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CNN Live Event/Special
Hope For Haiti Now
Aired January 22, 2010 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(MUSIC)
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: Why?
That's the question so many of you are asking. Why should we give more? Why should we believe our help can rebuild a country where 80 percent of its people live on less than $2 a day, more than three million go without clean water, and one in three children dies before the age of 5? If Haiti struggled so much before, then why should we have faith that we can make a difference now?
This is a tragedy that reaches across all borders, all boundaries, and demands our attention, our help and our compassion as fellow human beings. At the core of every religion is the belief that we care for one another, we take care of each other, especially in times of need.
The Haitian people need our help. They need to know that they are not alone. They need to know that we still care.
Tonight, we have assembled more than 100 actors, artists from the film and television and music industry who are here to take your call.
That number is 1-877-99-HAITI. Or please go to hopeforhaitinow.org.
This is an opportunity to help a neighbor in need, in desperate need, and to do it with swiftness, expertise, generosity and love that resides in the best of who we are.
(MUSIC)
HALLE BERRY, ACTRESS: How did Monley Elize live?
This little boy was all alone for eight days. He was alone in his collapsed house, covered in debris, and curled up in a tiny little ball, as powerful aftershocks came one after another. He was alone when it was dark outside and people were crying and shouting and in pain. For eight days, he had no one to comfort him, no one to tell him that they loved him, and no one to tell him that things were actually going to be all right.
He had no one because the earthquake that leveled the only home that he had ever known had claimed the lives of his mother and his father. For eight days, Monley defied all the odds and he lived. He was rescued. He received medical care just in the nick of time. And, as the doctors were treating him, they asked Monley how he was doing. And he said, "I feel good."
Monley is lucky in so many ways. People had been looking for him. But so many orphans in Haiti have no one. They are on the streets at this very hour, alone, just like Monley. They are afraid, hungry, without a soul to rescue them. Hundreds and thousands of children in Haiti are lost, and they are looking for their parents.
Please, look into your heart. Please, help these children of Haiti.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, MUSICIAN: This small prayer for Haiti.
(MUSIC)
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": Hello. I'm Anderson Cooper of CNN.
And we are going to be with you all night live right here in Port-au-Prince.
You know, it has been 10 days since this earthquake hit. And when I first arrived, we didn't really have a clear idea of just how bad things were or would turn out to be. There was no power. There were bodies in the streets. There was no water.
For a lot of people, there was no hope. Roads were closed. The airport was closed, the seaport closed. Haiti was cut off in those days from the world, cut off from help. And it took a while -- and a lot of people say it took too long -- until it felt like help was on the way.
The delays continue, but aid is now coming in. This is such an epic disaster. There is so much more for so many of us to do.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): So many days have gone by now, but, for too many, little seems changed.
In makeshift hospitals, the sick, the injured wait for surgery and for medicine that could save their lives. There's not enough doctors and nurses and equipment. Delays equal death. That's the truth on the ground.
Mass graves have filled. No names are recorded. No records are kept. Many of the dead have simply disappeared. Their families will never know exactly what happened to them. The living walk the streets, search for help. They stare right at you, no words, no speech. They still find themselves on the doorstep of death.
At first, it seems hopeless, too much damage, too much loss. How to rebuild in the face of it all? In a park now home to survivors, a mother bathes her baby girl, a small gesture, a small sign that new life continues, in spite of it all.
On a street corner, people gather to sing and dance, professing their faith. They haven't lost that. Their churches have crumbled. Their spirits still soar.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, ACTOR: Dr. Mark Hyman and his team from Partners in Health have been working around the clock in Haiti to save lives under the most difficult conditions.
They use a bottle of vodka to clean a wound, a head lamp, instead of surgical lights, and a hacksaw, instead of a scalpel, to remove an injured leg, all so the patients can live.
The good doctor has been keeping a journal about his fight to save lives. And, the other day, he posted this journal entry online.
"Today, when I got back to the hospital, all the patients that we had moved into the hospital's remaining buildings were outside, strewn all over the hospital grounds. The aftershock shook them and frightened them. Those who had just had their legs cut off jumped on one foot out of the buildings. Others had their families drag them out, for fear of getting caught in another collapsed building.
"Even after we had the buildings cleared, many were still too afraid to enter. As a result, many died from dehydration in the heat and the sun. After five days of trying to rebuild the hospital, we had to start all over again. But we did, and the people kept smiling back at me as I walked by."
