Almost two months have passed since the major earthquake in Haiti, yet the country remains in dire need of aid. Provost and Vice President for Health Affairs John F. Williams, M.D. ’79, Ed.D. ’96, talked to George Washington Today about how the university is supporting the country’s reconstruction efforts--including a series of events on campus--and why students do not need to travel to Haiti to help.
Q: What is the university’s stance on student travel to Haiti?
A: Students should not travel to Haiti for spring break or otherwise. Haiti is currently very unsafe. There’s not sufficient food, water or shelter, so there’s a real concern about where students could live and how they could eat and get water.
Also, there are now reports of spreading infectious diseases. Malaria is a real issue, and with rainy season starting, there is going to be proliferation of mosquitoes, which spread the disease. Haiti is also known for dengue fever, and we are also getting reports of meningitis. This is not a situation I want students to go into.
Q: What are some of the ways students can help Haiti without traveling there?
A: Right now, money is the biggest need. Haitians will continuously need money to buy supplies. We do not recommend that students send clothing because someone has to sort and ship them, and it’s hard to know which items are actually needed.
I know it’s frustrating, because students want to actually do something, but there will eventually be a role for students. GW, along with the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, is currently working on several aid initiatives that will specifically involve students.
Q: Which organizations you would recommend the GW community donate to?
A: We are recommending people donate to Project Medishare, Food for the Poor and Physicians for Peace. First Lady of Haiti Elisabeth Delatour Preval, M.B.A. ’88, supports these organizations and their efforts in Haiti 100 percent.
One of the big issues in Haiti now is aiding the large injured population who are now amputees and need prosthetics, wheelchairs and crutches. Physicians for Peace has taken helping amputees on as its mission. This will be a long-term issue as children who are amputees grow and their prosthetic change over time. Physical therapists in GW’s Physical Therapy Program are planning to travel to Haiti to train Haitian amputees on how to use prosthetics, and we hope GW students from the program can eventually join them to work with amputees as well.
Q: What are some of GW’s ongoing efforts to help Haiti recover and rebuild?
A: We have been asked by Haitian First Lady Preval to help with the reconstruction of the country’s education system. We have partnered with international organizations to convene a conference March 10 at the Elliott School of International Affairs on “Priorities for Education in Post-Earthquake Haiti.” The conference will include representatives from the World Bank, Congress and other organizations interested in rebuilding Haiti’s secondary school system.
Haitian First Lady Preval will also attend and deliver remarks, and Joel Gomez of GW’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development will serve as moderator. I hope we will begin to get the first glimpse of what a new educational system will look like in Haiti and that we have the people in attendance who can contribute the finances to make it happen.
We have submitted grants to the United States Agency for International Development in conjunction with Project Medishare to help the nonprofit reestablish its emergency medicine and response capabilities in Haiti with help from some experts on campus. We also plan to examine post-traumatic stress disorder, particularly in children, with a group from Children’s Hospital Cincinnati, as well as train Haitian hospital and clinic administrators on basic administrative skills.
Q: You have been involved in the creation of “Haiti Day” on April 12. What will the event entail?
A: Haiti Day is an attempt to bring together partners from across the region to help people understand the history of Haiti, the relationship between Haiti and the United States and the future of the country. We will have events and panels that include individuals who have been to Haiti during the crisis and experts from schools across GW. We are working with the Consortium of Universities and the D.C. government to make this a truly collaborative event.
On March 8, Elliott School’s Global Women’s Forum will screen the documentary “Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy,” with co-producer Mark Schuller of the City University of New York; Julie Meyer, director of the Lambi Fund; and Leigh Carter, executive director of Fonkoze USA. This event is part of GW’s celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month.