This economics major went from a classroom to a one-room tent—literally overnight. He lives here at this earthquake refugee camp in Port au Prince, Haiti. In fact, Emmanuel Shassim says he lost everything including his home, his school, and everyone in his class.
“Many classmates dies. I was the only one who had chance to go out,” said Shassim.
He says he was the only one of 22 students in his college classroom to survive because someone found him and pulled him out.
“The university go down with me but I have no chance to go out. I call Jesus but I hear someone call me, ‘Don’t move,’” remembers Shassim.
Emmanuel’s school — known as UNAP — was destroyed but he only appears to have some scratches. He’s afraid he may have internal injuries but hasn’t seen a doctor.
Emmanuel says his biggest concerns right now are feeding his son and finding some garbage bags to protect the bed sheets he used to make a tent otherwise the next rainy day could mean starting over — yet again. In the meantime, he’s getting to know his new neighbors and tries to help in anyway he can.
International help has only begun to address the needs of homeless earthquake victims who have set up dozens of camps in and around Port au Prince. A spokesperson for the international committee of the Red Cross admits they’ve only scratched the surface.
But for Emmanuel and thousands of other homeless Haitians, the needs can’t be addressed quickly enough.