In Port-au-Prince, the people of Haiti assembled in churches on Thursday to mark the two year anniversary of the destructive earthquake that killed around 250,000 people. Since the disaster, many countries have pledged to aid Haiti, but Michaelle Jean, the former governor-general and current UNESCO special envoy to Haiti, reportedly says that the renovation of the country can only come from the people themselves along with support from foreign governments who have pledged billions of dollars.
Jean said, “I believe in all efforts combined to promote conditions conducive to job creation, to the rapid growth of small- and medium-sized businesses capable of bringing new opportunities for better living conditions among all Haitians, men and women.” This week, Canada pledged $20 million to help house people living in a downtown Port-au-Prince camp, train female entrepreneurs, create 2,000 short-term construction jobs, and further train 240 certified construction workers.
