Haiti Reflection

From the start life has always been a battlefield for me and my family. In Haiti my father had studied to become an engineer despite his poor upbringing and my mother had worked multiple jobs to help support the family. Life in Haiti had already been tough but after a coup d’état and an election there was finally hope that Haitians would have to live under a repressive government no longer. The new government created hope which was then solidified when Duvalier announced his candidacy, by this time he was already a well-known physician that took part in many public health campaigns. My father remembers when Duvalier was elected, with promises of rebuilding a broken country and the happiness that followed, but this did not last. Shortly after

Misrepresentation plagues this island nation overwhelmed with endless suffering. No one sees the beauty of Haiti through a television screen. All they see is misery – natural disaster, disease and poverty—writ large on the evening news. When most Americans think of Haiti, they see problems and a stressed people. However, there is a resilience and a beauty of spirit to Haitians. Even after years upon years of being dehumanized, my people have never broken. Our culture is constantly belittled, but we smile and gather strength from the sun that shines on our island and we persevere.

A typical ceremony begins with a Roman Catholic prayer. Then three drummers begin to play syncopated rhythms. The attendees begin to dance around a tree in the center of the yard, moving faster and harder with the rising pulse of the beat. The priest draws sacred symbols in the dust with cornmeal, and rum is poured on the ground to honor the spirits. One woman falls to the ground, convulsing for a moment before she is helped back to her feet. She resumes the dance, moving differently now, and continues dancing for hours. It is perhaps no longer she who is dancing: She is in a trance, apparently possessed by voodoo spirits.

During my first year at UCLA, I had the opportunity to volunteer with the Black Pre-Health Organization on campus to put together an annual youth festival for children living in underserved communities within the greater LA area. Our goal during the festival was to promote healthy lifestyles by teaching the kids, through interactive workshops and activities, the importance of good nutrition and fitness. As a volunteer, I was able to interact with the kids and create a great bond with many of them while providing tips on how they could turn an unhealthy everyday snack into a wholesome, beneficial one. During the festival, we provided the youth with snacks, various health resources and free hygiene products so that they could begin their new

"Two hundred years ago, our precursors in Haiti struck a blow for freedom, which was heard around the world, and across centuries." – Baldwin Spencer

Haiti has long been known for its major export of Haitian migrants in search of a better way of life. It is an exodus that goes back several decades, however with recent times the numbers have increased dramatically. In fact, that numbers of Haitians fleeing Haiti in the early 1990's far exceeds the numbers recorded in earlier years. Between 1972- 1979, some 8,000- 10,000 Haitians arrived in the United States. Compare this number with the 14,443 Haitians interdicted between September 30, 1991 - January 1, 1992. By early 1994, this number totaled over 41,000 (Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Haiti, 1994). Economic deprivation has always been the predominant influence for the migrating of Haitians, yet in the

As an undergraduate student majoring in Public Health, I have been fortunate to expand my knowledge about the health, social and politics challenges which affect other countries outside the U.S. There are many under developing and developing countries which are going through this challenges but the reason for this letter is about the country Haiti. Haiti had a devastating earthquake January 12, 2010 which tipped the scale of barely stable balance. This natural disaster destroyed the already weak health, social and political system. Infectious and communicable disease which were closed to being under control came back rapidly. Cholera outbreak occurred, which killed more than 5000 people and left over 500000 people sick,

Coming from Cuba has exposed me to the difficulties people undergo daily due to economic circumstances. Globally, countless individuals live in grievous conditions. This is why, since high school and throughout college, I have been involved in several clubs, specialized in my career choice as well as in helping the community. A few of them include Pre-nursing and Physician Assistant Club, Student Government Association, and Phi Theta Kappa. These clubs offered me the opportunity of assisting diverse people while acquiring leadership skills and teamwork strategies. For instance, one of the most astonishing experiences was volunteering at the Women’s Breast and Heart Initiative. This organization made me a mediator in the approach of saving lives

Visiting el Chapín, was a very unique experience which required me to really reflect about the entire visit before writing. During my visit, there were a few instances where I felt unwelcomed, and really struggled if my perception of certain events were brought on by my anxiousness or perhaps, my perception was accurate. Despite these feelings, there were many things I was able to observe while eating at this establishment.

After the initial chaos caused by the earthquake in Port-au-Prince, the international community needs to set priorities in the reconstruction of Haiti. The first step, that is already taking place, is to create emergency teams to rescue trapped people, clear debris and restore water and sanitation to prevent the spread of diseases.

This past year went by quickly as we had a busy year expanding our outreach programs to more people in need. We expanded our sustainability projects teaching Haitians to help themselves and others in their community. Then Mother Nature challenged us all—It was a year for courage and determination among all the people living here in

On January 12, 2010, an earthquake of 7.3 on the Richter scale devastated the Haiti island, leaving more than 316,000 dead, 350 injured and more than 1.5 million homeless, according to data provided by Haitian government. Because of this situation many of the Hattians decided to migrate outside their country in the pursuit of a better life with the promise of an American dream. But after 2010, U.S. authorities began to deny them refuge leaving them homeless in the borders of Mexico. Now, more than 4,000 Hattians are living and working in Tijuana. Since the arrival of the Hattians, I felt the need to know more about their life and culture. So I decided to go to one of the many Haitian restaurants that exist today in Tijuana and learn about their culture.

The relationship between the values of cause and effect is formed through the significance of time and occurrence. Development in any aspect of life; let it be of the past, present or the known future, is dependent on these three variants. Though it is a commonly held belief that events of the past, and the actions of individuals in the past, have no connection to the world of today, nor any impact upon what is happening in the present. But, the truth is that there are a large number of features that make the past vitally effective in the present (Lieb p.155). Thus, it would be considered inappropriate to state that history has no effect on the modern world because of the distance in time and space, between historical events and the present

Yes I have attended the study abroad 101, it was this fall semester, on September 19. The student who led the study abroad 101 session was Erin. And, yes I attended the ICA information session faculty directors with Jeanie Murphy and David Grossman. The ICA info session was September 14th. I am interested in the Latin American Studies and Business Management in Cuba (ICA).I want to study abroad in Cuba. Right now my major is registered as Spanish but I am planning to change my major to Economics. Also, I have been recently interested in business too. Economics also deals with some business so I think going to Cuba would be a good experience for me, because I will be able to explore more business at a international level.Well when I went to the ICA information session section with Jeanie Murphy and

From my research via the internet resources obtained from LIRN and IMF official website, the trade liberalization in Haiti (2016, IMF) is one of the projects that IMF involved and created problems for the nation that received its assistance.