"An Incredibly Moving Trip to Haiti" by Dr Jill Biden

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Posted by Dr. Jill Biden on April 14, 2010 at 8:15 PM EDT

Yesterday, I was honored to join the First Lady on an incredibly moving trip to Haiti.

Like many of you – I have watched news reports and have read numerous accounts of the crisis in Haiti since the earthquake in January. Witnessing the impact of the devastation on the people of Haiti as well as the relief efforts of Haitians, Americans, and dozens of other countries and organizations was powerful for both me and Michelle.

There is clearly much work to be done in Haiti, but after seeing the situation first-hand, I left with a sense of tremendous hope. The will of the Haitian people and the strong commitment of partners from around the world will help Haiti build back better.

As a teacher, I was particularly gratified to visit an organization called Children's Place, which is supported by Mrs. Preval. The First Lady and I met teachers and students who are using empty school buses as classrooms in an innovative effort to ensure that their education continues, even amidst terrible destruction. We also visited College St. Pierre, a secondary school where many students were killed when the building was destroyed three months ago. There we saw Haitians and dozens of volunteers working to rebuild a school that will once again educate Haiti's future leaders.

It was an incredible honor to meet the many individuals who have been at the core of the relief and recovery work, and to relay President Obama’s message that Haiti will have a steady and reliable partner in the United States of America throughout these efforts.

I hope this visit helps to remind everyone that we can all still play a role in helping Haiti restore its future – please visit the Haiti Earthquake Relief page on WhiteHouse.gov for ways that you can help from wherever you are.

Thanks for reading, and for taking action.
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