Changing the World

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January,12 2010 the beautiful country of Haiti was struck by a horrifying earthquake, destroying the already impoverished country. The Caribbean sun shined down on what seemed to be a normal day, but the people were unaware of what was to come moments later. This devastating natural disaster lasted only 40 seconds, killed 316,000 people and left 1.3 million homeless (“Earthquake Information for 2010”). This horrifying earthquake was important because it opened the doors for improvement to be done in this country in need. The damage caused was unimaginable. Not just physically, but also emotionally the Haitian people were traumatized. Although this natural disaster was horrific, out of this tragedy came economical progress and growth, which tremendously motivated the country.

Haiti is a country located in the West Indies between Puerto Rico and Cuba, sharing the Island of Hispanola with the Dominican Republic. Two-thirds of the country is made up of large rolling mountain ranges with the remaining consisting of lush, vibrant valleys and small plains (“Haiti USSDN”). It is a stunning oasis but unfortunately, it is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. According to the Human Development Index, which is a composite statistic of life expectancy, education and income used to rank countries, Haiti is ranked 149th out of 182 countries. Haiti also has the highest rate of AIDS, malnutrition and infant mortality in the region. Obviously, Haiti is a country in desperate need of significant change and not a life-altering earthquake. More than 316,000 people died that day and days following. There was rubble everywhere. Due to the heat and humidity, bodies rapidly began to decompose and smell. The government had to send out c...

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"Haiti." U.S. State Department County Notes. Web. 26 Jan. 2014. .

Simon, Mallory. "7.0 Earthquake hits Haiti "Serious loss of life" expected." CNN World . Web. 26 Jan. 2014. .

Than, Ker. "Haiti Earthquake "Strange", Strongest in 200 years." National Geographic 13 Jan. 2010: Web. 26 Jan. 2014. .

Padgett, Tim, and Susana Ferreira. "World." World Haiti Three Years After the Quake Theres Good News Too Comments. World Time, 12 Jan. 2013. Web. 17 Mar.2014.

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