May The Gods And Goddesses Have Mercy On Haiti.
It's unfortunate it took the horror that has befallen Haiti for the rest of the world to take notice of how desperately the citizens of the western hemisphere's poorest nation need help.
I think most people had at least a casual understanding of the remarkably primitive infrastructure with which Haitians had to survive. One thing the Governor General of Canada, Haitian-born Michaelle Jean has done is raise awareness of her country of origin and the struggles the country faces. Water, sewer and electrical services were spotty at best, with almost nobody living outside of Port-au-Prince having access to those services at all. Grinding poverty, with more than 70% of the population living on a dollar or less a day, plus an unstable government, and proper housing, health care and education out of reach for many, and inadequate for most, made simple survival for all but a very few Haitians almost unbearable.
But they persevered. They survived. Theirs is a strong culture borne of overcoming nearly insurmountable odds. Family, music, art, faith and hope keep Haitians from giving up.
Until now. What happens now?
The world is rushing to provide aid to Haiti during this, its darkest hour. The country lays in ruin, with basically nothing left to repair, which means the entire country will need to be rebuilt, from the ground up. Will the rest of the western hemisphere take this opportunity to give Haitians a brand new start, or will the money, food, supplies and specialized personnel disappear with the next natural or financial meltdown?
My heart goes out to the citizens of Haiti, and to ex-pats and foreigners who choose to call this country home. Godspeed to the victims of this horrific event, and peace to their surviving friends and loved ones.
It is to weep.
I think most people had at least a casual understanding of the remarkably primitive infrastructure with which Haitians had to survive. One thing the Governor General of Canada, Haitian-born Michaelle Jean has done is raise awareness of her country of origin and the struggles the country faces. Water, sewer and electrical services were spotty at best, with almost nobody living outside of Port-au-Prince having access to those services at all. Grinding poverty, with more than 70% of the population living on a dollar or less a day, plus an unstable government, and proper housing, health care and education out of reach for many, and inadequate for most, made simple survival for all but a very few Haitians almost unbearable.
But they persevered. They survived. Theirs is a strong culture borne of overcoming nearly insurmountable odds. Family, music, art, faith and hope keep Haitians from giving up.
Until now. What happens now?
The world is rushing to provide aid to Haiti during this, its darkest hour. The country lays in ruin, with basically nothing left to repair, which means the entire country will need to be rebuilt, from the ground up. Will the rest of the western hemisphere take this opportunity to give Haitians a brand new start, or will the money, food, supplies and specialized personnel disappear with the next natural or financial meltdown?
My heart goes out to the citizens of Haiti, and to ex-pats and foreigners who choose to call this country home. Godspeed to the victims of this horrific event, and peace to their surviving friends and loved ones.
It is to weep.
posted by Alphamutt at 9:16 PM
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