I recently visited Haiti -- a land of striking contrasts. Its proud past as the second nation to claim independence in the Western Hemisphere after the United States stands in stark juxtaposition to the Haiti of today, which is one of the least developed nations in the world. While Haiti's upper classes enjoy a standard of life enviable anywhere, its poor suffer the highest malnutrition and mortality rates in the Western Hemisphere. Despite its rich culture, most Haitians remain impoverished.

In attempts to distill its essence, I have often heard Haiti described as "the West Africa of the Caribbean" or "the French outpost of the Americas." In fact, Haiti is neither African nor French -- nor, by accident of geography, Latin American. Haiti is, simply, Haiti.

The influence of slaves from many African nations, its French colonial past, its location in Latin America, and the country's attraction for immigrants from many lands have fused into a unique culture and society. The country has been largely deforested over the years, but despite its ecological devastation, Haiti is incomparably beautiful. On approaching the island, the second highest mountains in the Caribbean form a spectacular backdrop for fishing boats in the foreground that drift atop clear blue waters.

What follows is an account of my journey to Haiti, where I spent time getting to know this impoverished country, the struggling people who call it home and some of the relief and development programs that CARE is implementing in Haiti's northwest, the poorest corner of the poorest country of the Western Hemisphere.

Continue to Day 1.