Hi everyone

At this point i am very excited. We are leaving campus in 2 hours which is 3:00 in the morning of Tuesday, May 11th, here in Fayette, Iowa. It’s raining right now and the weather is cold but where we are going to (Haiti), the weather is going to be pretty warm except for rain in the evening as this is the rainy season in Haiti.  Our trip is from Cedar Rapids to Dulles-Texas to Miami and to our destination Haiti.

The last few days have been hectic with final exams, assignments and packing for the trip including spending quality time with friends and loved ones. I’m gonna miss my family back at home. They are very supportive and they have been and will be my inspiration. They have always been there for me. My parents, my siblings, my friends and my colleagues. I love you all.

I remember when Tsunami hit my country, Maldives, in 2004 we recieved help from many different countries. I feel this is my time to do my part. This includes all the members of our team. We all are trying to do our part in this hard times the Haitians are facing. I see messages from former US Presidents William J. Clinton and George W. Bush, and the current First Lady Michelle Obama in CNN everyday, regarding the heartbreaking situation in Haiti, asking for help in whichever way each and every individual can. I am proud as a UIU student (Go peacocks ) and as a Maldivian to be a part of this team.

I have been keeping up to date with the situation in Haiti and it’s devastating. It’s as if all the emotions unleashed from pendora’s box is in Haiti right now. Me being a pessimist, what i see in this situation is Hope, that made it’s way through what came from pendora’s box. Thanks to our leaders Miss Kit and Dr Eller, we are in good hands. We will be working in liaison with an organization called Partners in Development (PID) who has been in Haiti for the past few years, helping less fortunate Haitians even before the earthquake hit them. For recent news and ways you can help, please visit http://www.pidonline.org/ . There is a great need for medical supplies and helping hands and if anyone reading this blog has the desire to help the relief effort in the form of donations and so on, you can visit the above site and look for ways you can contribue. We also have a facebook group http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1036167&id=1502234543#!/group.php?gid=111368948886094&ref=ts where the team members communicate, which is an open group and you are most welcome to join.

I am writing this post between packing my hand luggage, a cup noodles and a 101 different things i still want to do lol. But believe me, i am so ready yeyyyy! Since i started the blog, i have been getting words of support and love from family, friends and colleagues here in USA and back at home. Thank you all for the love.

Alright then! I will wrap up now and get back to check on last minute details before we leave the campus. I will write about the situation in Haiti if i have the chance to get online. So stay tuned! Meanwhile, take care and be safe.

Much love