The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated the Haitian capital of Port Au Prince on Jan. 12 has finally shaken the news media away from the Tiger Woods scandal, and reminded America that there are actually real problems in the world. But to truly understand how serious this situation is, it is important to know more about the nation other than the fact that it’s the birthplace of Wyclef Jean.Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere and ranked among the poorest on Earth. The capital city of Port Au Prince, ground zero for the quake’s destruction, is essentially a shanty town, where a majority of the population live in shelters constructed from the refuse of the rest of the hemisphere.
Your typical Haitian home consists of concrete cinder-blocks and sheet-metal, whereas your typical Haitian diet consists of mud cakes baked from vegetable oil and freshly dug, yellow dirt. On a lucky day you might be able to score the occasional cup of rice.
Over 80 percent of the population lives on less than two dollars a day despite billions of dollars in spending on behalf of the United States intended to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure.
It’s not as if Haiti is without the means of improving itself. All of these differences are the result of hundreds of years of one corrupt government after the next and the situation has become so bad in the past decade that various sources consistently dub Haiti’s government the most corrupt on the planet.
This is the setting for one of the most devastating disasters since the 2004 tsunami. Although the death tolls are rising everyday, the last figures estimated a total of about 200,000 mortalities. The city of Port Au Prince is leveled. Limp limbs protrude out from the rubble. Bodies line the streets. Wives are widows. Children are orphans. Parents are seedless.
But now it’s time to change all of that. Now it’s time to start anew. And although it may sound awful and twisted and disturbingly honest and true, maybe some good can come from this because now Haiti has your attention. Three weeks ago, when you were sitting on your couch watching a marathon of “The Jersey Shore,” you may have been able to ignore that Christian Relief Fund commercial with the frail child in dirty rags begging for just 35 cents a day. Now, if you have any conscious whatsoever, you cannot.
Now you need to donate, and anything will do. Sacrifice those two beers at Jake’s Bar and send the red-cross a dollar. Write “Haiti” in a text message and send it to 90999, and your wireless provider will subtract ten dollars from your monthly bill and place it in a relief fund. Go to Pita Pit and they’ll donate ten percent of their proceeds. Just do something. “The Situation” can wait. This situation cannot.
The red-cross and several other charities are working to provide Haiti with food, clean water and medical aid. It should be kept in mind that Haiti was already a chaotic nation before Tuesday and that this earthquake has only exasperated already desperate conditions, so the more you can donate, the better, though every little bit counts.
Donations are currently being accepted at the Sykes ticket window and there will be several other ways to donate in the coming weeks. On Jan. 25th and 26th, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Phi Sigma Sigma will be selling support bracelets for three dollars a piece. There will also be a benefit concert in Sykes on Feb. 4th from 7-10 called “Yele for Haiti.”
This week, Jan. 24-30th, has been declared WCU Cares Week, to help those in Haiti. U.S. government bulletins indicate that the need is for financial assistance, and they have recommended all funds go to the American Red Cross. To insure that all funds go to reputable organizations, all WCU-sponsored donations will be directed to the American Red Cross, as recommended.
Food and clothing cannot currently be sent to Haiti. Ways to help out this week include passing around an envelope for donations at your meetings, and to continue to check the WCU homepage for upcoming events.
If you, or your organization, are interested in starting your own fundraiser for Haiti, contact Maggie Tripp at the Office of Service-Learning & Volunteer Programs for help with the goal.
Jeff Adams is a fourth-year student majoring in English. He can be reached at JA634029@wcupa.edu.