Destruction, death, and worry are not things that are limited to a certain race of humans. These are issues that can hit any of us at any time in our lives, especially the people of Haiti. On January 12, 2010, the city of Port-au-Prince (Haiti’s capital), as well as surrounding areas were hit with an earthquake of a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude. After the initial earthquake there were 52 aftershocks that followed, drastically increasing the death rate. Although the epicenter was in the town of Léogne, the Haitian capitol suffered most of the destruction which has left millions affected. The death rate which is now at 100,000 is expected to continually increase.
National monuments such as the Presidential Palace, National Embassy building, Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the country’s main jail were all destroyed. President Barak Obama tried to issue words of comfort when he addressed the nation saying, “To the people of Haiti, we say clearly and with conviction, you will not be forsaken. You will not be forgotten,” the president said. “In this, your hour of greatest need, America stands with you. The world stands with you.” The American Government didn’t waste any time sending relief in the form of food, shelter, doctors, Armed Forces, as well as money. The giving didn’t stop with the government, the “Hope for Haiti Telethon”, which aired on January 22, 2010, did its part by raising over $16 million. The lineup for the show ranged from professional athletes, actors, and musicians. BET (Black Entertainment Network) recently did their part by hosting a concert of their own in Miami, Fla. in order to raise money for the Haitian community. The giving has steadily increased. Prairie View A&M University, as well as other surrounding areas, hosted a program last Wednesday in efforts to raise awareness of how bad the destruction really was. Although it has been almost a month since the destruction, Haitians there are still hurting. We can still do our part by giving. All you have to do is text “YELE” to 501501 in order to give a donation of $5, or “HAITI” to 501501 in order to give a donation of $10. Every dollar makes a difference.