16232: Edouard:We can't look away from the suffering in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Felix Edouard <loveayiti@hotmail.com>

We can't look away from the suffering in Haiti


Lewisville Leader

By Brent Flynn , Staff Writer  07/26/2003




It's been two weeks since I got back from Haiti, and I still haven't quite
come to terms with what I saw there. However, there are two things I know
for sure: The suffering of the Haitian people is real, and Food for the Poor
is doing something about it.


The standard of living in Haiti is so far below what we are used to that it
was impossible for me to find a frame of reference to use as a comparison. I
spent some time in South America and came to understand that people can live
happily without many of the luxuries Americans take for granted. In fact,
the narrow streets crawling up the sides of mountains lined with fruit and
fresh fish stands reminded me of Chile.

But the comparisons ended there.

Haiti is a Third World country. From what I could tell, the general
population has no electricity or running water. The streets are filthy, with
raw sewage and garbage everywhere. It was not unusual to see men and boys
urinating in plain view of passersby. The rule of law seemed to be a foreign
concept. One needed only to sit on a street corner and watch the chaotic and
dangerous traffic go by to understand that.

In essence, the Haitian government has retreated behind high concrete walls
topped with glass and barbed wire leaving its citizens to fend for
themselves. And these were the parts of the capital city of Port-au-Prince,
where the people seemed to be getting along reasonably well. At least they
had vibrant street markets, clothes to wear and food to eat.

Cite Soleil was another story. When I was walking the streets of the poorest
slum in Haiti, I didn't want to look directly at the horrid conditions in
which these people were living. If I hadn't gone there to document the
experiences of a group of local pilgrims as a reporter for the Leader, I'm
not sure I would have chosen to raise my head and face the hellish wasteland
where half a million Haitians call home. Think of that. Calling a
tin-roofed, cardboard shack flanked by standing pools of raw sewage "home."
Now imagine your family living there. Quite frankly, I wouldn't want my dog
to live in those conditions.

I saw how bad it can get, and yet my brain would not allow me to completely
absorb all of the experiences. Two weeks later, I'm still blocking out the
worst scenes. In my final story filed from Haiti, I described the group's
walking tour of Cite Soleil. One moment in particular encapsulated the
entire trip for me. It was when the group of pilgrims, surrounded by the
smiling and laughing children of Cite Soleil, came to one of those standing
pools of raw sewage with no way to get around it. Honestly, I didn't want to
cross it. I, like many Americans, avoid puddles of water after a rain. This
was not rain water.

At that moment I began to realize what these people go through on a daily
basis and how insulated we are from the suffering that goes on in many parts
of the world. It also made me realize how resilient the human spirit is.
Faced with insurmountable poverty the Haitian people persevere. I'm not sure
I would. To this day I cannot conjure the image of the barefooted children
in the puddle of sewage. I doubt I'll ever be able to picture myself
standing in it with them.

It is simply unacceptable for human beings, especially those living on an
Island a few hundred miles from the coast of the richest country in the
world, to live like that. It is unacceptable for a child to live in the
squalor that I saw there when we have the resources to do something about
it.

I saw the suffering first-hand. It is real. These aren't just images on a TV
screen. I touched these children, who just want to laugh and learn and live
a carefree childhood, just like I did. I spoke to their parents, who just
want to feed their hungry child, teach them right from wrong and ensure that
they have a bright future, just like my mom and dad did.

The question is: How is that possible?

There is more than one answer to that question. The solution I can speak to
from personal experience is the one offered by Food for the Poor. I saw the
facilities and met the relief workers. They are a dedicated and
compassionate group of people making a difference one person at a time. We
went to the Food for the Poor feeding center in Port-au-Prince and served
lunch to hungry Haitians. I served five or six people for a few minutes on a
single day. They serve more than 3,000 families five days a week. We toured
orphanages, schools, clinics and a senior's village. All were made possible
by donations to Food for the Poor. It is not an operation based on pity but
empowerment. Their ultimate goal is to help Haitians become self-sufficient.
Less a hand out than a hand up.

Haiti desperately needs your help. A donation to Food for the Poor will do
just that. I saw the success stories made possible by small donations from a
large number of people. You don't have to shoulder the entire burden of
feeding every Haitian. Food for the Poor doesn't even do that. Just do what
you can. It makes all the difference in the world.

.

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