The Jan. 12 earthquake that hit the country of Haiti not only shook the small island in the Caribbean, but also the global community, as an outpouring of relief services and search and rescue teams aided those in need.
The Embassy of Haiti in Washington, D.C., which posts a real time, up-to-date “Crisis Map of Haiti” on their Web site, has 690 reports of crises in the area of the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, as well as nearby cities like Petionville and Carrefour.
The Wall Street Journal reported Jan. 23 that the Haitian government had called off search efforts to find any more survivors left in the rubble. FOX News reported that the death toll has already reached 150,000 in the Port-au-Prince area as of Jan. 24.
Despite the devastation that has affected the people of Haiti, the attention is still focused on helping those who have been left homeless, aiding those who are in dire need of medical care and, ultimately, rebuilding the destructed country.
The “Hope for Haiti Now” telethon, which was broadcasted on major networks on Jan. 15, raised an estimated $61 million in donations, according to ABC News. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have established the “Clinton/ Bush Haiti Fund” to help those in need in Haiti “over the long term,” through working with, “non-governmental and non-profit organizations.”
The U.S. is in line to host an international conference in March at the United Nations headquarters to raise funds in helping the people of Haiti rebuild and relocate, according to The Wall Street Journal.
While the national and global communities contribute aid to those affected in Haiti, the Lewis community will help, as well, over the course of the spring semester in their own “Hope for Haiti.”
Led by Br. Joseph Martin, “Hope for Haiti” is a new committee on campus that have, “A few initiatives going forward that this small committee has been gathering [that] really want to push to concentrate our efforts as the Lewis University community,” explained Adam Setmeyer, coordinator for University Ministry during “Lespwa pou Ayiti,” a prayer service for Haiti held Jan. 26.
Among those initiatives is the “Hope for Haiti Tuesday” in which various groups around campus can sign up and arrange fundraising events that will go towards relief efforts in Haiti.
“The idea behind that is throughout at least the remainder of this semester, we want to invite student organizations, maybe individual students even […] to sponsor a Tuesday and come up with some sort of activity in connection to Haiti,” said Setmeyer.
In addition to fundraising, Setmeyer also suggested groups can do informational events that could further educate the Lewis community about Haiti.
Proceeds for any fundraising event will go to Catholic Relief Services, but Setmeyer explained that the committee also plans on getting involved with other organizations like New Life for Haiti and that, “One of [the Christian Brothers’] goals after the dust settles is to start a school for the many homeless children there.”
Also in attendance during the prayer service was Pastor Francis Leeman of Life Spring Community Church in Plainfield.
Leeman, volunteer director for the New Life for Haiti organization, visits the small island nation four to five times per year, and spoke of his experiences doing volunteer work in the Grand Anse River Valley.
Leeman explained that the area he works in is full of homes that have dirt floors which are usually occupied by six to 12 people, and that electricity and running water don’t exist.
“Right now, much of [New Life for Haiti’s] attention is turned to rebuilding homes,” said Leeman. “In the valley where we work, there was not a lot of loss of life, thankfully, but many homes were damaged or destroyed so we immediately purchased cement [and helped rebuild].”
Leeman believes that eventually the media and the world will turn away and lose interest when it comes to the crisis and Haiti, but that, “the solutions are only going to be found by those who really think in the long term about Haiti. And that’s what we try to do.”
“I don’t know if any of us have the power to keep the international community or the American people focused on Haiti. I think the only thing that common people like us can do in our circles and in our organizations is to be those voices, to be those champions and say we’re not going to forget,” said Leeman. “We’re going to keep talking about it and we’re going to keep inspiring other people to be a part of doing good things.”
Lisa Salazar, senior events coordinator and parishioner at Life Spring Community Church, agreed with Leeman in terms of the mentality that people should take.
“Don’t become complacent … make it personal; make it real; make it something that matters to you as much as anything matters,” said Salazar.
To sign your organization up to do an event for a “Hope for Haiti Tuesday,” contact Monika Jaiswal at Student Services, and for more information on New Life for Haiti, visit newlifeforhaiti.org.
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