Haiti Calling
On the 28th January 2010, the BBC came to Dorothy Stringer to do a live video link with children living in Port-au-Prince in Haiti. They were all pupils at the Morning Star school, where we are now hoping to forge a permanent link, similar to those we already have with schools in Ghana and Cameroon.
So, how did this link come about? Well, the BBC put 'Schools Fundraiser Haiti' into a search engine and our website came out top. They called us, we organised some pupils to take part and two days later we were talking to Haiti!
When we arrived at the classroom where the link was taking place, we were amazed to see a proper news team and camera crew. Nicola Pearson, a presenter for the BBC, was there and we chatted with her about what would be happening during the live link. The whole of the link was done through Skype using four satellites, one in London, two in Brighton and one in Haiti.
A group of Dorothy Stringer pupils had been selected to interview the Haitian school pupils and they were all waiting anxiously to get going. Before the live link began they did a few practice runs and set up all of the lights and equipment. Then they started to record, with everything they said and did going live on the one o'clock BBC news. There was so much pressure and I don't think anyone dared to breathe for the whole three and a half minutes. During this broadcast Nicola Pearson asked our pupils what they wanted to tell or ask the Haitian pupils, such as how much money they had raised so far, and how their lives had changed since the earthquake.
It was absolutely amazing to be watching the Haitian pupils live. We saw children coming into school with their massive bags; some were bigger than the children themselves. We also saw teachers, parents and the caretakers. The Haitians seemed so relaxed in front of the camera; strolling on casually and taking their allocated seats to begin the live broadcast. There were only two pupils at first; Gerald and Edward. From the moment we started talking to them you could tell that there was a strong bond between these two very different groups of teenagers and the conversation flowed freely.
At first we attempted to talk to them about the earthquake, but you could tell that it made them very uncomfortable. So they decided to change the subject to sports and cars. All Edward and Gerald wanted to know was if England had any nice cars! None of us were car experts so sadly that conversation didn't last very long! But what we did know about was basketball and football so that conversation lasted for about fifteen minutes. We found out that they are huge Liverpool supporters and we are now trying to get them signed Liverpool shirts. But the main thing Edward wanted to talk about was girls, especially "the girl next to you".
Gerald and Edward talked about how, since the earthquake, there has been a drastic change in the atmosphere in Port-au-Prince and lots of people are staying at school because it is a "safe place to go". They said a lot of children had been suffering from nightmares and waking up shaking. He quickly turned the conversation around again though, talking about what they aspire to be when they are older and how they would love to be artists, or footballers. They were reluctant to linger longer than just a moment on the topic of the earthquake and kept the conversation upbeat, happy and relaxed (and just a little bit flirtatious!).
Obviously the media have shown the most shocking scenes following the earthquake to report factually and make an impact in the hopes of triggering people's emotions and encouraging them to donate and raise money. But this experience was unique as it allowed us to have an insight into how normal life is determinedly moving on. With pride and courage the Haitians are already rebuilding their lives and their country. Gerald expressed this perfectly saying that "I may be in Haiti but, I'm cool."
Finally we would like to say what an amazing experience this was and that we hope this link with Haiti continues far into the future. We feel proud that our school has worked so hard in its fundraising efforts and collectively we have already raised 3000.00 and are well on our way to reaching our goal of 5000.00 to send out to Haiti. The live link left us with a different perspective on the situation out there and how the survivors are continuing to live life in the face of adversity. It was humbling experience and one that we will never forget. We very much hope to be able to visit the Morning Star school one day in the future to continue our conversation face to face. We are certain that Edward would be thrilled to meet "the girl next to you" too!
You can watch the broadcast on the BBC website here >>>
Written by Lara Blishen (9BNR) and Ruby Williams (9BNR)
Photography by Isaac Leach (9FGD)
