As we researched about the issue in Haiti, my group mates and I stumbled upon a non-profit organization called Mission of Hope. What they do is they supply meals, schooling, transportation, healthcare, etc. On February 8th, we got a chance to interview 2 people that work there. Todd Lowans is the Mission of Hope Vice President of Operations and Paige Oberlag is the leader of their women empowerment team. Both Todd and Paige live in the Dominican Republic and are actively supporting Haiti.

During the interview, we discussed with Todd about how Haiti is viewed in the media. He told us that Haiti gets little to no news coverage but he also mentioned that the only things that are covered are significant events or times when America is involved. 

Todd told a story about how he woke up in the middle of the night to find his campus surrounded by flaming roadblocks. He had later figured out that gangs were protesting. Security and police had to keep them inside of the building for days and days. Paige also talked about how she had a connection with some people who were kidnapped and also murdered. As someone who did not know much about Haiti before this project, hearing these stories really sent a wave of awareness towards me and a realization of how dangerous Haiti is.

To close out the interview, we asked Todd how us students could help Haiti. Todd told us to be supportive and loving to refugees from Haiti. Kindness can go a long way for these people who have been through so much. My group mates and I look forward to learning more about the issue in Haiti.