A few hours ago, I found my father sitting at the dinner table, counting. When I asked, what he was counting, he mutedly replied “Bete, during this week, 63 years ago, my family crossed the border to Pakistan.” I had heard this story hundreds of times before, from my grandmother, my uncle, but usually from my dad. It was a journey etched into his mind, into his bones. It was the story of eating neem plants and walking – lots of walking- along a path to the new world, leaving everything behind for hopes of a peaceful tomorrow.

Life continues for Haiti’s people, albeit it’s a little different than before the earthquake. Seven months later, there are some underlying issues there beyond the basic needs of food, water and shelter. We spoke to Imogen Wall, a humanitarian affairs spokesperson for the UN, about meeting those basic needs as well as fighting gender-based violence, working out land rights issues and avoiding the creation of a culture of dependence.