The devastation in Haiti continues to astound the world. People such as David Brooks wrote in the New York Times that the devastation came from the poverty in Haiti, not just the natural disaster. A similar earthquake hit California and nobody died.
GLA students who participated in our program in the Dominican Republic will remember all the Haitian people who escaped to the DR in search of a better life. Many students were shocked by the poverty in the Dominican Republic and were shocked that anyone would think it would provide a better life. But it does. Haiti has suffered chronic poverty and is one of the poorest countries in the hemisphere.
While GLA is not equipped to send high school students to Haiti, we encourage students to get involved. Personally, I have been a huge fan of Partners In Health – they’ve been working in Haiti for over 20 years. You can be assured that a donation to Partners in Health will reach the earthquake victims.
P.S. We’ve been following National Geographic’s images of the tragedy in Haiti.
