Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: News

Gripping images of the earthquake aftermath in Haiti have been flooding news stations and newspapers since that devastating day in January. People across the world have responded to the call of humanitarianism with swiftness and compassion. Last Thursday an Eastern graduate spoke to students about how they can join the relief efforts and help to restore Haiti.

Jessica Murphy, a recent graduate of Eastern, spoke to students about her involvement with Christian Flights International, a local missions organization in Richmond, that has had ties to Haiti for roughly 30 years.

"I became involved with Christian Flights my senior year after seeing their booth at City Fest," she said. "I signed up, volunteered two hours a week and was able to graduate with a job waiting for me."

Christian Flights International's mission is to support, equip and otherwise empower gifted Hatian leaders to teach, heal, train and restore their own people and their own land.

"We are very proud of the fact that we don't have any American staff in Haiti, we are 100 percent for Haitian sustainability," Murphy said. "There are only two American staff, myself and the director. The rest is composed of Haitian volunteers," she added.

CFI is located in Ranquitte, Haiti, where the group has been able to establish a school for about 2,000 students, as well as a medical facility. A fair trade coffee program was also recently thrown into the mix, Murphy said.

The school has provided Haitian students with an opportunity to learn from pre-school to grade thirteen. The literacy rate in Haiti has increased over the last few years. This is due to the government putting more schools in rural areas. Murphy said the school system goes up to grade thirteen because many Haitian children will not be able to afford to go to college.

Murphy shared with students personal pictures from her trip to Haiti three months ago, pointing out a small, cinderblock hut held together with stucco and covered with a tin roof which housed a family of 12.

"The mother that lives in this hut told me that she saved her money for 10 years so that she could buy herself the really beautiful china cabinet in this picture," Murphy said.

Murphy also shared with students some pictures of another common Haitian home. Many of the houses that aren't made with cinderblock are made with sticks woven together and covered in mud, along with scraps, aluminum and whatever else can be found to build a hut.

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