Boy, 7, raises $200,000 for Haiti

A 7 year old boy from London, England has raised nearly $200,000 (£120,000+) for UNICEF's Haiti Earthquake Children's Appeal by biking 5 miles around his local park. He had originally aimed for only £500, but with the media attention that his generosity has received, that sum has vastly multiplied. Even the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown caught wind and helped spread the word.

"My name is Charlie Simpson. I want to do a sponsored bike ride for Haiti because there was a big earthquake and loads of people have lost their lives," said Simpson on his JustGiving page, a fundraising site which launched his efforts.

"I want to make some money to buy food, water and tents for everyone in Haiti," he said.

The money that Charlie has raised will go to providing water, food, education, and other necessities that children of Haiti are lacking right now.

This article caught my attention because it's amazing how much money this young boy raised through something as simple as riding his bike around a park. The devastation in Haiti is overwhelming, any amount of money can help, no matter how much. If you, or your parents haven't donated already, it isn't too late, Haiti will be needing help for months and years to come to rebuild. Also, I have heard about "Hope for Haiti" wristbands being sold around Aragon, go get one!

The Iphone to the resuce

Dan Woolley was recently able to survive through being trapped in the aftermath of a Haiti earthquake by following his Iphone. Woolley works for a childs christian advocacy program called Compassion International and was in Haiti recording the poverty currently in Haiti.
He was trapped in Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince in an elevator and was severely wounded from the earthquake.
He was able to use an Iphone app called "Pocket First Aid & CPR" from Jive Media. This taught him how to cut circulation from severe blood lost and even learned how to deal from experiencing shock, which was to not sleep(He used his Iphone as an alarm clock to make sure of that too). After being trapped for 60 hours, Woolley survived and was able to go back to his family in Colorado Springs.
It is truly amazing how some survive through the tragedies of Haiti and good to read about how useful new technology can be.

Help in Help in Haiti is arriving late

Many countries have sent help to Haiti, but apparently the help isn't helping very much. It's taking time for planes to land, and the roads via which help can arrive are filled not only with blockages, but with the dead. Current estimates suggest that between 45 and 50 thousand people are dead, with over 3 million people having been affected in some way (that's a THIRD of the population). Help is still supposedly on the way, but it's coming to slowly. Obama has promised a considerable amount of aid. But, besides the 50 thousand dead, there are probably hundreds or thousands more trapped under the ruins of collapsed buildings, and they have limited time. UN vehicles patrol open streets keeping the peace, but they're not actually providing help. Other countries, however, have managed to supply some degree of help. England, China, and Cuba either have rescue teams there, or, in Cuba's case, had doctors there before the quake (they're now being quite helpful).

I don't mean to criticize current relief efforts; my only point is that help is coming slow. This is, unfortunately, to be expected. The UN is overrun, roads are blocked, and it's more than just an organizational catastrophe. At the very least, efforts are being made. With any luck, the help that still hasn't arrived or hasn't had the ability to help yet will be able to rescue the majority, if not all, of those trapped underneath buildings and provide medical aid to all who need it. Let's hope for the best folks.

Haiti hit by 7.0 Earthquake

Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, was hit by a 7.0 earthquake earlier today. The quake took place near the country's capital city, Port-au-Prince, and inflicted very heavy damages on the city. Many buildings collapsed, including a hospital. The UN Peacekeeping mission backing the current Haiti government could not be contacted, but Bill Clinton stated that the "world body was 'committed to do whatever we can to assist the people of Haiti in their relief, rebuilding and recovery efforts.'"

Haiti, it seems, is prone to incredible misfortune. In the past several years, the country of nine million has been hit badly by hurricanes. In a small stroke of luck, the tsunami watch for the country has been cancelled, so it seems that the population will have at least a little respite from catastrophe.

When this kind of disaster hits, I think it a little reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina (not the same type of natural disaster, but still a disaster nonetheless). The US handled that situation poorly, but at the very least the US had the resources to do something. This country has nothing, apparently 80% of the population lives in destitution. These people have no means to help themselves, and while I'm sure the world's aid will be forthcoming, there is no way it will be enough. This is beyond regrettable, and it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Why is this country, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, so unlucky? While I wish that this had not happened at all, I believe the aftershocks would have been less had it occurred in a country better equipped to handle the situation.