Tim DeTellis

How do you save lives? You reach the sick before it is too late. In essence, you bring a cure. That is what Haiti is crying for: a cure.

Right now, people from Port-au-Prince are being re-located across the countryside due to the greater collapse of infrastructure in Haiti’s capital city. A temporary solution is moving people out to a somewhere that is not their home. Now they must start over. The little they had before, is now nothing. Sad. What is a better cure? Have more established areas across Haiti as points of entry vs just Port-au-Prince. In essence, Haiti needs regions of established ports of commerece.

Here are three ideas:
1. Add two more international airports, one in the North at Cap-Haitian and one in the South at Ti Goave.
2. Add several municiple airports for travel around the country like to destinations: Jacmel, Jeremie, and La Gonave.
3. Bring a mobility system that Haitians can afford: railroad. A rail system will provide the transportation of resources and supplies all across Haiti efficently. For the purpose of moving people, it delivers reliability and affordability.

What cure will change Haiti? I hope these three ideas will foster discussion on delivering a cure for building a new Haiti. What cure do you think will help?

The relief efforts during the first week after the worst earthquake to hit Haiti in 200 years has proven a daunting task. The widespread need for food and water seems endless. Why? Because those needs were there before the earthquake arrived. Yes, there are urgent medical needs and victims of the earthquake are in crisis. Yet, for 90% of Haiti, they were hungry the day before.

When I listen to news reporters talk about people coming up to them asking for food and how the relief is not reaching the people fast enough, it makes me angry. Why? For decades my family have screamed as loud as we could “Help Haiti!” and thankfully, many heard. Thankfully, for the 9,000 children of New Missions from the Leogane Plane that have safe drinking water because of wells, food and medical care, plus education. Yet, that is not the case for millions more. That is why the needs seem endless; they are.

How can we change Haiti in the next 12 months. The task seems overwhelming. I agree the heaviness of the burden is impossible to fathom. Many nights, I am unable to sleep because of the debth of need in Haiti. The major load of need could be made lighter if these three priorities were addressed in Haiti, immiedately, now!

1. A free port.
This idea is not my original thought. It comes from my brother George and the concept is brilliant. All ports to Haiti should allow free import of any goods or supplies without tax. Haiti would receive and endless out pouring of resources to build a new Haiti. Follow my brother at www.georgedetellis.com. The fact is, all Haitian families overseas, mission organizations, businesses, and investors would have an open door to infuse Haiti with resources.

2. Drill wells
Along the Leogane Plane, we saw a miracle of change when UNICEF partnered with New Missions and began drilling wells after we drilled a well in the village of Neply and at Bordmer where both wells were artesian. A geological discovery was made that there was an acquifor at 185 ft below the surface. Wells were drilled all around the surrouding villages. When I was in Haiti the week of the earthquake, I left our Amber-Pere church and as we were driving away, we passed a well, drilled by UNICEF in partnership with New Missions and I thanked God because that means disese in that area would be cut by 50% just because of clean drinking water. Haiti needs wells. There are not enough relief workers to pass out bottles of water to 9 million people in Haiti. Maybe for one day, but not for life. A well saves lives and provides safe drinking water ongoing.

3. Population Control
This is a very difficult subject. This is why I am publishing this on my personal blog. First, allow me to say that I do not believe in abortion as an option. Second, all me to state the fact that the average woman in Haiti has six children. Thirdly, let me confirm that of those six children, they could be from three different men. That is a hard reality, but this is real in Haiti and is not making the news. For the record, when I was in Haiti this past week I spoke with a women who had 10 children from four different men. The men in Haiti need surgeries and so do the women to prevent additional childbirth. It comes to a point of management and dignity. Also, as true family units develop through marriage and faithfulness, then a modest family of several children makes sense. However, when you live in poverty and cannot afford to care for five children, why have more? The reason is because the woman is hoping the next man will stay and help support the family. I don’t blame her in the dyer need she lives. However, we cannot ignore the root cause for a country that has doubled in population in 20 years. Did you know educating a female in a third-world is proven to motivate her to wait and have children until marriage? Just a thought in reference to this blog series part 1 on helping bring change to Haiti.

Personally, I believe we need to be problem solvers if we want to make the world a better place. Haiti has many problems. Above, I listed a few. Only three, actually. What problems do you see Haiti has and what solution do you propose?

I was there the day before, the day of, and the day after the Haiti earthquake. What actually shocks me more is that I was in Haiti 27 years prior, at the same spot where I experienced the earthquake. So what has changed in 27 years? What will change Haiti after the earthquake?

The crisis is in front of us. Searching for the missing, caring for the injured, and rebuiling the destroyed are top priorities. These needs are urgent. The world is at Haiti’s front door responding to the earthquake crisis.

After the relief is given and the earthquake victims are cared for, then what? Prior to the earthquake, Haiti was the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. It still is and the infrastructure is weaker. Yet, something changed on Tuesday, January 12th. Haiti captured the hearts of people. What is Haiti asking for? What will change Haiti?

Haiti needs a long-term plan that makes a difference. Two million plus children in Haiti do not attend school. Over the past 27 years, I have seen lives changed in Haiti because of an education received from New Missions. I have witnessed graduates that are now school teachers, engineers, attorneys, pastors, nurses, mechanics, carpenters, and other fine professions that help change Haiti.

If the world cares about Haiti, then help build a new Haiti, starting with education. This is a 20-year plan. The pay-off for education takes a generation.

My special added item to the call for education in Haiti is to teach English. The English language is a gateway to the world. Not that I agree with Haitians fleeing Haiti for other nations after they are educated, since what Haiti needs is greater brain capital. The English language bridges communication gaps in business and enterprise. English also opens the tourism door.

What ideas do you have to build a new Haiti? Tomorrow I will share what Haiti will need in the next 12 months.

I am on day 7 of my break from Twitter and Facebook. I am actually taking a 30-day personal break from both.

What have I enjoyed most about no Twitter and no Facebook?
1. Greater personal space. Being unplugged brings greater creativity.
2. The moment is the focus
3. Not trying to be in the know, just in the zone

What I miss most about no Twitter and no Facebook?
1. The power of the PR.
2. Encouraging others.
3. Supporting the viral news of worthy causes.

What’s next? Going to enjoy each day and focus on who and what’s in front of me. The question is what am I really missing out on? Maybe something, or maybe only what is not so important to still reach me.

The purpose of the break from Twitter and Facebook is the challenge to leave and see what it really means to want it. Since Twitter and Facebook have become an everyday part of life, I wondered the real reason. To just do it because everyone else is, is not a good enough reason.

What would you miss if you took a break from Twitter or Facebook?