Duke’s Haiti Lab and Duke Chapel came together Monday to host a service of remembrance that marked the five-year anniversary of the massive earthquake that struck Haiti.
The intimate gathering in the Chapel was “an opportunity for the Duke community to commemorate the lives lost in this tragedy,” said Jacques Pierre, a visiting lecturer in French and Haitian Creole and culture, in a Duke News release. The 2010 earthquake, which measured 7.0 on the Richter scale, left more than 230,000 people dead and 300,000 injured.
The catastrophe prompted a flood of humanitarian aid—with more than $13.5 billion coming from donor nations and private groups. Although significant repairs and improvements have been made, Haiti remains mired in political turmoil and continues to battle a cholera epidemic, which has struck more than 720,000 Haitians and killed almost 9,000 in the last four years.
“Despite the challenges, the service today focused on hope,” said Lydia Bradford, a sophomore who attended the event. “I thought it was a really strong service.”
Bradford and Grant O’Brien, also a sophomore, attended the event because they will be heading to Haiti this summer to do research with the University.
The service included a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer in Creole, and a moment of silence at 4:53 p.m., the time that the earthquake hit. Chapel Dean Luke Powery also preached and the choir sung.
“The chapel is just one among many parts of the University that have built relationships between the people of Duke and Haiti,” Rev. Meghan Benson, the chapel’s director of worship, said in a Duke News release. “We are glad to recognize those bonds in this worship service and hope that others will find it a meaningful opportunity for reflection."
In advance of the ceremony, which is available via webcast on the Chapel website, a remembrance book was available for visitors to write messages to the people of Haiti.
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