Haiti stories - 2007-2011

Lock, listen and feel the heartbeat of Haiti It is a place where thousands of children are living in the streets, where young girls prostitute themselves in their everyday fight for survival. It is a place where orphans are kept as domestic slaves, recompensed only with the leftovers of the family meal. It was hit by a devastating earthquake in January of this year, an earthquake that killed over 300,000 people and left homeless more than 1 million. But at the same time, it is a nation whose people are strong, smile often and wear their best clothes every single day. It is Haiti. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. On top of that, the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010 caused a major setback to the Haitian economy. An estimated three million people were affected by the quake. The Haitian government reported that up to 300,000 people died. 300,000 were injured and more than 1,000,000 became homeless. About 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings collapsed or were severely damaged. And despite all this, the Haitians never give up. It is a nation with a strong will to continue and to survive.