was simply a miniature waterfall which had tricked down from some unknown source high up in the mountains and continued to pour down the rocks. We have come upon a relatively larger part of the fall; a twelve foot rock with water rushing over the top of it and down into a shallow pond.

Exhausted and sweaty, we each took turns cupping the water in our hands and splashing it over our arms and face, failing to notice that we had done the same thing in Mon Bouton some hour plus hike away.

It then became obvious to us how precious water is. We had been undeniably careless with the water we had - both on Mon Bouton and back at home too. The Haitian people had inadvertently showed us what we had blatantly ignored all along.

The people of Mon Bouton used their water sparingly - a little to wash clothes and body, and just the necessary amount to quench any thirst they have. It really put a new perspective on something we all took for granted. It isn't something that is unlimited, nor is it something that comes without struggle or work.

Water, among other resources, is limited. The visit to "Wash-Wash" made us realize how the actual villagers made the best of what they had - which was almost always very little. And even though there was a source of water available to them, it was not a source that came without working towards. It was impossible to reach the "Wash-Wash" without a tough hike there, not to mention an even harder hike back while carrying gallons of water.

Mon Bouton Video

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 02:18:00 +0000

Our second trip to Haiti has been rather unlike our first trip in several ways. One of these differences is the itinerary of the trip, which consisted of a four-day stay in Mon Bouton, an isolated village in the rural mountains of Haiti. During our first visit (which Toma told us was the first time in 5-6 years they had visitors!), we spent all of our time in the city of Port-au-Prince, which has proven to be tremendously different from the countryside, where most of the population lives. The city is constantly bustling with people in search of opportunity, while the mountains remain calm and unchanged - although the struggle for survival and the search for hope are as critical.

The journey up the mountain to Mon Bouton began (after a 2-3 hours car ride) with a fifteen minute “moto” (moped) ride from Darbone to the river at the bottom of the mountain. After crossing the river with the help of some locals, we embarked on the five-hour+ hike up to Mon Bouton. When it rained, we stopped along the way to sing songs and indulge in a few American snacks such as power bars and fruit leathers. Following the hike, we made an attempt at discretely filtering our water, which failed as our hosts were intrigued by our seemingly strange pumping activities. After a relatively short sleep on our not-so-comfortable mattresses (we never encountered a "pillow" so heavy), we traveled a bit down the mountain to work on the latrine by carrying and cutting bamboo, cutting wire, and transferring sand and rocks to make cement. While our fundraising and trip focus was always around helping with education related initiatives for kids in Haiti, the only way to bond and get to understand the locals in the mountains was by "service learning" and working together - and that is exactly what occurred. Despite our fairly athletic backgrounds, we found ourselves to be exhausted as we were unable to keep up with the strength and motor of the Haitian people.

Later that day, we returned to Mon Bouton and enjoyed our own version of the Bob Marley CD (using the boombox we gave them) that we brought with all of the people, as everybody sang, danced, and played their makeshift instruments. Following our dinner that day, we hiked to the "wash-wash", the mini-waterfall that is the water supply for the mountain, and experienced the strenuous hike that is required every time that the people of Mon Bouton need water. We witnessed the resourcefulness of the mountain people as they created a shower for themselves out of a piece of bamboo and a stick. The next day, we trekked out to the larger waterfall in order to see the place where there could potentially be a water pumping system. We swam in the pool by the waterfall, cooling off from the hot and humid weather. The Haitians, for the most part, could not swim, so they simply stood ankle-deep in the water with us. Later, we ventured down to the soccer "field" which was literally located on the edge of the mountaintop in order to represent the USA in a soccer match against team Haiti. Unfortunately, we were unable to adapt to the high-stakes conditions of the game, as we often found ourselves to be scared of falling off the edge of the mountain, and lost 3 - 1 in a respectful effort. Next time, maybe we should try to play shoeless as well.

in between all these activities, we spent time with the 7 families in Mon Bouton playing some "educational" games, showing them some computer programs, helping them with email setup (for the slight chance they will use it... they all asked for it), talking about soccer and music, etc.

On our final day, we woke up early in the morning so that our journey back would not take up the whole day. We said our goodbyes to all of the children and our respective hosts, and began the hike down towards the river. After two or three hours of descent, we crossed the river and got onto the motos for the last time. We crossed the river and reached Darbone, where we parted with our newly formed friends and began our journey towards the city. I hope you enjoy the video as much as we enjoyed our time in Mon Bouton (and in a few days we will post a photo gallery showing the living conditions, the beautiful surroundings, and the different world we experienced.)

One Love.

