Time for a little update

There has been so much happening these last three weeks that I hardly have the energy to write about it all so I will do my best. First thing’s first. I’m back in the states and when I’m not meeting with deans, doctors or prospective volunteers about Haiti, I’m spending as much time as possible with my family. It was just recently my best friend’s, niece’s, mom’s and brother’s birthday. So, I’ve had a lot of celebrating to do. Since being back, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on my last few months in Haiti and was forced to articulate my experiences to friends, family and others. This is what I dreaded about coming back here. The entire plane ride, I rehearsed what it is I would tell people. I practiced over and over and struggled to find the perfect words to describe what I’ve felt, witnessed and experienced. By the time I landed in Boston, I had a nice size spiel put together that I had planned to use for everyone I was going to encounter on this short 11 day visit. I sit here today, realizing that I’ve yet to say a single sentence from that spiel I’d spent so long practicing. I’ve had no problem talking about Haiti. When the opportunity arises, I can’t stop talking about the country and the people that I’ve fallen head over heels for.

There is so much to say about the “situation” in Haiti. Everyone has their own opinion as to what happened to the country that once had the fastest growing economy in the Caribbean and is now the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. How is it that this story has gone untold for so long? Why is it that billions of dollars later, it remains the poorest country? As of 2006, Haiti had the largest concentration of NGOs (non- governmental organizations) and NPOs ( non-profit organizations) of any other country in the world and also held the record for receiving the most charitable aid of any other country in the world. We’re talking about billions of dollars a year, and nearly 10,000 NGOs and NPOs in Haiti. It goes without saying, but there’s something seriously wrong with this picture.