Haiti Then, Haiti Now

Haiti has been a country overwhelmed by political instability. In 1915, the United States invaded the country. Despite the protest of the Haitian people, the U.S. was able to rebuild the roads and the infrastructure improved. The United States left the country in 1934 when it appeared the country could prosper on its own.

The country’s future took a dramatic turn in 1957 when Francois Duvalier “Papa Doc” became president. Duvalier terrorized the country with his voodooist beliefs and as a result, over 50,000 Haitians were killed under his rule. Duvalier also changed the constitution in order to make himself president for life, up until his death in 1971. After Duvalier’s death, his 19 year old son “Baby Doc” took over as president. At that time, Haiti was the poorest country in the world. Baby Doc was exiled to France in 1986, and the U.S. briefly becomes involved in Haiti once again to help restore political stability.

Nothing compared to the murderous regime of Duvalier until January 12, 2010, when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rumbled in Haiti. Buildings crumbled in seconds and an estimated 200,000 Haitian lives were lost. Children become orphans, and people took to the streets in search of loved ones. Broken bodies are still being thrown into mass graves, and survivors of the Haiti earthquake are in desperate need of food, water, and shelter. International intervention is needed now more than ever before.

Relief for Haiti is underway on a massive scale. The American Red Cross is accepting whatever help they can in the form of donations, volunteers, and basic supplies for the people of Haiti. A star-studded telethon was aired on major networks which accumulated over $61 million dollars. Cell phone providers joined together and customers can donate $10 by texting “90999.”

The biggest difference has been made from the smallest organizations. In Ada, on the East Central University campus, a meeting by representatives of organizations developed a plan to raise money for Haiti relief. The group hopes to involve a large segment of East Central students to provide any kind of help that they can provide in order to help the people of Haiti through this devastating time.