Wilmington non-profit working to help Haitians after earthquake

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — In Wilmington, Haiti Awake is getting ready to help those affected by a recent earthquake.

Scientist says this earthquake could have been more powerful than the one that killed thousands in Port-Au-Prince 2010.

According to Haiti Awake’s executive director Becky Graves, the people of Haiti, especially those in rural areas, have been through poverty, gang violence, and most recently an assassination that’s made Haiti’s leadership unclear. She said this could hinder the recovery process.

Graves hopes to return there soon. Because of her experience, she believes Haiti is more prone to suffer from natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes.

“There are people that died because they could not get out of the buildings. They could not get out fast enough. In Haiti, a lot of the construction is done with concrete. And concrete does not hold up well in an earthquake. And obviously it’s very heavy when buildings fall, so the rescue efforts are difficult.”

Graves says Tuesday, Haiti Awake will have people on the ground assessing the wreckage across the south coast. They’re also investigating whether claims Haiti’s tallest natural waterfall was also lost in the earthquake.

In the meantime, the organization plans to sponsor fundraisers to rebuild family’s homes.