Nearly 300,000 dead. More than a million homeless. Last year's 7.0-magnitude earthquake that leveled parts of Haiti caught the world's attention. But nearly a year after the Jan. 12, 2010 catastrophe, Haitians still face serious challenges, including a recent cholera outbreak. A local nonprofit hopes to raise money to combat the temblor's aftereffects while celebrating Haitian culture.
Called Maha-Lilo (short for "Many Hands, Light Load"), the organization, under Haitian leadership, will sponsor a benefit at Waid's Haitian Cuisine and Lounge in the Central District on Sun., Jan. 9, 2011. High on the list of supplies the organization wants to bring to Haiti are water filters. Filtered water can serve as an effective tool in eradicating cholera in the tent cities of Port-au-Prince, the capital of the island nation. According to the New York Times, since the outbreak began in November 2010, more than 100,000 people have come down with the bacterial infection that causes diarrhea and more than 2,300 people have died.
Local bands are scheduled to play throughout the evening, as well as spoken-word performers; there will also be a silent auction of Haitian art.