Before and after photos of the white guest house belonging to the Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti hang by clothespins in a makeshift tent, symbolizing the destruction of the Jan. 12 earthquake.
But at the same time, a display of colorful photos of Haitians after the earthquake show how life goes on and the organization’s programs continue.
On Thursday, the local non-profit held its annual fundraising event in the Bessie Smith Cultural Center with a focus on the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck the Caribbean country three months ago.
“I went to Haiti again on March 15, my first time back since the earthquake, and it was so good for me to go because I saw that life is going on, people are taking care of each other,” said Ashley Aakesson, the executive director of the Chattanooga-based Children’s Nutrition Program who was caught in Haiti when the earthquake struck.
“But there are still a lot of challenges especially with sanitation and the rainy season coming,” she added.