Haiti-One Person's Journey

We at DLI are proud to announce that the President of our company, Jerry Shelly, will be traveling to Haiti in efforts to aid in any way that he can, the people of Haiti who still suffer from the effects of last year's earthquake, a Cholera epidemic and a host of other problems.


Here is his story.

I am told that by going to Haiti, the chances of my changing anyone’s life there is minimal.  In the same breath, those who have been tell me there is a good chance that by just going, it will change mine.  I will find out soon.  A week from today I will be there.

I am going with a small medical team led by my friend Dr. Don Lafont of Jackson, Tennessee.  Dr. Don has been providing free medical assistance in Haiti for over twenty five years.  He was there a week after last year’s earthquake and said that he witnessed carnage that could only be compared to that of war’s aftermath.  He feels that he occasionally makes a small difference when he goes but knows that his medical help provides no long term solutions to the people he treats.  He says what they need are jobs.  Because I have had some success in business, Dr. Don wants me to go to see if I can see any opportunities that might result in creating some jobs there.

I am not sure if I will be able to do any good, but I am inspired by a business associate, Ann Piper of the Joe Piper Company in Birmingham, Alabama, who has made multiple trips to Haiti since the earthquake.  She just returned from a trip where she leased some land that will be used to grow habanero peppers which in turn will be sold to a local processor resulting in four new jobs initially.

While getting my shots for the trip, I was informed by Birmingham’s Kirklin Clinic that Haiti has gone from last to first as the most frequently traveled foreign country by the people of Birmingham.  It is amazing how many feel the need to help a country that in its history has never been able to demonstrate the ability to help itself.

It is reported that $1.4 billion has been donated by Americans alone but only $53 million has actually been spent on Haiti’s recovery and rebuilding efforts.  The reports say the money is being held up due to the bureaucracy, red tape and corruption that are well known to exist in Haiti.  It is not surprising to learn that most of Haiti’s past dictators are back in town with that much money left in the balance.

Just getting donated supplies into the country is arduous.  Dr. Don has been taking medicines in his luggage for years to insure that it gets to the right place.  Having something shipped in and being assured that it gets to the intended destination is almost impossible unless there is someone there to work the system which I’m told usually involves money.  I have a large quantity of medicines and clothing that have been generously donated by my customers, employees and friends but I am being advised to wait until I get there and find someone that I can trust (?) to help get these donations through customs and then on to the final destination.  I am in contact with a gentleman who runs an orphanage for disabled children as one possibility.

More from Haiti.

-Jerry Shelly