‘From Sadness and Despair to Optimism and Hope’

As I board the plane bound for home on Jan. 28, I reflect back on the past seven days in Haiti. Despite having only lived in Haiti for the first 18 months of my life, I felt a longing to return to my birthplace and a strong obligation to do whatever I could do to help the people of Haiti.

The flight from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince provided my first childhood memory of Haiti. My parents would frequently tell me about Haiti’s large mountains, rolling hills, steep valleys and dark blue lakes. From the sky, I could see that my parents did not exaggerate. It was true that Haiti was stunningly beautiful. However, as we approached the flatlands near the airport in Port-au-Prince, reality set in as more and more collapsed buildings came into view.

Our group of 10 engineers was requested by the United Nations to assist in assessing critical buildings that were damaged in the earthquake. The extent of damage and losses from the magnitude 7.0 earthquake on Jan. 12 are incalculable. The national palace and 13 out of 15 government buildings lay in ruins. The Roman Catholic cathedral, virtually all of downtown’s historic buildings, countless schools, banks, hotels and churches are collapsed or significantly damaged. More than 1 million Haitians remained homeless at the end of January.

After receiving a list of critical buildings from the U.N., we headed out to begin the assessments. The severity and extent of damage was unfathomable. All the things I had seen on the news did not prepare me for the reality of what had happened in Haiti. In addition to the large population of damaged structures, the roads were filled with debris and trash, and people everywhere were living in makeshift tents.

Over the next six days, I would experience a range of emotions from sadness and despair to optimism and hope. What is most striking about this disaster is the sheer number of people that were impacted. Everyone we spoke to during the week had lost a family member or relative and many had lost their homes.

Our team assessed more than 117 buildings, including schools, orphanages, hospitals, food warehouses and homes. While this is only a small percentage of the buildings impacted by the earthquake in Haiti, our team was able to work with government officials and business owners to reoccupy nearly a dozen hospitals, an orphanage, four schools and several homes that we determined to be safe. We also worked closely with the World Food Program to assist in the reopening of three food distribution warehouses that had been closed since the earthquake. Together, these warehouses stored more than 5 million pounds of food.

There were many things during the assessments that were hard for me to deal with, both personally and professionally. While assessing a heavily damaged historic building near downtown, we were told that the adjacent pile of rubble had been an elementary school where more than 30 children had perished. Their bodies remained entombed in the collapsed building. As a parent of three young children, this was by far the most difficult part of the trip.

While driving through downtown Port-au-Prince on my final day, the reality of the situation hit hard. The downtown area was one of the hardest hit areas in Port-au-Prince, with more than 75 percent of the structures collapsed or significantly damaged. As our driver Jose was passing through the city, he made the comment to us, “Our city is gone forever; we no longer have a country.”

Despite the significant challenges facing Haiti, I am hopeful that Haiti will come out of this better and stronger. Haitians must seize the opportunity to make changes that will set them on the right path. Safe roads, better buildings, clean water and reliable power are not just absolute necessities but tangible realities to create a new Haiti.

As a Haitian-American, I am proud of the overwhelming support that my fellow Americans — and the world — provided to Haiti in the days following the event. I am inspired by the many volunteers who traveled from all parts of the world to help the people of Haiti — doctors working 16-plus hours a day caring for the critically injured and search-and-rescue teams working around the clock looking for survivors in unstable buildings, even 15 days after the earthquake.

I am proud of the strength of the Haitian people as they try to put back the pieces of their shattered lives. Children are banding together to remove debris from the streets, despite having few tools to work with. In the makeshift tent cities, people are setting up schools, churches and restaurants. Haitians, famous for their unique artistry, are once again starting to practice their crafts. The logo on the Haitian flag reads “L’union fait la force,” which translates to “Strength through unity.” The motto truly is being practiced in Haiti.

My first trip to Haiti in more than 27 years has left a lasting impression on me. While I hope to return many times in the upcoming years to assist in the recovery and rebuilding, I look forward to the day when I can visit Haiti with my parents, their children and grandchildren. I dream that this Haiti will be more beautiful, just and prosperous than anyone could imagine.

Reginald DesRoches, a Tech professor of civil and environmental engineering, researches ways to limit earthquake damage.

Next Article Previous Article