http://youtu.be/VGeFpz10baw
Poverty is something that interests me very much. I'm more than determined to go on a mission to Haiti the summer before I goto college to do all that I can to help. I know by now everyone is aware of poverty and what it is but I'm hoping this video will open some peoples eyes to see all the problems that people in poverty face on a daily basis.
In February 2010 a devastating earthquake had struck port-au-prince, Haiti. 220,000 people were killed in the earthquake and over 1 million displaced. Port-au-price Haiti had already officially had the poorest people in the Western Hemisphere, with 80% of the population already living below the poverty line before the earthquake. Four boys, two of them brothers and the other two friends, decided that the only way to understand how the Haitians live was to live like the Haitians by living on 1 single dollar a day. What they're doing is very brave and inspiring, they're putting their lives in jeopardy, just like the Haitians do everyday. They will be living in a tent on the hard ground with just a pillow and a sheet to share amongst each other. They have to learn how to stay alive for 28 days.
I liked this video a lot because is touched on all the important things that most people don't appreciate and/or take for granted . For example food, clothes, water, medicine and education. It's something as simple as food that will make or break a family. It makes me sad to think about how much food my family wastes. I can't even tell you how much food gets throw out of my fridge every week due to going bad bc it was untouched. I can't even imagine how much food is throw out in houses all over the world bc of that reason. It is truly baffling that children and adults across America and in other countries have days when they don't eat when i don't think I have been an area or room for 2 hours without food within a mile radius. While writing this my mom asked me what I wanted for dinner and I thought to myself how lucky I am to have the option to pick from a million things to eat meanwhile thousands of people didn't eat tonight. I wish there was some way I can simply just buy or give starving people my food bc I have way way too much of it.
Another thing that we are we don't realize we are lucky to have is our big beautiful homes. In this documentary, these huts and tents that I wouldn't even consider to call a house were these peoples homes. Families of 8 would live in a tent the size of my room and I complain that my room is too small compared to my friends.
At one part in the video the 4 guys try to experience what it's like to be a box holder and a rubble worker. They soon began to realize how difficult it was. These workers had to haul these 100 lb boxes over their heads down to the market. The Haitian people do this daily for blocks and get maybe a dollar per hour. I worked at the beach bakery this past summer and complained when I had to carry three 15 lb coffee bags from the storage room upstairs to the bakery that's downstairs. I made $9 an hour so that's $72 a day and $288 dollars a week , the box carriers make less than $15 Per week and work 6 hours a day. The bakery wasn't easy but I can guarantee those men in Haiti work a lot harder than I did.
Lastly I'd like to talk about education. Most parents living in poverty can't afford their child's education. I hear people say on a daily basis how much they hate school and how stupid it is meanwhile some children would kill for an education and the opportunities that we have. There are so many kids in the esm school district who see school as a punishment rather than a privilege.
Only half of Haitian ppl can afford to goto primary school with it costing as little as 10$ a month. This showed me to always be grateful of what you have.
Many people in our world today take a lot for granted, myself included. We're all so caught up in wanting the best of the best, the latest car, clothes, shoes, iPhone etc that we don't stop to think "do we really need this?" Even if we do stop to ask ourselves that question most of us would still say yes. But when it comes down to it how many pairs of shoes can u wear at a time? How many Michael khors watches can you wear on your wrist? How many ray-ban sunglasses can you wear on your face? I'm not saying dont buy anything and give all your money to people who are poor im just asking to appreciate what you have and stop complaining about what you don't. 1.2 billion people are living on a dollar a day at this very moment. Spread the word about poverty and make a difference.
-Kelly Gomez
I watched your link on the 4 men that lived in poverty in Haiti for a month. It made me realize that I am lucky to live how I am today, not having to worry about when my next meal would be. People don't think about what its like to be poor unless they experience it themselves. Being a grown man living on one USD a day seems impossible, and that's just to pay for food. The four men were incapable of brushing their teeth and showering and washing their clothes took about 45 minutes. Also, it took about 2 hours to prepare food, which was usually rice and beans. If it rained, they might not be able to eat because they weren't able to make a fire.
ReplyDeleteI went to Haiti when I was in 7th grade. I stayed on the resort of my cruise line so I didn't get to see much but I remember it being unbearably hot outside and a lot of garbage polluting the beach and water. Just being outside for more than an hour in the sun took a lot of energy out of me. I am grateful of having a nice house and bed, instead of a tarp overhead and sleeping on the ground every night. I agree with you that we should donate and make a difference for the people that were less fortunate than ourselves.