Haiti: Where Did the Money Go? Episode 1

In January 2010, a 7.0 earthquake devastated Haiti. The international community, including one out of two Americans, pledged billions of dollars in aid, yet the nation has seen little improvement. Three hundred thousand died, nearly two million live in ramshackle tent cities. Cholera has swept through the population, killing thousands and hospitalizing many others. Only about 2% of the rubble has been cleared.

Is this what you expected when you pledged your aid dollars? Independent journalists Film@11.tv journeyed to Haiti in November 2010 to see the situation for themselves, and dig into the burning question: what happened to all that money?

• Category

  News & Politics

[rainydays161]

I'm doing a speech on Haiti's current conditions and this vid has really helped me realize how bad it really is :/

[FilmAt11tv]

Hi Rainydays161. Thanks for your email and we are glad that you have found it useful. So you know, there is also a version of this that is currently playing on PBS in the US. Depending where you are, you maybe able to pick it up. PBS calender is on our Filmat11 website (see link at top right of our youtube homepage)

best regards

Film at 11 team

[Donald Mulligan]

I have donated money. Not much because I am disabled. It really troubles me that it appears nothing had been done for rebuilding Haiti. I would give a few bucks a month more but I really need to know what is happening? Is the government that corrupt that they would take all the money and leave their people to suffer that way? It is too sad. I love all people and yes I am a Christian man.

[FilmAt11tv]

Thank you for watching--and for donating, because any donation is valuable, no matter what the amount. The Haitian government is not taking the money that you, and many others, have donated to charities (we are assuming you donated to a US-based organization). In fact, as we point out in other episodes of this web series and in our documentary based on the series, NGOs are, at best, a parallel government in Haiti, and at worst, have supplanted government.

[FilmAt11tv]

Furthermore, NGOs have no regulation and no obligation to tell you how they spend your donation--not just in Haiti, but anywhere (take a look at the lawsuits filed against US organizations in the aftermath of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina).

[FilmAt11tv]

There are some wonderful NGOs doing great and valuable work in Haiti and in other places, but usually these are much smaller, which means a lack of PR and advertising budgets. You should absolutely keep participating in the humanitarian world. Find an organization whose goals you agree with, and stick with that organization even when there is no disaster to respond to--a long-term relationship with a NGO is one of the things we've found will most help all of us do better at doing good.

[1soukousDANCER]

there is only 3000 view on this but 1000000 to watch someone fight or rap

[KnottyDreadknOt]

Very informative and moving video. We can't just throw money at the problem, because it only ends up in the pockets of the few. These people are struggling, without places to sleep or food to eat.. without clean toilets.. and that lady couldn't even take the time to learn how to pronounce "Port-au-Prince". I mean come on, it's pronounced "Prince" in English and Creole, not "Prance". The fact that she, as a journalist, couldn't take two seconds to figure it out is insulting.

[DD826]

At least, one of them can clean the friggen toilet!

[DD826]

When was the last time you heard of anything positive coming out of this country?

At least, get off your lazy asses and pick up the trash and maybe burn it?

[Howard Marks]

watch

Al Jazeera Correspondent - Haiti: After the Quake

select 720p

[Howard Marks]

watch

Inside Story Americas - Haiti: The republic of NGOs?

[James Motown]

All of the Charity from America was all a hoax

[Bee Gee]

Or to watch Lady Gaga hump a steak.

[Kelly Efird]

dlo sal = agua sucia

[FlacoXimenes]

BLAME IT ON THE CORRUPT OBAMA ADMINISTRATION

[J Calhoun]

It seems that Haitians are just sitting around and expecting other people to come and fix their country. They act as if the rest of the world owes them. Maybe if they assumed the lead role in the recovery efforts of THEIR country, they'd have less time to sit around expecting handouts.