When tasked with writing a blog post that would be published in the middle of November, my first thought was, “Perfect, easy – everyone loves a post that is comforting, moving and inspiring during the season of giving thanks!” When I learned the blog post topic was global health, well … after the last 18 months we’ve had, all I could think was, “How am I supposed to put a positive spin on global health at a time like this?”
Collapsed classrooms. Crumbled rooves. Terrified children. The earthquake that strucksouthern Haiti in August 2021 caused widespread damage and left behind a lot of questions. With more than 70% of schools in the region affected, the new school year, set to start in October,was seriously compromised. Most schools were severely damaged or destroyed—and even those not so badly affected were in no position to open their classroom doors.Parents were afraid their children might not be able to return to school or meetin Compassion’scenters.In Haiti, many schools meet at local churchesand use the same facilities as the child development center.