Toma and Randy - New Friends in Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:50:00 +0000

After spending four days in the seven-house "village" (more like tip of a mountain) of Mon Bouton, we were amazed at the hospitality and selflessness of our hosts. We never felt threatened or pressured by any of the people from the mountain, which has not necessarily been the case when dealing with city people.

Toma is simply the most appreciative and friendly person (image on top). Toma helped us with the coordination of our stay at Mon Bouton and also lives on the mountain (5-10 minutes down from Mon Bouton... or 45 minutes walk down for us). He was always gentle in his requests and gracious for anything we gave. Rony (other image), a 19 year-old from Port-au-Prince who was visiting family on the mountain, made us a little more uncomfortable on some occasions.

Rony also went out of his way to accommodate us (he would insist on carrying an extra bag, bring us extra water, etc.), and often accompanied us around the mountain to translate our desires to our families. But at the same time, he repeatedly asked us for favors to the point of pestering. He would give various contexts for why he needed things from us, such as wanting to open an English school, hoping to join the US army or wanting to become a translator. With each day, his needs diversified, with the only consistency being a want for a facebook or email account. First he wanted a laptop, then an English book, then a US map, and then a myriad of things from a boombox to work gloves to a soccer whistle. We could not help but begin to wonder what goes through his mind. Did he really need these things or did he just want to sell them? Is it mainly the desire for hope and connection with the world outside of Haiti? Were some of his stories just sly invention?

Once we got to the city, Rony's behavior started to make more sense to us. First of all, Rony was devastated by the earthquake. He lost everything, including two younger sisters, and moved to living in a tent in an area he described as being "the ghetto". Toma, while suffering from the earthquake, did not lose immediate family members.

But apart from the desperation from the earthquake, Rony has a "Port-au-Prince personality" that is more aggressive than the mountain personalities we encountered. In the city, blanc, or white people, are there to be taken advantage of. Unlike on the mountain, where help might come at year-long intervals and you have no way to seek it out, in the city you have an accessible option (at least in theory) but only if you take advantage of it. Therefore we have to stay alert in the city, where Haitians constantly confront you asking for money or selling goods, hoping to convince you into giving a few coins.

Rony wanted a connection to the US in any way he could, whether by email contacts or photos with white people, but at the same time wanted a relationship and was looking for ways to help. Stealing or did not even cross the minds of the people in Mon Bouton. Toma's influence made sure nothing took away from our unreal experience on the mountain.

We are going to stay in touch with Toma, and assist Rony by creating an email for him and sending him some books so he can study English.

Time is Not Always Money

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 22:01:00 +0000

The phrase "time is money" doesn't have any place in Haiti. Money is coveted by everyone, but rare to come by, and time is virtually irrelevant. There are no clocks, watches, or sundials in Mon Bouton (up in the mountains) and they don't really count. There is no 'official' time for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. On Mon Bouton there is no such thing as time.

When we arrived in Mon Bouton after our 9 hour journey from the airport in Port-au-Prince, the timing of everything seemed completely normal. At 6:30pm we finished our hike and reached our new homes and met the small community, we ate dinner together at around 7:00pm, and due to our exhaustion from the long day before, we were ready to go to bed but filtering the water took us another 2 good hours.

We were surprised at what time we woke up the next morning. We each woke up and immediately turned on our phones to checked the time. Drew's read 6:20, Omri's 5:45, and Nittai and Omer woke up together quite later (but also slept very little the night before). What woke us up was what was different - it was the fact that none of the families on Mon Bouton had any care about what time it was. From the time the sun rose, families quickly began their day. Some pounded corn, some washed clothes, and others took care of the animals. There was no desire to sleep in or fall back asleep, no reason not to start the day, and no clock to tell them to do so differently. Drew's alarm was the sound of an actual rooster cooing it's traditional morning call. Omri heard the kitchen alive at 5:45 as his family pounded out corn and beans for breakfast, and Omer and Nittai woke up when they couldn't ignore the noise and heat.

We began our stay in Mon Bouton which only furthered our realization that time was an unnecessary means of measurement in the mountains of Haiti. Hikes were measured as 'near the Church', 'past the Wash-Wash', 'upstairs' and 'down'. Meals began when they began - breakfast (which can be spaghetti one day, and bread with ketchup-like sauce the next day) started at anytime after the sun comes up and visitors wake up, lunch could come soon thereafter, and dinner was any time after that. With all the commotion within the small community, by the time the sun sets, the entire village comes to a complete halt - whether it's 7 or 11, nobody really seems to care.

Time doesn't mean anything to the people of Mon Bouton. They know their daily duties, they have their routines and 'jobs', but they have no reason to concern themselves with 'when'. If the sun is up, then sleeping any later is wasted daylight - there is no reason to wait to start the day. They rarely use candles or other lights because by the time night falls, they have already done all that they need to fit in a day.

