Catastrophe to Compassion:
CUSSW Responds to the Haitian Earthquake
Tania Clerisme and Lauren Kaye Thompson clearly remember where they were when they heard an earthquake had struck Haiti. Clerisme, a second-generation Haitian-American and first-year student at the Columbia University School of Social Work (CUSSW), started receiving a barrage of text messages and calls, inquiring about friends and family in the impoverished island nation. Turning on CNN, she began to realize the magnitude of the catastrophe that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and paralyzed the country, and there was only one thought in her mind. "I thought I was going to Haiti," Clerismesays. "At that point, that was all that was on my mind."
The next day, however, Clerisme realized such a journey was impractical with the new semester about to start and decided to mobilize here. Clerisme got in touch with Thompson, a fellow first-year student and Vice President of the Black Caucus, and the two quickly contacted two other Haitian students attending CUSSW. They wanted to do something at the School so that the minute everyone came back after winter break, "We could hit the ground running to respond in an urgent and comprehensive way." After they reached out to Dean Takamura and the Student Union Executive Board, the meeting of four quickly grew to a group of 40 students in the CUSSW community.
In the weeks since the catastrophe, Clerisme, Thompson and their group have collected ten barrels of toiletries, clothing and first aid materials and raised nearly $2,000 — twice the group's goal — in donations to Doctors Without Borders. "They are an organization that is on the ground and have experience with disaster relief," says Clerisme. "You can trust that the money will be used immediately and effectively."
Now Clerisme and Thompson have moved on to other, longer-term initiatives. They are trying to transform the group of Haitian students into a disaster relief caucus, and they have approached the administration about sponsoring a Haitian student for one semester at CUSSW. "It would bewith the agreement that the student would go back and use the knowledge in Haiti to organize, help rebuild and do counseling," explains Clerisme.
The group also plans to create a public awareness committee that would sponsor panels, foster discussions and screen documentaries about Haiti, making the larger CUSSW community aware of the country's rich political and cultural history.
Clerisme and Thompson believe they are putting into practice the compassion and fortitude social workers must show, whether they are counseling clients locally or working at the international level.
"We are doing the practical things,and we are doing the long-term programming that takes into account advocacy, counseling and not just the material things," says Thompson."We must always respond — immediately and with compassion. We are social workers — this is what we are made for. It is what we are here for."
"We must always respond — immediately and with compassion. We are social workers — this is what we are made for. It is what we are here for."