I’m an unabashed NPR junkie, and like many people I have been glued to the radio this week while listening to news of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. I wish that I could speak or read Haitian Kreyol, but like many other FR<>EN translators I did take the step of applying to Translators Without Borders.
While browsing freelance journalist and editor Michelle Rafter’s blog WordCount: Freelancing in the digital age, I came across her fascinating post called The story behind the story, about how media outlets, including NPR, are covering the Haitian earthquake. I then clicked through to this fascinating blog post by NPR’s ombudsman Alicia Shephard, who gives a timeline of what happened at NPR from the moment the quake struck, an hour into NPR’s flagship evening news program. It’s especially interesting to read how news outlets are using new media tools like Twitter to distribute and receive information when phone communications break down.
While listening to the earliest reports from the NPR reporters who arrived in Haiti soon after the earthquake, I was struck by the fact that I had never (even after events like 9/11) heard seasoned reporters break down in tears during live coverage; I couldn’t fathom what the scene on the ground must be like if these people, whose careers consist largely of covering war zones, murders, natural disasters and terrorist attacks were overwhelmed by the tragedy they were seeing. Very interesting reading, and if anyone knows of ways for translators to help smaller organizations that might be less overwhelmed with volunteers, please post them in the comments!
Corinne,
What is happening in Haiti has no equivalent in the 20th century as far as natural disasters are concerned. The estimated number of deaths is running way over 100,000 now.
If we talk war zones, the only thing that comes to mind is Hiroshima and Nagazaki but reporters were explicitly forbidden to cover the bombed areas.
In terms of death and destruction the earthquake is indeed very close to Hiroshima.
There is nothing in recent years that could have prepared any reporter, or anybody for that matter, for such a situation.
Hi Corinne,
I have been slowly reading through your blog since late last year and enjoy all of your posts very much.
I would like to post some information relevant to the Central Florida area: My friend Vanessa Wagenknecht’s agency Verbatim Languages Inc. is helping provide free Creole Interpretation Services for a month to local hospitals treating Haitians affected by the earthquake and relocated to Central Florida. They welcome any Creole interpreters (with and without interpretation experience) who would like to join the cause. If you know of anyone local to the area who speaks Creole, please contact her at ForHaiti@verbatimlanguages.com to discuss further.
Thanks so much for posting this.
Corinne:
Thank you for once again a great post.
While I think it is important that all of us contribute some volunteer efforts to help the people of Haiti right now, I also think it is important to continue to think of volunteering our services in 6 months, a year or more from now.
In my experience of working for NGOs in the field of refugees and asylees, I can attest that after a natural disaster, a war or any other similar event, refugees and asylees (in the US) from the country concerned re-experience some past trauma. They often need psychological and/or medical support. Interpreters and translators are needed in these settings. The support they need may last beyond the media attention.
There will also be families trying to reunite with their loved ones back home. NGOs providing legal assistance will need translation of documents (the availability of official Haitian documents will become an issue in itself with the destruction of so many government infrastructures).
Here are couple good places to start looking for an NGO in your area that may be working with Haitian refugees and asylees:
-Resettlement agencies such as The International Rescue Committee (www.irc.org), Catholic Charities (www.catholiccharitiesusa.org), or Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (www.lirs.org)
-Centers treating torture and trauma victims. Check the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims website (www.irct.org). On the left side of the home page there is a “global presence” icon which will lead you to a list of centers around the world by geographical region.
-Any local bar association should be able to point you to legal NGOs working with Haitian immigrants.
Hope this helps.