DeeDee

In order to provide readers of this blog with more information about Haiti and relief efforts there, I would like to interview DeeDee Regalado. DeeDee, a family friend, has been traveling to Haiti for several years now, making trips once every few months. She regularly works with the staff and visiting groups at New Life Children's Home to provide food, medical assistance, clothing, and love to children in orphanages and elsewhere in Haiti who do not have these things. DeeDee is a very strong woman, and would no doubt have much to say about Haiti and her colorful experiences there. I would probably ask DeeDee questions such as, "What specifically caused you to become so interested in the country of Haiti and its welfare?" or "Where do you see yourself in 20 years: still making trips to Haiti, having adopted a child from Haiti, living in Haiti full-time, or simply raising support from home?". Questions like these will help to expose DeeDee's feelings about each of these subjects, and give the blog reader a deeper insight into how Haiti personally and deeply affects those invested in its growth.

"From the Poets in the Kitchen" and Relief Work in Haiti

"From the Poets in the Kitchen" is an autobiographical article detailing the author's upbringing amid a struggling immigrant family in America, and how her experiences shaped who she became as a writer and as a person. Though her financial situation was a sizable obstacle, it never seemed to hinder her too significantly; the sense of love and cultural richness her family provided her with was inspiration enough for her to pursue her dreams and build something beautiful out of her life despite her modest surroundings. She was encouraged to work towards her goal, rather than subsisting on pity and charity handouts. Similarly, relief organizations in Haiti, in order to make a lasting impact, cannot rely solely on charity and handouts. They must draw from cultural pride and a tough love that provides relief along with training and enablement to build up their own futures and country. Enabling Haiti is a slow process, but it can be done with hard work, love, and perseverance; one person at a time.