Good News!

Two great stories from the BBC News Website about Haiti

The first [here]about the decision of the G7 countries to Drop The Debt. Gordon Brown hailed the pledge, saying: "It must be right that a nation buried in rubble must not also be buried in debt".

At least a million people in Haiti are in need of aid. It is hoped that the debt relief will free up funds for reconstruction work.For once, the people in government are doing the right thing!

 

The second [here] tells of a mother in the US reunited with her son through the BBC's Creole language programme.

Simone Macary, who lives in Boston, Mass., had not heard from her 16-year-old son, Penaisse, since last month's earthquake. He was in Haiti studying. But when Penaisse texted his mother's phone number to the Koneksyon Ayiti (Connexion Haiti) programme, the BBC team in Port-au-Prince managed to make contact with Penaisse and interview him. When the programme called Simone and played the interview to her later on Tuesday, she reacted by singing How Great Thou Art while listening to the sound of her son's voice! The two later spoke on the phone.

I think the TV licence should be renamed- after all, it pays for all BBC output - one quarter of the revenue goes to pay for Radio, and BBC Websites. The World Service, and Foreign Language broadcasting is of immeasurable value to people around the world [many of whom are too poor to own a TV, but do manage to get a radio signal] When you read this sort of story, you realise how important the BBC and Public Service Broadcasting is.

And don't you just love Simone's reaction ? - She knew Who had answered her prayers!!