Healthy Smiles For Haiti - History and Background Information

Some Facts About Haiti

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
It shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic to the east.
It has a population of approx. 8.7 Million.
Official languages are French and Kreyol (Creole)
It gained independence from France in 1804 after a slave revolt, making it the world's first "black" led republic.
This is a country with a long violent history of unrest under both a dictator and “democratic” governance.
Flag “Union Makes Strength”
The life expectancy is age 57.03 years in 2007 which is up from 49 in 1990.
About 80% of the population lives in poverty with 54% living in abject poverty (on less than one dollar a day).
70% are unemployed. or underemployed

Literacy rate is 52.9% up from 45% in 1999.
Industry: sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly based on imported parts
Arable land is 20%, permanent crops 13%,
pastures 18% woodland 5%
Haiti’s deforested hills are turning into a desert. At current erosion rates all of Haiti’s arable land will be lost by 2040.
Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters, exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation.
Agriculture: coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood
Finding water for washing cooking and drinking is a daily struggle
Infant Mortality: 63.83 deaths/1,000 live births
3 out of 5 Haitians suffer from malnutrition
about 600,000 undocumented Haitians live in the Dominican Republic
One quarter of the highways are paved.
Aids, typhoid fever and malaria are highly prevalent.
In 2003 there were 280,000 people living with Aids up from 210,0000 in 1999
10% of Haitian children are restaveks meaning “stay with”. These are children enslaved as domestic servants.
Internet users in 2006: 650,000
A macroeconomic program developed in 2005 with the help of the International Monetary Fund helped the economy grow 1.8% in 2006, the highest growth rate since 1999. Haiti suffers from higher inflation than similar low-income countries, a lack of investment, and a severe trade deficit. In 2005, Haiti paid its arrears to the World Bank, paving the way for reengagement with the Bank.
The government relies on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability.
In 2006, Haiti held a successful donors conference in which the total aid pledged exceeded Haiti's request. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP.

Basketball star Sam Dalembert brings hope & encouragement to Haitian Chlildren

Info from the Haitian Embassy In Washington, D.C.