Impact on the people

The earthquake traumatized the entire nation. No person living has ever experienced one before. It is all people want to talk about; they openly share where they were and what they were doing where the quake struck. When I asked people in Port au Prince or Jacmel this is what they told me: “I was sleeping, I was at school, I was sifting flour in the kitchen, I was walking up the stairs, I was sitting at the table with a friend, I was coming home from a funeral, I was on my porch talking to my neighbor.” Everyone was going about their lives in their usual fashion. It is true that people are still afraid. Some people live on their property in a tent. I met a 15 year old named Jean Marc. He lost his brother, in the quake. He ran out the house and as a result broke his leg. The house didn’t sustain much damage. During one of the many aftershocks, he broke his other leg. He now refuses to entire his house and sleeps in a tent in the yard.