LETTER: For Young Haitians, Education is Key

To the editors:

As a frequent visitor to Haiti I am familiar with the inspiring work of Fondation Connaissance et Liberte and Partners in Health, the two organizations Meredith C. Baker highlights in her Oct. 28 column, “Helping Haiti Help Itself.” Like all members of the Harvard community who reap the benefits of a great university, I’m also reminded daily of the essential role that education plays in the development of individuals, communities, and countries.  There is a direct correlation between education levels, life expectancy, and income levels. In the midst of the many failures of international aid that Baker alludes to, education may be one of the only foolproof methods of development. Sadly, 84 percent of Haitians with a university degree live outside Haiti, and the university enrollment rate, at less than one percent, is among the lowest in the world.  Educating Haitian youth is crucial to the future of this island nation, and alas, higher education is often inaccessible to even the best Haitian students.

In this light I would like to note the work of The Haitian Education and Leadership Program, which provides merit and need-based university scholarships within Haiti.  Educating a new generation of Haitian leaders is essential to breaking Haiti’s centuries-old tradition of exclusion and exploitation. HELP is an exemplary case of an NGO working toward the type of long-term lasting development that Baker acknowledges is lacking in many aid programs. I think they are worthy of our attention.  I thank The Crimson and Meredith Baker for a valuable article on an important topic, and encourage the Harvard community to continue to contribute its significant human and material capital to the future of post-earthquake Haiti.

AARON P. GOLDBERG ’96

New York, NY

Nov. 4, 2010

Aaron P. Goldberg ’96 is a jazz pianist in New York City. He was a History and Science concentrator with a focus on Mind, Brain, and Behavior in Adams House.