Guelph students urge to rise and help Haitian earthquake victims
by Laura Schep
On Jan.12, 2010, at approximately 4:53pm local time, a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake began its terrible destruction of Haiti. With its epicenter located very close to Léogâne, approximately 20 kilometers southwest of Port-au-Prince (the nation’s capital), over 30 aftershocks, many of which were of a magnitude higher than 5.0, were also recorded by the United States Geological Survey, contributing to the damage following the original earthquake.
The devastation has been tremendous, and the heartbreaking reverberations of this humanitarian crisis continue to be felt by Haitians, along with the rest of the world, in these sullen days that have followed.
Although the death toll remains unclear, an estimated 200,000 people, including several Canadians, are feared to have been killed by the earthquake, and these numbers continue to rise daily; victims are continually uncovered beneath the rubble that used to constitute the offices, churches, government buildings, schools, and homes of this war-ravaged nation.
The scene in Haiti’s capital following the earthquake was one of extreme panic and desperation, as people scrambled to locate family members, friends and loved ones amid all the gunshots and looting occurring almost immediately after the tragedy. Around the world we can only imagine the feeling of total helplessness as Haitians watch their entire world come crashing down in an unexpected moment.
In such desperate, horrifying times, a glimpse of hope, reason and unity can be found in Canada’s response to the crisis, showing impressive generosity in its aid relief to Haiti thus far. During the past week, the Canadian Red Cross has already received an impressive $22.2 million in donations from Canadians for relief efforts in Haiti, and the organization has also sent several medical staff fluent in French (including doctors, nurses and midwives) to Haiti in order to work in conjunction with the Norwegian Red Cross in the provision of a fully-equipped emergency hospital in Haiti that would be able to treat up to 250, 000 patients.
The Canadian Red Cross is also working alongside other groups with the aim of providing shelter, food and clothing to those in need. Similarly, World Vision has been playing a very active role in the relief efforts in Haiti, already collecting approximately $5.1 million donations in only the first week following the disaster. Furthermore, the Canadian federal government has offered to match donations made to reputable, registered charitable groups for the Haitian disaster with a maximum of $50 million.
Alastair Summerlee, president of the University of Guelph, made a heartfelt statement regarding the catastrophe in Haiti last week, expressing the University’s condolences for all those affected by the disaster in Haiti. A few local Guelph businesses have begun accepting cash donations for aid relief to be sent to the island.
But surely Guelph, a township centered around a university filled with intellectually motivated, ambitious students, and a city that prides itself on its volunteer accomplishments, must have more up its sleeve, right? There must be a greater common interest among community members to offer stronger support, to become more deeply involved in the relief efforts in Haiti?
Unfortunately, some feel that a general disinterest and lack of awareness on the topic is all too common in our region, and that a much greater effort will be required among Guelph community members if any sort of positive impact is expected to occur.
“It takes just over two hours to fly to Haiti, yet people everyday continue to view the country as an entirely separate world, to dismiss it as an issue so far away and unrelated to us,” Brittnei Berrisford, a fourth-year university of Guelph student explained. “I would encourage more recognition and more initiatives to support Haiti. I would urge students to find common ground with the people of Haiti and not view them as an entirely different world that is beyond our help.”
Berrisford, who became involved with volunteer projects in Haiti during her final year of high school, has often found herself frustrated at the lack of awareness among North Americans regarding Haiti’s political instability and war-torn past. Having traveled to Haiti twice and volunteered at an orphanage called “God’s Littlest Angels” (located in Peitionville, about 15 minutes from Port-au-Prince), Berrisford has made close ties with many of the staff at the orphanage, and continues to receive daily updates from her friends there regarding conditions near the capital since the earthquake.
Brittnei is scheduled to return to Haiti this April to offer volunteer help, but April cannot possibly come soon enough; she wants to begin helping now, to see others in the university and broader community on board with her goals in helping with Haiti’s devastating circumstances.
Brittnei is not alone in her initiative to support Haiti. Henricus Vermue, a third-year Agricultural Business student, and several of his peers, have recently decided to focus a group assignment for their organizational behaviour class on raising money for the people of Haiti. Details of the project remain to be sorted out, but the plan is to organize a charitable hockey game, with all funds raised being donated to the Red Cross’s Haiti relief. Henricus said people should realize “just how lucky we are as Canadians and how desperately these people in Haiti need our help,” when asked about the situation in Haiti. “There are literally no words to describe the pain and suffering they have endured, and the amount of help we are capable of giving.”
On the University of Guelph homepage, students are encouraged to contact the Office of Student Affairs about ideas for possible fundraising events for Haiti. Anyone hoping to help should continue to monitor the University’s Events listings to be kept aware of opportunities for involvement.