AASU students collect money, supplies for Haiti

The catastrophic earthquake that has all but destroyed Haiti’s infrastructure has invoked a great deal of international support and aid for the small island nation, and the student body at AASU is no exception to that trend.

There are several groups on campus that have started charities in order to collect money and supplies to help the countless Haitian refugees.

Dr. Wayne M. Johnson, adviser to the African-Caribbean Student Organization (ASCO), said it was an unfortunate situation that could not have happened in a worse place.

“The U.S., being the one of the wealthiest nations in the world, has a responsibility to show leadership,” Johnson said.

ASCO partnered up with Hispanic Outreach & Leadership at Armstrong (HOLA) with the goal of collecting money and supplies for the victims, and put up a large poster that explains the importance of donating and supporting Haiti.

Peter Daniel, the student who made the poster put on display by ACSO, went to Haiti and taught English, art and computer science, among other subjects, for seven months.

Daniel said teaching impacted his own educational direction.

“Helping deliver a baby in a mud-hut got me interested in medicine, which led me to finish pre-medical studies at Armstrong. I’m applying to enter medical school this August,” Daniel said.

Daniel said he hopes aid continues to come for the rebuilding of the country.

“The bottleneck at the airport is very frustrating; I think aid distribution could have been managed more effectively. However, I also understand the logistics of coordinating this relief must be very complex,” Daniel said. “I’m grateful for the extremely generous response of the international community, and I hope for its continued presence on the long road ahead.”

Another group, “Help for Haiti,” along with “Hermanas For Haiti,” collected money in MCC every day last week and gave it to international aid group “I Care,” located in Metro Atlanta. The organization has been sending aid to Haiti for the past five years.

The leader of “Help for Haiti,” Adeola Oshinubi, explained that she thought it was very important for college students to contribute to this effort.

“A lot of people think college students just don’t care enough to give, but it’s important to be selfless at times like these,” Oshinubi said.

The Honors program at AASU has also been contributing to the efforts underway, and Monday, Feb. 2 they hosted a food and clothing drive at the cafeteria with the aid of a local church. The supplies will be driven up to Atlanta and then sent to Haiti.