The Little Angel with a Torch

I’ve just received an email from ActionAid International’s  head of communications, Sarah Gillam, in Haiti talking about how tragedy sometimes brings out the best in people.

A woman makes her way through the rubble caused by Tuesday's earthquake in downtown Port-au-Prince. PHOTO: Moises Saman/Panos/ActionAid

I’ll let Sarah explain this herself. Below is what she wrote in full…

People’s heroics are shining through here in Haiti with the sheer effort complete strangers are making to help one another.

Take ActionAid’s head of finance in Port au Prince, Jude Jean Baptiste. He was on the phone to his wife when the earthquake struck. “Honey – get under your desk,” he shouted to Elizabeth – then the line went dead.

Filing cabinets toppled over in his office and accounting ledgers fell off the shelves.

Jude said he got out of ActionAid’s building and after checking everyone was safe ran to the bank where his wife worked.

“I arrived at the back which was still intact but when I went to the front where my wife worked – I was devastated.

“All three floors had collapsed into a heap of rubble so I ran to where my wife’s office would have been and shouted for her.

“Her boss answered from under the rubble and pleaded with me to get her out. She said Elizabeth was really close by and was ok.

“This really small guy tapped me on the back and offered to help. We tore at the rubble to make a space and then he went in and literally pulled this woman out.”

“She was screaming in agony with a broken leg but she was alive.

“I then shouted to my wife – if you are far away tap once but if you’re close by, tap twice. She tapped three times so I knew she was really close.

“I asked the guy if he would go in again for my wife but we were getting big aftershocks and he got nervous.

“He disappeared with my torch so I started taking off my clothes to see if I could get into the space and rescue my wife.

“Other bank workers stopped me going in saying you’ve got two children – you’ve got to look after them. I was despairing.

“At about 11pm, this angel appeared at my side again with my torch. He said he’d tried to rescue his niece but she’d died. He said he wanted to rescue someone else that day.

“He prayed before he went in and was in the hole for about an hour. There was a terrible after shock and I shouted to him to come out. He didn’t speak to me the whole time he was in there, just passing rubble out.

“Eventually I could see a light and he appeared followed by my wife. She got out without a scratch on her.

“But when she stood up and looked at the building she burst into tears, thinking about her friends. She thought she’d been on the third floor but she’d fallen all the way through to the parking lot and landed under her desk. It saved her.

“I took her home and went back to the bank to see if we could find her friends. We pulled another woman out two days later.

“I feel really proud of my country. People have worked together to help one another. It was only yesterday (Friday) that any official relief efforts started. There have been isolated cases of looting but it’s not widespread.

“The UN estimates 100,000 could be dead but we’ll probably never know the exact figure.

Jude with his wife

Under these trying circumstances, ActionAid is planning to deliver emergency releif – including basics such as food, soap, shelter and fresh water, to up to 20,000 people affected by the quake. Just as importantly, we’ll also be delivering psycho-social care for people traumatised by the disaster.

You can help us reach more people by donating through our website or calling our Sydney office on 1300 66 66 72.