Insights on Oprah’s show on Haiti
Written by Dahla
A viewer’s perspective
I decided to watch the show because I was curious to see what more I can learn about Sean Penn’s work in Haiti and how Oprah would broadcast the story on OWN.
Oprah’s documentary on her trip in Haiti depicted the country in its impoverished conditions in Petion-Ville as a result of the earthquake 2 years ago and most importantly depicted Sean Penn as a humanitarian. Certainly, Sean Penn’s work in Haiti has separated the actor from his wild past and obnoxious behavior at times. His actions showed that when there’s a will, there’s a way to the fact that he took the initiative in building the right team to create his vision and he succeeded. He simply thought outside of the box by building a small community for the camp residents so they don’t lose hope. I admired the fact that Oprah toured the camp and spoke to Haitian families; that a much needed improvement exists in camp; that Sean Penn’s Haiti residence was shown (the humble man within him) and the fact that Oprah showed compassion and understanding to our people living in camp.
I felt Oprah’s presence in Haiti was genuine and warm and I believe that she will keep track on Sean Penn’s organization evolution in Haiti. Certainly, Oprah’s insights on J/P HRO will show her viewers and others a better assessment of Sean Penn’s work in the Petion-Ville Camp. I was puzzled by Oprah’s constant comment on the braids of our Haitian girls and their neatness. I am proud to say that Haitian parents always felt obligated to care for their children as clean as possible even with little or no means. Most Haitian parents are dedicated to give their children a better life and future and would work hard so their children look presentable in school.
I wished there was more in a depth discussion about the relocation process in Haiti and how much it costs to relocate one family at a time and how those permanent housings are found in Haiti. One quote I loved by Sean Penn states that “I am touched by humanity but not so fond of humans”. What a striking statement by him! If you go beyond the superficial line sentence, you would see that it makes sense. From my perspective, I took it like humans often bring delayed actions and bureaucracy to make things happen and if a person would bypass those obstacles, change can really happen. I’m glad to know that his optimism guided him to take those proactive actions in Haiti.
There are still somewhat 25,000 people still living under tents and we can all be part of this positive change. Sean Penn had revealed that they have about 300 staffers, and I would have liked to know what is the next step for Sean Penn, the humanitarian and J/P HRO after all the people have been relocated in the camp. This is to be followed…………
For further details on Sean Penn’s organization, click here. Stay tuned tomorrow night for Part 2 of Oprah’s documentary on Haiti.
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