Please give what you can, so that those who have the knowledge and the compassion can help Haiti heal. Please call 1-877-99-HAITI to donate now.
Thank you.
(MUSIC)
WYCLEF JEAN, MUSICIAN: My name is Wyclef Jean. And I am Haitian. Better yet, we are not Haitian. We are of Africans.
I was born in Haiti. Last week, I was in Haiti, but, to tell you the truth, I'm not no news reporter, so I was not there to take the news. I was looking at my country go through so much trauma. I was there to clear away concrete and pull my friends from the rubble. I carried bodies of my people in the cemetery.
They should have been walking. They should have been laughing. They should have been singing, but, instead, they were heavy in my arms. At the cemetery, there weren't enough holes in the ground to bury mothers, fathers, husbands and wives with dignity and grace.
We need to pray for them, so that they soul rest in peace. Right now, we can see the second wave of this disaster coming, pain and suffering that you and we can prevent. We have to make sure that the second wave never reaches Haiti. And, with your support, we can stop it.
My country's in great pain, and I know you can help. They are listening right now to me in Haiti, so let speak some Creole. (SPEAKING CREOLE)
And in the words of Wyclef Jean, from the ashes, we shall rise. So, please, give what you can.
Thank you.
(MUSIC)
REESE WITHERSPOON, ACTRESS: Great. Well, this is Reese Witherspoon. And we really appreciate your call. You're calling in to donate for the Hope For Haiti program?
CALLER: Yes, I am. Yes I am.
WITHERSPOON: Oh, wonderful. Wonderful.
Well, we -- we are going to have an operator get on the line and to actually take your donation. Have you already spoken to an operator?
CALLER: Yes, I have.
WITHERSPOON: OK, great. And thank you so much for your donation. You can't even imagine how much love and great, wonderful energy is here today. And people are just doing everything they can to, you know, make a difference in these people's lives.
CALLER: I'm just glad I could help out. I couldn't donate a lot, but what I did -- but what I could, I did donate.
WITHERSPOON: You know what? That is the greatest thing. And I think it is the spirit of everything and the collective energy of everybody thinking, you know, that they can help. And we just really appreciate it. So, thank you, Ian (ph).
CALLER: You're welcome very much.
WITHERSPOON: All right. God bless you.
CALLER: Thank you. You, too. Have a good evening.
WITHERSPOON: All right. Bye.
COOPER: Hello again. I'm Anderson Cooper, CNN, live in Port-au- Prince.
I'm here with Pierre Alexis, who is director of the Maison Des Enfants orphanage, the House of children.
I apologize for my terrible French.
COOPER: Since the quake, his kids have been sleeping outdoors, the building, the orphanage building, badly damaged. Everything they need is gone or in short supply.
One night, Pierre actually had to defend the orphans from armed robbers.
Why were armed robbers trying to get into the orphanage?
PIERRE ALEXIS, MAISON DES ENFANTS ORPHANAGE: They think that, as an orphanage, we have food. And everybody is looking for food right now, so they think they can find food at the orphanage.
COOPER: Security is such a problem for you. You are hoping to get your kids evacuated soon to the United States. But there's a whole new generation of orphans that are going to be knocking on your doors.
ALEXIS: And I think (INAUDIBLE) children is a good thing, because that will not only let the families that have been waiting for a long time having the children, but that will open our doors to some -- the new generation of orphan you are talking about, because, after the earthquake, we have more children on the streets.
COOPER: Even before the earthquake, you used to turn away how many kids?
ALEXIS: An average 80 children per month.
COOPER: Eighty children a month trying to get into your orphanage?
ALEXIS: Yes.
COOPER: And now the numbers are just going to be -- who knows.
ALEXIS: Yes, way more, yes.
COOPER: Well, you are doing extraordinary work. Stay strong.
ALEXIS: Well, thank you. Thank you.
COOPER: Appreciate it.
Pierre Alexis, just one of the many heroic people we have met over the last 10 days.
I want to give you a bigger picture now of the orphan situation, so many new orphans. The needs of these kids are staggering in a country that was already struggling to cope before the quake.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): They are the youngest victims, the most helpless. Haiti was already home to an estimated 380,000 orphans. That was before the earthquake. Now there are untold thousands more, their parents dead or missing, they are alone and they are scared. This girl's name is Clemen (ph). Is your family OK? Clemen says she doesn't know. A friend told her her mother died but she doesn't know for sure. She hasn't heard from her father. The surge of orphan children presents a number of complications -- identifying them, reuniting them with surviving relatives and most of all, providing urgent food and medical needs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's in very serious condition. And we don't even know his name.
