Hope and Help for Haiti

Posted on January 18, 2010
Filed Under East meets West, Guest Columnist | Leave a Comment

Hope and Help for Haiti by Susan Stackpole

haiti-bound3432Tuesday, 12 January 2010 – Port-au-Prince, Haiti is devastated by a 7.0 earthquake, and the word rushes to aid Haiti. Businesses, countries, celebrities, governments, governmental agencies, and individuals dig deep into their hearts and bank accounts to help Haiti. Loved ones wait prayerfully for information on the condition and whereabouts of family and friends. Thousands of doctors, soldiers, volunteers, and world aids flock to Haiti to save lives. The world sends donations, love, and prayers to Haiti, yet many still feel helpless, brainstorming additional ways to send aid.

haiti-bound3431212Haitian Interior Minister Paul Antoine Bien-Aime told Reuters, “We anticipate there will be between 100,000 and 200,000 dead in total, although we will never know the exact number.” An approximate 50,000 dead bodies have already been collected. Haitian President René Préval reported that, within twenty hours, government crews removed 7,000 corpses from the streets and morgues, burying them in mass graves. The Haitian National Palace and several thousand homes were destroyed or damaged in the quake that left an estimated 300,000 people homeless. Thousands sleep outside refraining from returning home due to feared aftershocks. Rescue workers continue to search; however chances of finding survivors are thought to be remote. Experts say there is a three-day window to locate people trapped in rubble after a disaster.

haiti-bound343World aid pours into the Haiti; however is hindered by bottlenecks on runways and roads. Planes are forced to wait hours for landing clearance, as there is no room on ramps to unload cargo. Some grounded planes lack the necessary fuel to depart. Damaged seaports create further delays. UN mission engineers are clearing debris blocking inadequate roads. Belgian aid, Ronald Ackerman, who runs one of the first international emergency hospitals, states the medical challenges from the earthquake are like “war medicine”. He adds, “You have to do primary things – amputation, cleaning wounds, keeping them alive.” David Common, reporter, reveals, “The hospitals have effectively collapsed. I saw people being treated out on the street or simply injured people not being treated at all, doing whatever they could to stay alive essentially until they could do more.” Common witnessed people swarming a pickup truck carrying bags of clean water, reporting, “All the water was gone in about 30 seconds. Not a drop left. The vehicle was rocking because people had rushed it so quickly.” Sylvain Angerlotte, a 22 year old survivor, cries, “We need food. The people are suffering. My neighbours and friends are suffering. We don’t have money. We don’t have nothing to eat. We need pure water.”

The world rushes against the clock to aid Haiti. World governments and governmental agencies pledged $400 million in aid, including $100 million from the United States. Celebrities are using their notoriety to encourage and inspire others by setting the example with their own donations. Individuals from across the globe are giving generously and utilizing the power of social networks like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter to encourage others to give.

The American Red Cross collected over $4 million from individuals texting, “Haiti” to 90999. David Blaine is donating magic tricks in Times Square, New York City in exchange for donations to the The American Red Cross. The Wyclef Jean’s Foundation, on behalf of UNICEF, collected over $2 million in Haitian donations by individuals texting,”Yele” to 501501. Adam Lambert’s twitter messages requested aid for UNICEF. Madonna donated $250,000 to Partners in Health. Sandra Bullock and Brad Pitt with Angelina Jolie donated $1million dollars each to Doctors Without Borders. Lady Gaga revealed to Oprah that all the proceeds from her 24 January, 2010 concert will be donated to Haitian relief.

haiti-bound343121241Natalie Portman, ambassador of hope for FINCA, pleads, “Please help FINCA Haiti provide the resources to our Village Banking clients so they can begin to get back on their feet and build anew. There has rarely been a more urgent need for generosity.” Chris Martin urges the support of Oxfam, sharing, “I visited Haiti with Oxfam a few years ago. It’s a country of extreme poverty and brutal living conditions. Most people in Port-au-Prince live in tin shacks. The earthquake that has struck Haiti will have turned the city into an unimaginable hell.” Kevin Bacon states, “I work with sixdegrees.org, and within 24 hours, we had on our homepage a direct link to a whole series of charities that are dealing with Haitian relief. People have really stepped up especially during these tough economic times.” George Clooney agreed to host the global telethon, “Hope for Haiti”, presented by MTV Networks, to be aired on 22 January 2010. Networks including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1, and CMT will be televising the broadcast, and it will be social networked on Facebook and MySpace.

Haiti is on the lips and in the hearts of many across the globe. Many feel helpless, only able to offer prayers and small donations, though every offering is the beginning of a miracle to those in Haiti. President Obama summed it up best, “To the people of Haiti…  In this, your hour of greatest need, America stands with you.  The world stands with you.  We know that you are a strong and resilient people.  You have endured a history of slavery and struggle, of natural disaster and recovery.  And through it all, your spirit has been unbroken and your faith has been unwavering.  So today, you must know that help is arriving — much, much more help is on the way. “

“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” ~ Mother Teresa

Author’s Note:

The Haitian recovery efforts once again affirm of the power of love and resiliency of the human spirit – to push through limits, to transform tragedy into triumph, and to be the conduit for change. It has inspired many individuals to step outside themselves and has instantly shifted many individuals to a place of gratitude and humility, especially those feeling helpless in only being able to offer prayers and love. To you, I say keep praying and loving because faith and love are ultimately the creative forces of healing and miracles.

On a very personal note regarding my own growth and awareness relative to Haiti – This year I set for myself the goal of being grateful and humble in the year ahead, of shifting my focus to transform obstacles into opportunities, and to view seemingly loveless situations as an invitation to offer compassion and love. The Haitian tragedy inspired me to ask what I could do beyond donation, love, and prayers. I have decided to offer my life as a blessing. What does this mean? A goal is only as strong as the motivation and intent supporting it, and for me, living my life as a tribute, a blessing to the Haitian people, only seems fitting. It means first and foremost living in gratitude for the tremendous blessings in my life. It also means living the way I know I ought to be living – living with gratitude and humility, loving beyond myself without condition or expectation, walking in faith, and aligning with and living the purpose for which I was blessed with this gift of life.

I dedicate this article to our Creator (whoever you know Him/Her to be) who instilled within us the collective life force joining all human beings as one; the intangible, powerful, life-altering, world-changing, miraculous human spirit. The human spirit is the love within us which unifies all hearts as one, usurps any challenge, allows us to celebrate our diversity, and transcends class, demographics, politics, race, and religion. Our differences, especially in times such as these, enable us to succeed by coming together, each bringing unique, distinct, and equally viable talents to fray. As do the individual stars form a gloriously collective network brilliantly illuminating the night sky, so does the power of love and tenacity to triumph illuminate and remind us we are all brothers and sisters. I dedicate this to the inextinguishable divine light inside each human being, that we all may remember the true power of faith and love to save the world, one heartbeat at a time. May you always know love in your heart, may you be blessed beyond measure. ♥

“Nothing is impossible; the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” ~ Audrey Hepburn



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