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Theresa's Tidbits: Haiti situation an eye-opener
Theresa Seraphim
for Spotlight
How much more can Haiti take?
The country has been ravaged by hurricanes in the past few years. It suffered under several decades of a dictatorship style of government, which involved corruption and made it difficult, if not impossible, for most Haitians to go above survival mode. Indeed, the CIA World Book says Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
Now, another disaster has befallen the country.
To say the Jan. 12 earthquake was a tragedy would be an understatement, as it killed upwards of 50,000 people.
The situation wasn’t helped by the fact that buildings were not constructed to code (if there was a code to begin with), making it easy for them to crumble and bury people.
Many survivors, who had so little before the quake, have now been left with literally nothing.
But when we see the dire situation, we can do more than just shake our heads.
We can do more than that, however.
First, we can begin to realize just how much we really have here. It’s hard to care about the latest products advertised on TV when we have just seen pictures of people crying for loved ones, and bodies lying in the streets. Most of us do not have to live wondering where we will get the basics of life. We do not have to live with devastation and uncertainty. Haitians now have to deal with all that.
In light of the fact we have resources to share with these folks, here’s the second thing we can do: donate to any of the reputable relief agencies collecting money for Haiti. The Canadian Red Cross, World Vision, the Salvation Army and Doctors Without Borders are examples of organizations which will use donors’ money to provide whatever they can in this time of desperate need. (By the way, the stress is on giving money, rather than clothes and other items, as getting them to the country presents a logistical nightmare.)
The students at E.W. Pratt in High Prairie are leading the way in this, holding a toonie drive this week for the cause.
It may also help to remember that the Canadian government is matching donations dollar for dollar, up to $50 million. That is not chump change. In fact, such an amount would go a long, long way towards helping those who, at this point in time, need it most.
Let’s dig deep into our pockets and purses – and help.
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