Hopes and Fears...

“Nothing is yet in its true form."
--C.S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces

The hope is that one day, perhaps thirty years from now, Haitians will be able to look back and see the devastating earthquake of 2010 as a positive turning point for their country. A time when the world community rose up, took a stand against poverty and collectively said that we will not allow over 200,000 people to die from an earthquake.

I don’t think this is going to be the reality. From what I saw and heard it seems as though it is perfectly acceptable to return Haiti to the state it was in pre-earthquake. Field hospitals are starting to leave, news crews are getting fewer and fewer, all the while many, many Haitians still do not have a roof over their head, access to clean water, food, a job, and proper sanitation seems to be nonexistent.

In the face of all of this the Haitian people are resilient if not hopeful. One person told me that they know they are not the first nation to deal with a natural disaster on this scale and they will not be the last. You have to wonder if coping with hurricanes and mudslides has somehow, in some small way, helped the Haitians deal with their current situation. When bodies are still decaying under the rubble six weeks after the earthquake, it’s hard to remain positive.

The people that I met in Haiti were wonderful, beautiful people. I don’t think I talked to a single person that is living in a house, has a job, or didn’t lose a family member in the quake. Even though they are hurting and don’t know what their immediate future might hold, there was some kind of hope there. It’s hard to figure out where that comes from, maybe it’s the spirit of the Haitian people or the many obstacles that they have had to overcome, but it’s there. Even if the world community fails the small island country of Haiti, I believe that small bit of hope will not die.