For the monthly cost of an iPhone data plan with AT&T, $30 US, a Haitian kid can go to school.
Several months ago I listened to a very emotional presentation about Haiti. Prior to that, my daughter enlisted in an upcoming mission trip to Haiti to assist with building additional classrooms and providing health care in the village of Montrouis. Since then, I've asked questions and have pondered over how can technology be used to help Haiti.
I've attended some of the monthly meetings with my daughter and have heard first-hand from people spending time in Haiti. Still, clear answers about how or whether technology could benefit Haiti didn't materialize.
In an attempt to understand Haiti, I broke away from the emotional and heart wrenching stories that people told me about their experiences while volunteering in Haiti. The CIA World Factbook is a good source of data. More than 80% of Haiti's population is below the poverty line and the nation’s per capita income averages $1,200 USD annually. More than 1 million people remain homeless since the devastating earthquake in 2010. Over half of the Haitian government's budget comes in the form of foreign assistance.
In another appeal that I sat in on, I heard of the needs of kids with parents or a parent, and of orphans. For the monthly cost of an iPhone data plan with AT&T, $30 US, a Haitian kid can go to school. The purpose of the missionary trip is to build additional classrooms to educate more kids. According to the CIA Factbook: "Poverty, corruption, and poor access to education for much of the population are among Haiti's most serious disadvantages."
The mission in Montrouis built a school to help educate Haitian kids in an attempt to break the chain of poverty. Sponsors also may contribute for bags of beans and rice for the kid's families. Goats are also distributed to families in an effort to help provide milk for the children. Many Haitian kids sleep on dirt floors and I guess I could go on, but the message is that the basic needs outweigh the considerations of technology. The President of Life Connections Mission, a local group in my state (Maryland) is raising money for the medical clinic that is in need of a backup generator for the volunteer doctors and health care workers providing care. Then, they are contemplating adding vocational training to the school after they complete building additional classrooms this summer.
A few weeks ago I noticed a goat appearing on the NoJitter page. Interactive Intelligence is donating a goat to Oxfam. Oxfam spans the globe including Haiti. Interactive Intelligence will step up and donate a cow if you and your boss attend the meeting to learn about what Interactive Intelligence provides in the way of a UC solution.
I know technology can play a role in helping Haiti but I know better that basic human needs for a drink of fresh water, goat's milk for developing children's young bodies and access to education are immediate life needs. Everything I've heard firsthand from volunteers being in Haiti is a collective cry of "Give me hope" from a people ravaged by natural disaster. To Interactive Intelligence, thank you for giving to make a difference.
