Of course I was sad to hear about the earthquake in Haiti. I have seen first-hand the poverty that the people of Haiti live with every day.
The times that I have traveled to Haiti, I did not spend much time in Port-au-Prince. The majority of my visits were spent in the Northern part of the country in the area of Bombardopolis. The people who live in this rural area of Haiti do not have running water, electricity, or descent roads, and many of them don’t have enough to eat.
Although the people living in the rural areas have fewer modern “conveniences” than those people living in Port-au-Prince, overall they seem much happier.
In Port-au-Prince, I saw people living on the streets (cooking, sleeping). The sadness in the poorest areas of Port-au-Prince seemed so strong that you could almost “touch” it.
I am very proud that Our American Military Personnel are able to help relieve the devastating suffering that is going on right now. Fighting to save lives takes many forms, and this aspect of military service is as much a part of our freedom as is defending our country.
The estimate of 50,000 dead is horrible, but the death toll can keep climbing if people can’t get water, food or medical care.
There are many organizations trying to help, and even a few dollars would make a huge difference. Please consider donating.
Partners in Health – http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti
Haiti’s Hope – http://haitishope.org/crisis.htm – This organization was founded in 2005 to help some of the poorest citizens of Haiti.
The American Red Cross
www.redcross.org -
Text “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 (billed to your phone)