It seemed so out of place to us all. We have become so used to our lives which are determined by clocks. School bells, phone alarms, and microwave timers rule our days, and our schedules are regimented. And because of all this, our lives seem to revolve nonstop around what time of day it is and how much we can fit in to the 16 hours we spend awake each day.

On a trip where it seems everything must revolve around time - flights, car rides, meet-ups, and hikes - Mon Bouton showed us that we could take off our watches, turn off our phones, and just live out the day. Regardless of how early it started.

On the mountains of Mòn Bouton

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 20:09:00 +0000

Hey everyone! We are currently at the mountain and somehow getting a phone signal on the mountain. We can't write too much since we don't have a computer/keyboard. The experience here is completely different from my last one in the city. All of the people that we have met have been incredibly kind and welcoming. We've been offered more food than we could possibly handle, had more fun with childish games with the kids here (they had a day off from school because jhonny the principal was with us and did not not feel well)than we have in a long time, and we've had lots of cool songs sung to us.

More soon. One Love
Nittai

Wow. What an experience being here in Haiti! We've hiked for miles and miles each day (7 hours just to hike up here) visited a wash-wash and said bon swa (good afternoon) to many people along the way. After seeing where all of the water comes from, I am much more appreciative of every drop of water that I get to drink and bathe in.

Love,
Drew

Right at the edge of the cliff behind the last house in Mòn Bouton we can somehow get a signal. Everywhere we go the mountains around us are unbelievable. We traveled up the mountain with a Haitian girl, Sophonie, and it's interesting to see how she's doing as this is her first trip up from Port-au-Prince as well.
Omri

Yon a

In Transit to Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 05:16:00 +0000

Yesterday, our last day at home, we spent the whole day packing. Since we will be traveling to Port-au-Prince and to Mon Bouton (or "upstairs") during this trip, packing was a bit more complicated than last time. We can only bring what we can carry on our backs up to Mon Bouton, so it would be in the best interest of our backs to pack lightly. In addition to each of our individual backpacks, we will be bringing one large bag up the mountain containing soccer balls, board games, cards, a boombox, and other things that we collected to donate to the people of Mon Bouton. In addition to this, there are five suitcases full of other soccer balls and soccer jerseys that we will be giving the the schools and children in Port-au-Prince.

Unfortunately, there is a 50 lbs. weight limit for each suitcase, so we were forced to take out some of the things from the Mon Bouton bag, which was too heavy, and spread them out throughout the different Por-au-Prince suitcases. Now, once we reach Port-au-Prince, we will need to quickly take all of the Mon Bouton stuff out of the Port-au-Prince bags and put it back into the Mon Bouton bag, all in the incredibly hectic environment of the airport. This process surely added some unexpected confusion to the packing process, but added some fun excitement to it as well. More to come once we reach Haiti!
- Nittai

In three hours we're waking up to catch our flight to Haiti, where we have a 3 or 4 hour-long car ride followed by a 3 to 4 hour hike up to Mon Bouton. I hope my excitement will not keep me up!
- Omri

The Last Supper. A baguette of fresh Italian bread stuffed with crisp onions, bright green bell pepppers, and succulent tomatoes. Cucumbers, olives, lettuce, multiple cheeses, and flavorful sauce completed the delectable sandwhich. A bag of chips, a cold water, and the four of us sitting at a table for what would be our last 'real' meal. This Subway meal would be our last taste of reality, hours before we board a flight and head into a third world country of extreme conditions. Our last meal not consisting of rice mush or beans, and I hate beans. Yet while we sat there, each of us savoring the different tastes of our dinners, we wondered - about our flight, our upcoming hike, and the adventure we are about to begin.

As many deterrents as there are - especially the idea of eating beans - it grew even more real and exciting for me to consider where I would be tomorrow night at this time. Sitting in a village in Mon Bouton, eating some combination of corn and grain, and learning a lot about Haiti and the people I'll be living with.

I just hope there are no beans. ;) There will be though
-Drew

OneLove

Collection Results!

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:38:00 +0000

After two days of collecting, a lot of questions, and a resounding positive response, we were very happy with our drive outcome. We collected a lot of different items, specifically:

- 51 Soccer Balls and counting
- Pumps
- Various soccer jerseys, socks, and more
- 12-15 pairs of cleats
- Over 3,000 pairs of shorts from Soccer International

It was really great to sit at Sunnyvale Soccer Complex and actually talk to some of the people who had heard about us or came to donate. Even people who knew nothing about our organization took a sticker and asked a question or two. The overall response from everyone was really positive. We handed out a ton of stickers, and hopefully some of you all followed the link listed on the sticker and are checking out the blog right now :)

As well, because of the response we received at the actual collection at Sunnyvale Soccer Complex, we're willing to do some follow-up pick up/drop off equipment collections in the next week before we leave. If you would like to schedule either a drop off or pick up, check the 'contact us' section to see how to reach us best.

