Cookies.
This word itself affects us biologically and emotionally. When you read it, you instantly conjure up a mental image of your favorite flavor. Simultaneously your senses become more keen: you begin to salivate in large quantities, your olfactory sense joins in the search to delve in its scent, your tactile sense feels the need to hold its crunchy edges and soft core, and your taste buds yearn in nostalgia of your last indulgence. As your stomach becomes a raging storm of acid waves, your mouth floods with saliva.
Psychologically, the desire to eat intensifies,
you feel the need to have it because it is something that will fill you with
pleasure. You are hypnotized by your own thoughts as your eyes roll to the back
of your head in the though of chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, red velvet, peanut
butter, or sprinkles.
You probably question if it is a
universal fact that cookies make people nothing less than jubilant!
But, Haitians would not agree.
Historically, since around the beginning
of the 1800’s Haitian societies have been torn to pieces because of power
struggles and greediness. Initially, Haiti was under the rule of the French. They
established a labor system that placed high value on production rather than
self-interest allowing for an economically rich land to emerge. Unfortunately,
the cheap labor was driven by slave labor.
Though the French later left the Haitian community,
its new leaders, once slaves themselves, adopted the values of slave labor, and
though several people were freed, it continued. Europeans maintained slave labor
in different countries, so, the example that Haiti was exhibiting (of a country
with free slaves), was seen as a threat by Europeans which resulted in their withdrawal
from purchasing Haitian goods as a way to revolt against this, leading to the beginning
of Haitian economic demise.
Haiti’s desire to be recognized by
the European communities cause them to loose a large sum amount of money,
causing the country to be in debt for about 80 years until 1922. Once the debt
was paid off it seemed as if the country would be able to start anew, however,
the United State integrated itself into its economic affairs and caused corruption
within Haiti’s rulers using the countries money for purposes other than
sustaining its people.
As time progressed Haiti’s economic
standing did not.
Today, Haiti is one of the poorest
countries in the world. The poorest in the western hemisphere and the secondmost populated at that.
Specific regions in Haiti like CitéSoleil, are dangerously
The city is surrounded by open sewage, waste, and toxic chemicals from nearby factories.
The only food supply that is abundant is Haiti are cookies (as considers by americans).
How would you feel if cookies were
your only source of food? Sounds like a delicious idea doesn’t it?
But what if you weren’t allowed to
choose the flavor?
What if, instead of the main
ingredients being sugar, flour, and eggs, these cookies would contain dirt,
bacteria, and disease.
This is how inhabitants of Cité Soleil view
cookies.
To them the word, in their native language, is simply repulsive. It reminds them of their
debilitated situation, and continues to
reveal to them that they are in dire need of help.
Being aware of others situations causes us to become conflicted with our own privileges. Within the 5 weeks of being in Penn state I have found that food items are discarded half-eaten or if disliked discarded in their entirety. Though one cannot see the monetary value of food in the USA alone billions of dollars are wasted in purchasing food items that are never consumed.
Being conscious of your own actions improves situations for others around the world. The less food gone to waste here, the more is able to be provided for those dealing with living conditions such as the people of Haiti.
If that kind of money was saved rather than spent, it would allow a lot of wiggle room to give to the less fortunate.
