By now you have, no doubt, seen or heard about the destruction in Haiti from the earthquake on January 12, 2010. The news media is doing a good job reporting on the destruction, loss of life and incredible human suffering. However, if you're like I was before I went to Haiti, you may be woefully ignorant of why this is a tragedy of epic proportions. Let me fill you in. I went to Haiti on a mission trip back in 97. We were there for two weeks working in a town outside of the capital of Port a Prince. Here's what I saw and experienced...
1. Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. This wasn't always the case however. When Christopher Columbus discovered the island, it was a lush tropical paradise. Haiti has quite a history. At one time, it was a french slave colony. Today it suffers from deforestation, which has destroyed the island, the economy and the natural ocean reefs around the island. We were told that the french slave masters cut down the trees as they were driven from the island as an act of revenge. I do not know if that is true or not, but I do know that this tropical island has been ruined by the deforestation issue. When the trees were removed, the top soil began to be washed into the ocean. This is what destroyed the ocean reefs. It also made the replanting of trees or the growing of crops impossible. You can't grow food without top soil. And as I understand it, Haiti has continued to remove their trees through the years for the manufacture of charcoal and the burning of firewood.
2. Haiti has suffered from massive government corruption through the years. I won't give you a political lesson here, but I will tell you that the infranstruction of the island has virtually been ignored. The roads are largely unpaved and unpatroled. Driving on them is like driving on a bombed out road. There are massive dips that sometimes go down several feet in the road. And there is no smooth surface hardly anywhere. In Port a Prince we were driving in 8 lanes of traffic with cars and buses and scooters going everywhich way. You'd pass a dead abandoned truck right in the middle of the road here and there. Sure they had modern gas stations, but they didn't always have fuel. I have never forgotten the guy sitting in front of the Philipps 66 station on an old chair. He had a uniform on of some sort and was holding a shotgun. You can imagine the smell from the open pit sewage ditches. Most of the island has limited electrical availability. The electricity runs at times and is off for however long it is off. Most people where we were used deisel generators for their power.
3. Due to the inability to grow crops or raise cattle and because of the government issues, there has been very little development of industry through the years. Most of the people are either very poor or very rich. There is no middle class. There are no jobs. There is no income. Most people live on less that $2 per day. America has poured hundreds of million of dollars into the country. American missionaries live there and help as much as is possible. But it was a very hopeless situation when we were there. Most people literally have nothing. No job, no income, a sparse home, little food, little hope.
4. There are no building standards. You want a house? Great! If you can ever afford to buy the land, you can build whatever you want there. Sure they have buildings, but they're a hodge podge of wood, cheap mortar, sun dried earthen blocks and/or real cement if you're lucky. This is why so many buildings have collapsed.
5. Haiti suffers from huge disease issues. Aids runs rampant as does Scabies and other diseases. With very few healthcare options and very little education, their health issues are huge.
So take all that and mix it together with an earthquake and what do you get? Devastation off the scale. You cannot imagine how bad it must smell there with the death, decay and destruction. I've never smelled any place in my life that smelled like Haiti did. This ain't no American earthquake with lots of ambulances and help. You can be certain that there is ruin everywhere. People are largely on their own with no communication. No food. No help. No medical attention (largely) and once again...no hope.
Already, many are taking donations to help. I heard last night on the radio that Clark Howard is monitoring agencies to make sure there is no fraud. If you want to make a donation, you might want to check out his website to make sure your money goes where you want it to and doesn't line somebody's pocket. NOTE: I checked his website. Here is the link he has: http://www.charitywatch.org/hottopics/Haiti.html
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