Subject: Impressions from Haiti
From: "Anya T Harris" <[email-masked]>
To: "Kathryn Johnston" <[email-masked]>, "Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>, "George Economy" <[email-masked]>, "Barbara Belmont" <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 16 May 2010 13:34:30 -0700 (PDT)

Greetings!
I thought I would share with you just a few of the immediate impressions I shared with Nancy and Monica upon my return from Haiti traveling on mission with Christina Aguilera.  It was a life-changing event.

Nancy and Monica:

I am in the air on the way home from Haiti.  I hardly know where to start
reporting my impressions.

First, this trip exposed me to the greatest human suffering I have ever
witnessed.  The extreme conditions in Haiti tested my personal spirituality
as I pondered how on earth something so terrible could be going on each and
every day, and so close to home.  And I must say, I question how and why
the political leadership of this nation could permit the horrid conditions
of its people to continue.  Intellectually I know well the complexities of
interrelated forces further exacerbated by the earthquake, but on an
emotional level, the suppression of Haiti’s people, it seems to me, must
serve a purpose for a very few.  For the larger world community, this
simply cannot be allowed to continue.  But where, oh where to start.

On the other hand, the mothers and children are strong and the will to
survive is clear.  I cannot speak for the men as they were most often
absent from the experiences I had.  But so many women pregnant; so many
children hungry and without clothing.  And the rains are coming.  Only now
do I understand the magnitude of this impending disaster as each night in
Haiti we saw torrential downpours causing immediate flooding of streets,
markets and of course, the tent camps.  With our own bodies thoroughly
drenched in the first seconds of the downpour,  I couldn’t even imagine
what conditions were for a million people with all their worldly belongings
under tarps.  The profuse garbage everywhere, the oppressive heat and the
rains, will certainly prompt disease and more death.

As my first experience in the field, I thoroughly enjoyed spending time
with the WFP staff.  Their hearts, their hands, their dedication to the
work of WFP to improve lives was so impressive.  Each and every one
inspired me.  They too, live in tents with no air conditioning, are working
12-14 hour days, and are affected by the extreme heat and rains as well.
While they were all impressive, Myrta , Anne, Philip, Sara and Kate are
very, very special people.  And they taught me so much.  I will reach out
personally to each and express my thanks.  They invited me to return for a
deeper immersion in WFPs work (which was somewhat limited by the
constraints of the Christina mission) and I hope to do so soon (Cindy
McCain REALLY wants us to take her; perhaps we can make that happen.  Now
knowing the team, and the conditions, I think we could rather easily.)

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Josette and see her in action with
Christina and the WFP team at Camp Charlie.  As predicted, she was
inspiring.  She is a gifted communicator, a spirited and skilled
story-teller and an inspiring leader.  I was grateful for that opportunity
and hope it paves the way for another in the future.  As you would expect,
she handled Christina with perfect precision.

Bettina and I both feel we accomplished quite well the objectives for the
Christina mission.  It was interesting to see her try hard to learn to be a
humanitarian, and to be sure, Haiti is not Guatemala.  She is serious in
her commitment, but had moments of discomfort, which is all part of the
learning process for a young woman insulated from conditions she was faced
with.  Her commitment to women’s empowerment is so clear, and I have
invited her in name to join the Women’s Council.  She will be a good
Ambassador for us, even through predictable criticism that will come as a
result of her rather racy video performances.

And, Bettina and I are now forever bonded, having shared barracks with 2200
Brazilian peacekeepers.  We do indeed make a nice team (we even missed
Lio!) and it was nice for each of us to have each other.  She is a real
talent for WFP.

Nancy and Monica, this trip connected me deeply to the work of WFP, to its
people and to the women, children and communities we serve each and every
hot day across the globe.  I return changed and ever more committed to
help.  I am grateful to you both for supporting my work with WFP.

Warmly,
Anya
 
Anya T. Harris
World Food Programme
Individual Outreach - U.S.Relations
cell  (410) 340-3354
business line (443) 266-7236
[email-masked]
www.wfp.orgWFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  
In 2010, WFP aims to feed more than 90 million people in 73 countries.

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