After the Quake, Hope for Haiti
For winter break, Bentley senior Daniel Merica enjoyed a well-deserved reward: a family vacation to Hawaii. His days were filled with sun, sand and relaxation — until January 12 at 11:53 a.m. (HST).
That was when a 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocked the impoverished nation of Haiti. As stories and images of catastrophic destruction ricocheted around the world, Merica and countless others wondered how to help.
“It was a juxtaposition to be in such a beautiful place and see all those devastating pictures,” says Merica, who is majoring in Global Studies and English. “I wrote an e-mail to Bentley administrators and asked how we could respond as a community.”
An outpouring of similar sentiments inspired action as the spring semester began. Vice President for Student Affairs Kathleen Yorkis brought together a group of students intent on aiding relief efforts. Hours of meetings and independent research gave rise to Project Haiti: The Redevelopment.
“The students have been phenomenal,” says Yorkis. “They are so adept at taking leadership roles. It’s very powerful to see how students take their classroom learning, couple it with their passion, and translate these into a project that has so much value.”
Thinking Inside the Box
The group’s first step was determining a nonprofit beneficiary of Project Haiti fund-raising efforts. Students considered more than 20 organizations, including the Red Cross and Oxfam, but settled on one less widely known: ShelterBox.
Founded in 2000, ShelterBox aids worldwide victims of natural disasters by providing supplies crucial for survival in the immediate aftermath. The packages — which cost $1,000 each — include a 10-person tent, thermal blankets and insulated ground sheets, mosquito nets, water purification supplies, toolkit, small stove, cooking and eating utensils, and children’s coloring books. All are stored efficiently in a durable plastic bin.
Transparency was a big factor in the choice. “If you give a $10 donation, I can show you exactly where that money is going,” Merica says of ShelterBox. “It’s also accountable. Each box has a tracking number, so you can see exactly where in Haiti it is.”
Signature Events
With an initial fund-raising goal of $30,000, Project Haiti rolled out three primary events for the campaign, supplemented with outreach by individual student organizations. President Gloria Cordes Larson kicked off the initiative on March 1, by donating the first ShelterBox; she also signed a banner, designed by the Bentley Student Artists organization, as a pledge of commitment.
The group’s signature event, A Night for Haiti, took place on March 26. During the evening, members of the Bentley community enjoyed live music, a comedy show, raffles, games and food — and took time to remember the earthquake’s victims. Slideshows and video presentations helped guests learn more about Haiti before the disaster as well as the struggle that survivors now face. The banner created for the launch event gained more signatures.
“A Night for Haiti was a symbol of the university’s commitment to the cause,” says Project Haiti committee member Tyler Williams ’11. “We wanted the community to come together and learn more about why this is important.”
The final fund-raising event took place during Spring Day, an annual Bentley tradition to celebrate the end of the academic year. Entrance fees of $1 per student were designated for the project; raffle proceeds and other donations provided additional support.
Another highly successful venture was a package containing a Project Haiti T-shirt and wristband, as well as a CD of music by Bentley student bands. The 500 packages sold out, at $10 each. A total of about $33,500 had been raised as of early May.
Academic Lessons
Lessons from the outreach are also coming to the classroom. A course called the Haiti Relief Project debuts in fall 2010, developed and taught by Assistant Director of Academic Programs Shawn Hauserman of the Bentley Service–Learning Center. The course partner is the nonprofit organization Christian Haitian Entrepreneurial Society (CHES).
The founder of CHES is Rebecca (Roseme) Obounou ’06, who lived in the country for nearly six years when her parents served as missionaries. As the name suggests, her organization aims to help Haitians build business enterprises.
“We want to help Haitians help themselves and prosper, versus waiting on handouts and donations from abroad,” says the alumna, who is featured as a Class Notable in this issue. “The billions donated through the years were mismanaged and have not helped the country. Providing people with opportunities to excel and achieve their dreams is how Haiti can get back on its feet.”
Participants in the Bentley course will analyze strategic and sustainability plans of CHES, make recommendations for improvements, and suggest strategies for weathering future natural disasters -- a virtual certainty given Haiti’s location. Study of the county’s culture, politics, history and economics will round out the curriculum.
Hauserman is also collaborating with faculty to explore other opportunities for adding Haiti-related to Bentley courses. “We want this to be a long-term effort,” he says, “not a single semester, but a one-, three-, five-year commitment.”
Strength in Numbers
Participants in Project Haiti remain similarly invested. For example, they are working with the student-run Bentley Microfinance Group to investigate areas for future collaboration. The campus organization — part of the Bentley Microcredit Initiative (BMI) — aids entrepreneurs with loans of up to $6,000. The BMI made its first overseas gift in January 2010, to advance economic development in Ghana.
“It’s really extraordinary what’s happened in such a short period of time,” says Williams, who has a major in Marketing and the Liberal Studies concentration Media Arts and Society, as well as a minor in Law. “The entire Bentley community is behind this project. We’ve seen how strong this campus really is.”