Want some perspective? Try Haiti

By Sean Lougheed

Word count 575

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to
travel to the impoverished nation of Haiti, the
poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. As
anyone who has been watching the news lately
knows, the political situation is extremely unsta-
ble. There are frequent riots in the streets and a
group-o f rebels have seized the north of the coun-
try and has forced President Jean-Bertrand
Aristide to flee. In fact, while working with a
humanitarian group there, a few days before the
‘rebellion began, we were nearly caught in a vio-
lent protest that resulted in the death of a student.

Once the most affluent colony of the French
empire, Haiti has now been afflicted with mass
starvation, rampant overpopulation and an infant
mortality rate of 15%. Extreme poverty and
underdevelopment are widespread. The literacy
rate is roughly 50-55%. The estimates of unem-
ployment range from 50-70%. AIDS/HIV is also
much more common in Haiti than it is in the
developed world. While it has an annual growth
rate for an underdeveloped country, this is only
due to the fact that 50% of children die before the

age of five. The life expectancy hovers around 50,
meaning that many students here at UNBC would
already be near middle age.

There are, of course, many positive aspects to
Haiti. It is a land of contrasts, from white sandy
beaches, palm trees and crystal clear water-to
slums and shantytowns only a few minutes away.
The positivism and optimism of the Haitian peo-
ple are what affected me the most. The people are
poor but content. They accept what God has
given them and realize that there is no point in
complaining about something you cannot change.
While this attitude does well for personal happi-
ness, it does not help national development.

While I was in Haiti, I spent most of my time at
clinics and small villages a few kilometers away
from the city I was staying at. Entering the vil-
lages, you can see the work that has been done by
Rayjon, the Non-Governmental Organization
through which I participated. There were new
schools and toilets, as well as more drugs and
immunization clinics. I mainly observed the doc-
tors and helped wherever I was able. The condi-
tions were far from perfect; often we had to work
in tiny rooms or empty churches with limited light

and crying babies everywhere. Most of the dis-
eases we encountered were malaria or diarrhea
and many of the children were extremely mal-
nourished. Sometimes, all they needed was water
and vitamins. Many of’the patients saved any
money they could find to buy medicine of afford
treatment. Unfortunately, we had to charge the
patients a small fee because there is a belief in
Haiti that in a free clinic, you get what you pay for.

There is hope for Haiti. There has been great
progress made, especially in the villages. The fre-
quency of measles, a once common affliction of
children has been decreased dramatically due to
the immunization programs. Polio is also on the
decline. Children have better access to education,
medicine and basic sanitary conditions. Most of
our lives are spent on trivial pursuits, and going to
Haiti helped me realize what is really important.
The Haitian people truly appreciate all the works
that has been done for them and hopefully, with
help; the future will be brighter than the past.

For more information on Haiti, Rayjon or
Poverty Awareness Trips, or how to donate, please
contact: http:/ /www.sarnia.com /rayjon