I broke down and wept with the realization that the people I had met might be part of my tribe and that my own people might have contributed to their current state of poverty and bondage. This gut-wrenching realization shook me to the core.

Displaced people still lived in flimsy tents and shacks, buildings that had collapsed during the earthquake remained as piles of rubble, and the streets were lined with trash and debris. UNICEF confirmed our observations, estimating that, one year after the disaster, more than one million people remained displaced, living in crowded camps with insufficient services for children to stay healthy.

As individuals, we all have blind spots. An African proverb says, “Nobody can see the back of their own head.” This wisdom was especially true when Charlie Vittitow and I ventured into Haiti. Partnering with a trusted colleague who knew the country well, we were introduced to people and organizations that would have otherwise been invisible to us.