Excited for Haiti

For the last few weeks, I have become super excited to travel to Haiti. It still hasn’t set in that by tomorrow, we’ll be in a completely different country. Another thing I’ve began to take notice of is the cost of healthcare. Growing up, I never really paid attention to it since not many kids think of the fee for doctor’s visits. Medicine never seemed to be a luxury, but rather a necessity. The older I get, the more I realize how financially stable I am and how blinding that can be.

            As a college student, I receive money from my parents every two weeks. These finances go towards food, travelling, etc. In the last day,  I have had to figure out how and where to get vaccinations. First, I went to the school center and got one shot done. That whole process cost $110. Then I went to Walgreens and got another shot, which cost $90. By the end of the day, I had $2.74 left in my bank account. Though it was daunting to me at the time, I know my parents will fill up my account again and my healthcare provider will reimburse me. I am fully aware of this and supported.

            Today, I thought to myself, what about students who can’t afford these lucrative shots? One shot costs twenty hours of work at minimum wage in the District of Columbia. But then I analyzed it even more… What about people in Haiti? A place where the public health system is completely different from the United States and not many have the same access that we do, such as to over the counter drugs. I think it’s one thing to read about this disparity, but it’s another to actually see it. I am excited to venture to Haiti, have my perceptions challenged, and to better understand how other people of the world are living and what needs to change.