One Love,
Nittai, Drew, and Omri

Second trip to haiti - this time 4 of us

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:48:00 +0000

Hey everybody!

Sorry we haven't been able to update all of you as much as we'd like; things at school have been a bit crazy now with finals, SATs, ACTs, GPAs, and all of that good stuff. We do, however, have some fantastic news: in just a week (!) we will be traveling to Haiti again!

This trip will be a bit different, as we've recruited some other high school students to join the OneLove team. Omri Maor and Drew Eller (both adding to this post - read below), both students at Los Altos High School, will travel to Haiti with us as well as help with raising awareness and fundraising, as we'll be able to reach a broader scope of people within the local community. During the trip we will be working to improve on our computer program that we founded, organizing some fun and unique sports activities at schools, and even spending a few days with a rural Haitian community. Be sure to check out the blog often so that you can stay updated as the trip nears (we'll be leaving on June 16th).

I'd like to give a special shoutout to all of you who have been following and supporting us since our creation. One Love Advocates has come a long way and has helped a great deal of people who truly need help, and it is all in thanks to you. Whether you donated or helped us raise awareness by following us on the blog, on twitter, or on any of the other social networking devices that we use (there are so many!), your generosity and interest has been vital to our success.

One Love.
Nittai

When I heard about Nittai's trip to Haiti, I immediately knew it was something that I needed to get involved in. Whether it was by donating to his cause, following his blog, or even by eventually getting involved in a trip with him - and I've been able to do all three. As of 1-2 weeks ago, I officially made arrangements and finalized plans to join Nittai and his dad, as well as another friend of ours, Omri, to go to Haiti this coming summer. It is unbelievable that I have finally been able to get on board with this project, and it will undoubtedly be an amazing experience for me. After hearing so much about this trip, I can't help but expect to not only hope to make a difference among the people we are helping, but even more so experience a change in myself.

As great as an opportunity as this is, it took a lot of debating before I could finalize any plans. The aspect of sleeping on the ground and staying in the sweltering heat for a week is not the most appealing part of the trip. As well, my distaste for shots lead me to question whether or not the Tyhphoid and other shots were worth it, but in the end the answer seemed obvious. The pros outweighed the cons by far, and the more I've talked to about it with Nittai, my parents, and my friends, the more I knew this was something I wouldn't ever regret taking part in - even if it does mean dealing with a stiff back or a sore arm later.

I look forward to keeping you all updated on our upcoming trip, and am even more excited about the work and preparation we have to complete as our trip draws nearer.

Much love,
Drew

A couple days ago, I met with Nittai, Omer, and Drew to work on finalizing the details of the trip to Haiti. Although Nittai invited me to join him on his return to Haiti shortly after he got back from his first trip, it only really hit me that we were actually going once we started talking about the details.

At the meeting, I was fast-tracked into all of the preparations needed for the trip. Compared with my life at home, I won't be living in comfort. We looked at pictures of the village we would be staying at for the first three nights, and I began to get an idea of what daily life was like there. When I learned that I would be sleeping alone with a host family, and would be helping with clearing wood or working on the farm, I realized I would be experiencing a completely different world. Although I knew the trip would have a powerful effect on me, I did not really visualize how it would do so until the meeting.

I want to make as big of a difference as possible in the lives of the people I encounter in Haiti. Now that I have this unbelievable opportunity, I feel like it’s my responsibility. I know that whatever help I can provide is necessary help to the Haitian people, but I want to give the most I can. Yet as I’ve tried to anticipate how this trip will affect me personally, I realize that it’s impossible to know until I’m there—which just adds to my eagerness before the trip.

With love and excitement,
Omri

Soccer Ball Drive for Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (nittaimalchin@gmail.com) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 03:30:00 +0000

Wow! What a huge success we had our first day of collecting! A good amount of soccer balls, some nice shorts and jerseys, and some other miscellaneous items. As well, we received an INCREDIBLE offer from Soccer International, donating thousands of shorts to us! Thank you Brian Holmes.

We'll be out there again today collecting again, if you didn't get a chance. Thank you so much to everyone for helping us and for everybody who's donated or just stopped by to find out a little bit more about us.

So come, pick up a sticker, ask a couple questions, and check out the blog!

One Love,

Nitta, Omri, and Drew