| I work as an engineer for a company that sells water processing equipment. Some weeks ago, I was assigned to take on a project in Haiti. My job was to coordinate with an emergency relief firm in sending our mobile water filtration units to provide drinking water for the victims. While normally most of my work is done in the office, the special nature of the situation here called for volunteers to go on-site to set up our equipment. I was ready to pack my bags and jump on the chance, but then I realised that this was not entirely my decision to make.
First of all, there are people more qualified for the job. While I have been to enough poverty-stricken countries to not be fazed by the modest living situation (or so I hope), nothing in my previous experience has prepared me for the likely devastation and death I will be exposed to. I would hate to go there and become someone's burden. They are busy enough as it is helping people in need.
Also, even though a security force will be there to ensure the safety of volunteers, there is still danger involved. In particular, word has it that water is now more valuable than gold in Port-Au-Prince. In a sense, arriving in town with a water filter is like arriving with a gold vault. Someone who has not drunk a drop of water for days would need little motivation to attack a 140-pound guy like me in his fight for survival. While I believe I am capable of handling situations like this diplomatically, I have my parents to worry about, or more accurately, the other way around? They are probably getting a heart attack from reading this as we speak. So I should probably stop now.
If I do end up going there, I will come back and report what I see.
God bless the people of Haiti.
|
|
