When Haiti is Home

By: IMARI CAMARGO

On January 12, 2010 the devastating earthquake in Haiti not only hit the lives of the residents but also the hearts of people all over the world. Alexandra Leandre, a sophomore Mathematics and Industrial Engineering major from Columbia, Maryland, spent her spring break in Haiti to assist those in need. It was a very personal mission: Leandre was born in the US but her family’s roots are on the island. Here, she recounts her trip to post-earthquake Port-au-Prince

BELLE: When you first heard about the earthquake, what came to mind?

Alexandra: When I first heard about the earthquake, my family in Haiti came to mind. I immediately called home [Maryland] to find out the whereabouts of my many friends and family in Haiti. My father’s family lives all throughout Haiti, but most live in Port-au-Prince and Cap Haitian.

BELLE: Had you been to Haiti prior to this trip?

Alexandra: This was my third trip to Haiti so I remembered the city before the quake.

BELLE: What did you see?

Alexandra: The city appeared to be about a third destroyed. The city I saw before me was different. I saw the rubble from the fallen homes right away.  Everyone had a tent or two in their yard because while they still function in their non-collapsed homes by day, they still fear sleeping in them at night.

BELLE: Did anything else seem to be different?

Alexandra: The city was gray and cold. This was an abnormal season since even Miami was close to freezing. The temperature in Port-au-Prince was around 69 degrees, which is cold for Haiti. The temperature did not return normal until Sunday.

BELLE: How did you initially feel about all the footage you saw on CNN?

Alexandra: I was frightened. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Anderson Cooper and Sanjay Gupta depicted Haiti in a way that was very unfamiliar. I also tuned into MSNBC. I tried not to watch too much TV during this time because I know the media may have an obstructed view.

BELLE: How did your family contribute?

Alexandra: My dad, who is the CEO for Vyalex, started collaborating with another Haitian entrepreneur, Carline Cazeau, the very next day after the earthquake and together they devised a plan to provide help to a tent community through Benoit Vilceus, who owns a furniture shop in front of the tent community. The camp was able to receive tarps and building materials from USAID [the government agency that provides economic and humanitarian assistance in cases like this].

BELLE: Did you get a chance to speak with the people who were seeking refuge in that camp?

Alexandra: Yes, the people in the tent community were polite, optimistic, in good spirits and pleased to speak with us.  We interviewed two people in particular—the community leader and a gentleman with Parkinson’s Disease, who lives just beyond the tent community.

BELLE: After spending time in Haiti after this disaster, do you have any words on what people can do to continue to help?

Alexandra: Send resources to the provinces so that the whole country [will] benefit and encourage people to leave Port -au-Prince.