Have been surfing a little more to learn about Haiti and her people. I have very purposely avoided looking at the relief workers' blogs, as I don't want to have too many preconceived notions about how it will be.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas, always has been, and sadly it seems it will stay that way. There is a population of around 9.6 million people, half of which live in the urban areas.
On January 12, 2010 a massive earthquake struck this poor nation, leaving 300,00 dead and millions homeless. An unstable political system has dogged the reconstruction efforts. A flood followed the quake, and not unpredictably, disease has taken off.
Although Haiti has not had a cholera epidemic in a hundred years, it has been running rampant in the country since October 2010. Because cholera is a waterbourne bacterial disease, the broken sanitation and water systems have encouraged the epidemic to grow. There are 3300 people dead and 150,000 sick. Bad numbers - but consider this - of those whose get cholera and are being treated for it, only 1/2 of 1 percent die from it. Another scary fact is that 75% of those who do have cholera do not have symptoms - and have no way of knowing they are shedding this bacteria into a broken sanitation system, and in croweded living conditions.
Blame for the epidemic fell first upon some United Nations workers from Nepal, and most recently fear and suspicion has turned the desperate population's anger to the Island's practitioners of black magic/voodoo. In the last 2 weeks 45 have been stoned and hacked to death by machete. It is said in the sources I have looked at, that although Haiti is predominantly Catholic, half of the people believe/participate in voodoo.
So. 6 more sleeps until I begin the journey to Haiti, and 7 more sleeps until I learn more about the actual mission - as I will be living it.
Pray. For safety, and for skills that are helpful waaaay outside my comfort zone.
