16402: Nicole: R Wilson's letter (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Coulter Nicole <nicolecoulter@hotmail.com>

In response to R. Wilson's letter.  I agree that the Haitian people are
bright and certainly as able as any of us to make a future for themselves when
given a little support.  It is so easy in America to be successful, all you
need is a little gumption and you can make a very good life.  In Haiti, it is
not so easy.  The answer is to give a little help, in the form of encouragement
or money to help them realize their dreams.  Which by the way are usually to
just feed their family, live in a house with a non-leaking roof, and be able to
pay a few dollars every once in a while when someone is sick and needs to go to
a clinic.  Nothing like the dreams we have here; fancy houses, cars etc.  In
the last 7 years my work in Haiti has proven that the Haitian people have the
dream, the desire and the ability, just not the means!

The only thing I disagree with is the free education.  Maybe it is better for
people to pay, however, terminating them if they can't pay after the first
week?  The children are suffering- not only lack of education but being
humiliated because their parents can't or won't pay for school?  And $1.50 is a
little to us, but if you don't work, and can't afford food, it is still about
12 Haitian dollars...if you don't have it it might as well be 1000!  Our school
is free, because we don't want one child left out for lack of a token amount of
money!  These people have enough to worry about just to survive, giving them
education takes away a giant burden.  And of course Wilson is right, the
government must be fixed and start to be accountable for their actions!

Nicole Coulter


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