Volunteer Testimonial:  One Piece of the Puzzle

I am a student at the University of Arizona with an interest in non-profit organizations and began interning with Lisa about a year ago.

As part of the World Care team to visit Haiti, I helped with the logistics of our daily activities as well as translation.

During our week-long visit to Haiti, we stayed in a tent at the United Nations On-Site Operations Coordination Center.  There were organizations and armies from all over the world who had come to help just like we did.

We were busy everyday connecting with World Care's partnering distribution organizations International Relief Development (IRD) and Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) to make sure they had received our supply and would be delivering it directly to the people.  It was amazing to see the detail and labor that goes into delivering items from our warehouse in Tucson to a family in Haiti.

The part of the trip that impacted me the most was talking to the people of Haiti.  When they learned we were a relief agency, they thanked us over and over again for being there to help.  Even amongst the chaos and disaster, the Haitian people are starting to move on.  Markets have reopened on top of the rubble and the people are continuing their lives in the best way they can.  They are resilient and determined, which I think will be fundamental in the rebuilding of this community.

Being a part of this relief effort has shown me that no individual organization can "fix" Haiti.  But with everyone working together, we can help the Haitians move forward and rebuild.

-Krista Kinnard
World Care Intern/Project Manager

More about Haiti...

Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere with over 80% of the population living in poverty.  Many of the country's citizens are unemployed and the outlook for job opportunities is bleak.  Historically, the country has been rife with political turmoil.  In 2004, the overthrow of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide led to widespread riots and gang violence in the capital of Port-au-Prince.  This prompted the United Nations to begin a stabilization mission in Haiti know as MINUSTAH in order to help the transitional government restore order in the country.  In addition to political violence, Haiti has been the victim of natural disasters in the past due to its location in the hurricane belt.  In 2008, the country was wracked by three hurricanes and one tropical storm within the span of a month.  A total of $900 million in damages were caused by these storms and 800 people were killed.

The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, with an epicenter close to the capital, has been described as the worst earthquake to strike the country in 200 years.  Much of Port-au-Prince lies in ruins.  The current death toll, which does not include those still trapped underneath the rubble and those who were buried privately, ranges between 200,000 and 250,000 people.  The Inter-American Development Bank estimates that the cost of the damages could range between $7.2 billion to $13.2 billion.  Nations around the world have been quick to pledge financial aid and humanitarian assistance, but the already poor infrastructure of Haiti has created a logistical nightmare for emergency relief efforts.  In the days after the quake it proved difficult to distribute food and medical supplies to those who needed it most.  Fortunately, distribution efforts have become more organized and effective in recent weeks.

However, there is not short term fix for the situation in Haiti.  Need for food, water and medical supplies are ongoing.  Many schools and hospitals in Port-au-Prince have collapsed in the quake.  It is crucial that these be rebuilt.  Furthermore, the country's government has proven ineffective in leading its own emergency relief operations and its control over the country seems to have crumbled with the government buildings.  The intergovernmental agencies will need plenty of help to regain control of the country.  In addition, an economic crisis has been caused by the earthquake.  Damage to Haiti's harbor prevents it from shipping out exports.  Previous environmental degradation has placed a heavy burden on the subsistence farmers of the region and driven up the cost of food around the country.  This places a significant financial load on the impoverished citizens of Haiti, who could barely nourish themselves before the quake.

In short, the recent earthquake has magnified existing problems in the country and created new ones as well.  Haiti will need continual support from outside sources to come if it is to overcome this dire situation.

Written by Ian Leones
World Care Intern