Haiti in ruins: a personal account

Almost three weeks after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, nobody can dispute the fact that this disaster has been a devastating tragedy with death tolls rising to over 150,000.
The poorest country in the Western hemisphere now has to face telling consequences of a natural misfortune it had little control over. Still, 1.5 million people remain homeless on the street, out of the three million people who are estimated to been affected by the quake. Among the homeless are children under two, who need nutritional support, and pregnant women, who are in danger of having still births as a result of the lack of access to prenatal care.
Yet, amidst the sad news, there has come some good. First, donations and assistance in terms of food aid have been shipped to the ravaged country. Second, community groups, churches and individuals worldwide have turned to look at the country, offering support in diverse ways.
Also, the international community, despite the struggle for dominance among some powerful countries, has put all differences aside and have been thinking of how Haiti is going to be rebuilt.
It is also refreshing to know that, although the death tolls are nothing to rejoice over, some people managed a safe escape from the quake. Two Canadian women, Donna Thiessen and Alyson Stephenson, experienced the quake, watching buildings crumble and fall in front of them - yet they did not get hurt.
"I believe that I am in God's hands always and I believe that it was His hand that kept Alyson and I safe," said Thiessen. "We were very shaken in the earthquake, not something that I would like to be a part of again, buildings fell in front of us".
Thiessen, a Vineland resident and her travel mate, Stephenson, of Smithville were visiting the Baptist Haiti Mission and were also going to teach some of the Haitian women how to crochet plastic mats. This was Thiessen's third visit to the mission.
The two would have been in Port-au-Prince, where the earthquake hit hardest, but they had to wait for a partner who had arrived on an earlier plane.
"That wait putus leaving the airport in rush hour traffic [...] our driver changed his route, which took us down a lesser damaged street," said Thiessen.
Thiessen believes strongly that it is the hand of God that ensured their narrow escape, and also made it possible for them to leave Montreal for Toronto after being evacuated. All evacuees had to get off the plane in Montreal.
"Our trip home with the aid of the Canadian embassy andWestjetalso gave us a strong feeling that God was putting all the pieces in order," she said.
Regardless of her experience, Thiessen would still want go to Haiti again.
"I would go back to Haiti if the opportunity came up," she said. "I really like to visit my sponsored children and I am willing to help where I am needed. We have so much here in Canada, and to be able to fill our suitcases with necessities like toothbrushes, toothpaste [and] school supplies is a small thing to do."
The poor country is now even poorer and in dilapidation. From Thiessen's account, Haiti was the poorest country she had visited where the rich were either those in government or drug dealers.
"The rest of the population lives on very little. The capital, Port-au-Prince, was the filthiest place I was ever in; garbage everywhere, the buildings and roads poorly built, the hillsides stripped of trees and eroding [.] I could not believe that the poor could become any poorer [...] they had a roof over their heads before and now even that is gone," she said.
While ensuring that money sent goes into the right hands will be a challenge. It appears most people have no other option but to still give and support in whatever way possible.
"Being in Haiti during an earthquake was an experience that I did not plan on. I hope that in sharing this story wth you will inspire those who read it, to get involved in the relief effort," said Thiessen.