It doesn't take very long to get a feel for the devastation wrought by
the earthquake, as you dig in on photos and videos available on the
Internet. The scale of destruction is horrific, easily on par with what the Japanese are currently dealing with. But despite the challenging environment and limited resources, there have been moderate technological successes during rebuilding efforts.
Relief organizations have been wirelessly networked, and occasional press releases about new Wi-Fi hotspots coming online show that modest progress is being made. Curiously, relief workers and journalists so far tend to be
the
primary users of the restored services, and the challenge remains, beyond blogging about it, how
do we use technology to positively impact the people who need it the most?
I have been spending a fair amount of time at the http://haitirewired.wired.com website, learning about the general state of IT in Haiti and what others are doing to help the Haitian people through technology. It's fascinating that wired networking never took very deep root in Haiti, and that most connectivity was and is wireless. I've learned that limited ISP options, transportation challenges, power reliability issues, uncertainty about building safety and the language barrier all add to the challenges that others have faced when trying to bring connectivity back to what it was before the disaster, so it can also be expanded on. I've also been impressed by the growing community of tech-savvy volunteers who want to make a difference in Haiti, even if they all don't agree on how to proceed.
At this point, I certainly have more questions than I have theories about what I'll be able to contribute to improving life for Haitians. Hopefully my skills, the complement of network resources at my disposal, and being part of a team that truly wants to make a difference will provide real value to rebuilding efforts in Haiti during our visit in early May. Watch for an update in a few weeks, and I encourage anyone interested in helping to get educated on Haiti.
It's a fascinating country in pretty dire circumstances right now. I believe that technology can be used not just to provide media coverage of the Haitian situation, but also for education, communication and quality of life for the Haitian people, even if I don't quite yet understand how to pull it off. And remember how Haiti's reality contradicts our own; while we Jones for the next-generation iPad, a Haitian family is looking for its next meal.
