Haiti hits home

On Jan. 12, one of the worst earthquakes in Haiti in approximately 200 years shook the earth of the country’s capital city of Port-au-Prince. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake left structures of all kinds in rubble, from shacks to national landmarks. Even the hope of Haiti itself seemed buried. For those students who happened to glance at the news the next day, many were saddened. But for Yves-Rose SaintDic, director of Institutional Equity & Diversity at GCSU, the quake was a more personal catastrophe.

SaintDic was born in Haiti and was raised there until the age of 14. Her mother and brother live there now, along with many distant cousins. Every year she has returned to visit, sometimes taking her children with her. She says that Haiti has “a pull on many.”

When SaintDic first heard the news of the earthquake she was in shock.

“I was driving home that evening when the radio said there had been an earthquake in Haiti,” SaintDic said. “All they said was that there was a 7.0 earthquake. I was in shock because you never hear about an earthquake in Haiti. They prepare them for hurricanes, but an earthquake was never in our vocabulary.”

Upon hearing more detailed facts later that night on evening news broadcasts, she found herself seeking reconciliation.

“I sat on my couch for two hours numb. (My sister) and me stayed up all night trying to find out more,” SaintDic said.

For many Haitians in the disaster, and for many here in the U.S., it was frustrating not being able to help their families, many of whom were dealing with life or death circumstances. Some blame the Haitian government for having a weak infrastructure unprepared for such a calamity.

“I became angry, not so much that the earthquake happened, because natural disasters happen, but I was angry that there were still no fire trucks, water or organized relief,” SaintDic said. “The Haitian government has really had no infrastructure built. . (My Haitian friends) and I did not realize the magnitude of not having a functioning government until this.”

SaintDic was able to contact her mother, who lives in the southern countryside, the next day. She told her that people in her village felt the tremors, yet there were no major damages or people hurt.

On the other hand, SaintDic did not hear from her brother who was living in the epicenter of the earthquake itself, Port-au-Prince.

“I assumed the worst,” SaintDic said.

Not until a few days later did SaintDic receive a 10-second phone call from her brother, who explained that he had been buried in the rubble of his house. Her brother said he was “scratched, starving and thirsty, but OK,” and then the phone cut off.

SaintDic is relieved that her immediate family is safe and well, although many of her cousins are still missing. The devastation of the initial earthquake has been followed by at least 12 aftershocks greater than magnitude 5.0. Despite everything though, she is optimistic about the future.

“I try to see this earthquake as a blessing in disguise,” SaintDic said. “I have moved from being angry to acceptance. I do think Haiti now has the chance to rebuild, and to rebuild the right way. The infrastructure wasn’t there and the buildings weren’t up to par, so I think this will give them the chance to do it right.”

The latest estimate of the death toll related to the quake is 150,000, according to the Haitian Health Ministry. The European Union and the Pan American Health Organization, which is coordinating the health-sector response, have estimated the quake killed 200,000 people.

In the aftermath of the tragedy there has been an outpouring of aid from the international community. According to CNN, $1.12 billion in international aid pledges have been made, with $783 million in funds having already been received as of Tuesday, including $317 million in U.S. assistance as of Monday.

“It is going to take a while for recovery,” SaintDic said. “The major activist work will be around rebuilding civil society. All recovery methods will have to be focused on long-term improvement. … But I have great hopes. I have been amazed by the amount of support going in. I am really overwhelmed and grateful.”

Posted by Chelsea Thomas on Jan 29 2010. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry