Haiti, a small impoverished nation on the island of Hispaniola. Original inhabitants died of introduced diseases. Spain had it for awhile, then the French had it. The US has occupied it.
It possesses very little in the way of natural resources.
It has repeatedly been struck by Hurricanes, and recently a devastating earthquake.
Reported deaths are over 200 thousand.
The government is poor and not much able or willing to provide leadership or services.
The overall total population is around 8 million.
Little more than half the population can read.
Estimates are that 70 to 80 percent of the population live in abject poverty.
About 3 and a half million are estimated to be available to work.
Creole is the primary spoken language. French is also spoken.
It’s got two sea ports, Port-au-Prince, and Cape Haitian.
Reported airports number either a total of 14 or 13, and of those 3 are paved.
There are few roads.
Short term the nation is in need of food, clean water, tents, and other forms of shelter such as represented by either unmodified, or modified shipping containers.
The shipping container conversion industry is recommended for short term and long term attempts to shelter and house the people as the storm season that lasts from June to October approaches.
Long term the conversion of shipping containers into living spaces represents an export industry.
Road building also represents a source of income for the people taking into account educational levels, that are low.
Due to shared language, culture, and experiences, as well as similar needs to rebuild I am recommending Sister State alliances between the US State of Louisiana and Haiti. I am suggesting that education be an emphasis.
The Haitians need to achieve higher levels of education desperately.
Some teachers from Louisiana need to be encouraged to teach in Haiti, and some students need to be educated in Louisiana, primarily to return and teach in Haiti.
My study indicates that unless the hobbling reality of educational deprivation experienced by the Haitian people is forcefully addressed, no amount of aid will offer much hope at all off really moving them up.
Of States, I feel strongly that Louisiana is better equipped to fill this role, than any other State for the reasons I have already listed.
The details of this, are to be worked out.