Haiti in Perspective
A year ago this past week, an unspeakable tragedy befell the people of Haiti.
A devastating earthquake ravaged the small Caribbean nation, destroying most of the nation’s infrastructure and leaving millions of men, women, and children homeless. Millions of people all over the world pitched in, and we in the hosting industry tried to do our part as well.
Last year, along with several industry colleagues and competitors, ServInt was a founding member of Hosting for Haiti, an initiative designed to raise funds for the American Red Cross’ work in Haiti. We also co-sponsored an indie music benefit concert in Washington, D.C. benefiting Voice of Haiti. Voice of Haiti is an organization that focuses on building sustainable infrastructure, job training, and on providing basic agricultural and sanitation improvements to Haitians in the greatest need. Voice of Haiti is the only NGO in many of the most impoverished regions of Haiti, and its projects are managed and executed by local Haitians. 95% of all money donated to Voice of Haiti is actually put to work “in-country” — a remarkable amount. It truly is an incredible organization and we are proud to do whatever we can to help them.
ServInt also co-sponsored the creation of IndieMusicforHaiti.com, a site that enables musicians from all over the world to spread a positive message in support of Haiti. Musicians are still uploading their music to the site to help keep the plight of the Haitian people in the hearts and minds of those more fortunate, and we are proud to help ensure they stay online.
This past week, I’ve been reflecting on just how fortunate we really are in this country and elsewhere in the world. Haiti may only be a few hundred miles off the coast of America, but it still feels very far away.
I can say unequivocally that the aftermath of the earthquake helped put my personal and professional struggles in perspective. Things that all of us take for granted, like plumbing and irrigation, running water and basic hygiene, the availability and ubiquity of food and agricultural resources…well, there are still people in our own backyard who struggle without these basic comforts. So many of the challenges we face in our personal and professional lives pale in significance to what many Haitians must endure every single day and, frankly, it’s easier to simply not think about it.
But we have to keep thinking about it — because the sad truth is that the crisis isn’t over. We owe it to ourselves and to each other to remember what happened, to step outside of our comfort zones and put our personal problems in perspective. Right now in Haiti, cholera is rampant and a steady barrage of devastating weather has made development even more difficult. Right now, in Washington, D.C., we’re complaining about traffic. Perspective can be a powerful thing.
If you can, please consider giving back to help those in need and keep the suffering in your thoughts as we move ahead in 2011 and beyond. Here are some groups that we think are doing a good job for Haitians in need. Help them in any way you can.
- Christian
Photo by Blog do Planalto.
An Interview with James Felter of Voice of Haiti / Vwa Ayiti International
A few days ago, I sat down with James Felter, founder and President of Vwa Ayiti / Voice of Haiti International. We talked about some of the challenges his organization faces day to day in Haiti, what they’ve been doing there before, during, and after the disaster, and what he and Voice of Haiti hope to accomplish in the coming months.
Below are parts one and two of the interview.
So far this year, ServInt has been involved in a number of initiatives that place renewed focus on our long-standing tradition of corporate social responsibility.
- We co-sponsored an incredible concert in support of Haiti at DC9 this past February. ServInt matched 100% of the donations at the event which went to Vwa Ayiti / Voice of Haiti.
- Along with dozens of our esteemed colleagues and competitors in the hosting industry, ServInt co-sponsored Hosting for Haiti. Hosting for Haiti helped direct donations to the International Response Fund as well as direct relief in Haiti via the American Red Cross.
- We are a co-sponsor of Indie Music for Haiti, one of the coolest experiments in user-generated content I’ve ever had the pleasure to see, much less be a part of. Our two collaborators on the project, Asparagus Media and Simple Station, will also be contributing to our blog very soon.
All this alongside the launch of our brand new website, customer portal, our new Solo Series of dedicated servers (including the Solo Express), and our most aggressive VPS Promo ever.
Needless to say, 2010 has been a very busy year so far.
Indie Music for Haiti: A New Outlet to Help Those in Need
As I’m sure all of you know, a devastating earthquake struck Haiti earlier this year.
Millions donated money, time, and energy to help those in need, however as with any international crisis the dedication to alleviating the problem wanes shortly after the cameras leave.
Even worse, Haiti was the poorest nation in our hemisphere long before the earthquake destroyed much of it’s existing infrastructure. What is needed now, more than ever, is time, patience, and dedication to helping millions of Haitians rebuild their country.
In this spirit, ServInt, in partnership with Asparagus Media and Simple Station, is proud to be involved with IndieMusicforHaiti.com.
IndieMusicforHaiti.com allows musicians from all over the world to upload their music videos to help keep attention on supporting Haiti. Artists of all genres and styles are encouraged to upload their work, and all we ask in return is that you point users to a charity of your choice that will help those affected by the earthquake.
This week, we’ll be posting blog posts from Fritz Stolzenbach and Stuart Bowen of Asparagus Media and Simple Station, respectively. They’ll be offering their insights into the goings on behind Indie Music for Haiti from both a logistical level, as well as a technological level.
I’ll also be posting a two part series of interviews I conducted with James “Jimmy” Felter, the founder of Vwa Ayiti International (Voice of Haiti). Vwa Ayiti is an incredible organization that has been on the ground in Haiti for years helping to provide some of the basic aid that is so sorely needed in a country with very little modern infrastructure. The interview is enlightening and really helps bring home a lot of what is happening in Haiti day to day.
Thanks for your support, and stay tuned for some terrific updates!
Reminder: Indie Music for Haiti Concert Tonight in D.C.!
Hey Everyone!
We’re all really excited about the concert tonight, it’s going to be a blast and we’re looking forward to hanging out in what is already my personal favorite night spot for a great cause.
In anticipation, I thought I’d shed some light on a few of the performers who are slated to appear tonight and hopefully entice those on the fence to come out and see the show!
Let me go act by act and explain why this show is going to be so awesome.
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