This group set a mark for $2000 and got $400. Times are tough, but I don’t believe that Haiti is at the top of the list for donor recipients. However, I admire the kids’ optimism and effort. I hope they are not disappointed and know that we appreciate their efforts.

Notice the contrast in the level of U.S. giving. Ironically, the money for Katrina has not be evenly spread. I was in New Orleans last August and the neighborhoods destroyed are still abandoned and in disrepair. Most of the money is going toward rebuilding the entertainment strip on Bourbon Street and the French Quarter.

I’m hoping that Haiti does not suffer the same fate… uneven development and a perpetually impoverished state. I’m hoping that Haiti does not outsource the rebuilding of the country to external organizations. Haiti must be a integral part of the rebuilding, but they need resources. The paltry amount given thus far will not make a dent in rebuilding an entire infrastructure for 10 million.

Mauritius sits in the Indian Ocean, and like many island nations has a diverse population with a combination of Indian, Chinese and Black Africans. Chess Olympian Patrick Li Ying states, “In the Olympiad we used to meet our friends from the Caribbean islands especially Trinidad and Tobago which I hear is a very similar island to Mauritius in climate and mix of population.

So at the Olympiad, we often discover these commonalities. At some point, we will see chess back in Haiti again and I hope to travel there to help launch a chess club when the time is right. I hope to go to Mauritius too!