The bravery and generosity of a group of B.C. high school students stranded in Haiti for five days last week is breathtaking.
The group from Slocan Valley, B.C., which landed in Haiti the same day the quake hit on Jan. 12, was in the country to help set up a goat farm at a compound in a town about 50 kilometres away from Port-au-Prince.
After the quake hit, the resulting destruction forced the students to sleep on the ground.
They also found that the US $10,000 they had raised for the farm project had been stolen.
But despite those setbacks, the students, seeing the devastation and desperation around them, decided to act.
Although they were running out of food themselves, they pooled what money they had between them and asked Haitian police to buy rice that was left at local stores.
Going beyond the relative safety of the compound, the students distributed the rice to hungry locals.
When their chaperones were in contact with Canadian officials, they passed on what the students were saying: Although the situation in the country was becoming increasingly desperate, and the students were hoping to get home, they were still expressing admiration for the Haitians and a desire to continue to help them when they returned to Canadian soil.
They did that on Monday — returned to Canadian soil — after they been had transported to the airport in Haiti from the compound where they were staying by the Canadian military on Sunday.
Hearing the details of this incredible story, it’s hard to remember that this group was so youthful.
It could have given in to forces of hunger, exhaustion and fear and hidden away. But the students did exactly the opposite.
Canada is fortunate to have been so positively represented in Haiti by this dignified group of young adults.
