Donations Not Music to Haitians Ears

Haiti remains a hot topic for celebrity attention and charity aid, even after Chile's 8.8 magnitude earthquake in late February. Celebrity and media focus is becoming a double-edged sword for those truly ailing after the Haitian disaster. While attracting the general public and shedding light on the disaster, generous contributions are slowly morphing into a trendy charity that is now en vogue. Red Haiti bracelets, like those of Livestrong popularity, and text message donations detach the public from the cause they are actually donating to and why they are donating.

"Haiti was on top of the Red Cross donation list, I'm sure, before the earthquake," says the Vice President of Boston University's Public Health Organization, Sean Oehrle. "So, I think the attention and money going to Haiti is justified, and the earthquake just exacerbated matters. But at the same time it might turn into a fad, I wouldn't say it's a fad just yet, but I think it might be soon."

That fad Oehrle refers to is due in part to the attention generated by musical artist Wyclef Jean and his Haiti specific donation. Jean's Yele organization recently held a telethon to raise money for Haiti, yet more money seemed to fill Jean's pocket rather than the Haitian people's. Only twenty percent of the money committed to the Yele organization from the telethon is actually going to Haiti, according to a recent Reuters article citing the organization's tax returns.

"When pop stars start giving shout-outs to Haiti when they've never been there, that's when the aid and the point of the crisis gets taken away," added Oerhle.

The UN does not oversee non-profit organizations, so as trendy as it may seem to donate to charities with a celebrity headliner there is no guarantee that these ravished nations are really receiving the money intended for them. Unfortunately, the good samaritans of the world will need to become good researchers as well if they want their good intentions be followed through.