remembering haiti.

Published January 13, 2012

Just two years ago, Haiti was rocked with an earthquake that registered at 7.0 on the Richter Scale, directly impacting millions of people.  It is estimated that 300,000 people died, while about 1.5 million people were displaced to 1,300 settlement sites throughout the Port-au-Prince area.

This sweet boy was there.  He was just miles away from the area most directly hit.  He lived in an orphanage with 25+ children.  He was 12 years old.  He was one of the eldest of the children living there.  He slept outside with the orphanage director, the other children, nannies/staff, and neighbors fearful of the aftershocks.  He rode in a pick-up with many children to and from the embassy, day after day, as paperwork was processed.  And he flew to America just weeks following this catastrophic event…to join my sister’s family.

This is my nephew JP. And little by little, we hear stories of what he remembers and what he is willing to share.

At the time of the earthquake and in the days that followed, many of us were fans of CNN and Anderson Cooper, as we watched the details unfold and heard the stories of the lives that were impacted and changed forever by this catastrophe.

And slowly, bit by bit we returned to our lives and the events that fill our days.

So on this day of remembrance, let us not forget. Let us think beyond our own circumstances and the lives that we lead. Let us see the needs of those still hurting in our world.  Let us not forget those that are still working to make their way…to find a way to feed their children, to send them to school, to find a job and a way to keep their families in tact.

Let us find opportunities to hear their stories…and to listen and to care.

Consider supporting Partners In Education, as a way to continue the work of rebuilding a nation…of bringing hope to the life of a child. Pass the word and share the news that great things are happening in Haiti.

Simply remember.