COOPER: And there are so many others like him, in damaged orphanages, comforted by desperate caretakers, struggling to keep the kids safe and alive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, good girl. Good girl.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have 200.
O'BRIEN: Two hundred babies?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yeah.
COOPER: There are efforts to speed up the adoption process, but only for a few of the children. The question is, what happened to the rest? Left with nothing and no one, little lives hang in the balance. I asked Clemen what she hopes for now. She tells me she hopes for something to happen, to happen tomorrow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN LEGEND, SINGER: (SINGING)
JON STEWART, TELEVISION HOST: At 4:53 p.m., the earth shook in the island nation of Haiti. Doug Coates was at work in the Christopher Hotel. Marie St. Claire (ph) was teaching 150 students at a small school. Nusha Pierre (ph), a nurse was tending to her patients. George and Mona Elize (ph) were in their home. At 4:54 p.m., they were all gone.
The grief is everywhere we look. But now the challenge is ours to take the grief, to reach out and help for Haiti, help hundreds of thousands of Haitians who lived through this nightmare, they crawled out of the rubble. They made stretchers out of mattresses. They sent text messages from underneath concrete saying, "I am here. I am alive."
They want to rebuild their country. And with your help, they will. The people of Haiti are listening tonight. What will they hear?
MARY J. BLIGE, SINGER: (SINGING)
SAMUEL L. JACKSON, ACTOR: Today, we want you to give. We want you to give so we can all come together and help Haiti rise from the ruins. And every time you do, we want you to know that 100 percent of your donations will go directly to organizations that are on the ground right now.
Every time you call the men and women behind me, the doctors and nurses, the partners in health can do even more to provide care to survivors. Oxfam can provide basic shelter to people on the streets. The Red Cross can give medical care to as many as 30,000 people. Unicef can do even more for the children who have lost everything.
And every time you give to the World Food Programme, it can reach its monumental goal of feeding at least two million people for the next six months. Please call, 1-877-99-haiti. They need you. Call now and make a world of difference.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People in Haiti need your help, quickly, quickly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For 24 hours, a success here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some people got no food no water, nothing, nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SINGING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Mikhail Sanselveal (ph) and my family lives in Haiti. For five days, I didn't know if they were alive or dead. Three of my cousin died when their school collapse. Luckily, the rest of my family is OK. But in Port-au-Prince, those who survive are holding up with the little strength they have left. And they are doing the best they can.
I came here when I was 15-years-old to go to school. I am so blessed to be here. Why was I so lucky and not them? I can't help but wonder why this had to happen. My country was the first independent black nation in the history of the world. What Haiti has been carrying a heavyweight, uphill, since they become a nation.
The survivors shouldn't have to go hungry or be afraid now. I was in Haiti 13 days before the earthquake, trying to bring clean water and dig wells. Even with all this death and destruction, there is something positive we can hold onto. We have a chance to rebuild in a sustainable way. Please help my family. Please help the people of Haiti rebuild. Thank you.
TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: (SINGING)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Video shot minutes after Tuesday's quake, a woman throws up her arms and asks why.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A team of volunteers pulled out two men, injured but alive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just no man either than your hand.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SINGING)
UNIDENTIIFED MALE: It's day six, Raje (ph) still believes his wife just might be alive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, she's here. She's alive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live or die, I love him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank God.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SINGING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NICOLE KIDMAN, ACTRESS: Don't be afraid of death. This is what Janette (ph) sang after her moment of rescue. In the middle of unspeakable tragedy, there are homes like that which can only be described as awe-inspiring. That Janette survived at all after being buried alive under a building for six days is a miracle. It teaches us all about the tenacity of life. That her husband, Roger (ph), stood there refusing to leave his wife, not knowing if she was alive or dead for six days, without ever giving up hope teaches us all about true, undying love. And that Janette came out singing -- singing -- teaches us all more about the human spirit than anyone's spoken words could ever do.
Firefighters from Los Angeles, California, pulled her out. Now you can lift her up. For Janette and Roger, for Haiti, please give. Please call 1-877-99-Haiti. And if the phones are busy, please keep trying.
CHRISTINA AGUILERA, SINGER: (SINGING)
CALLER: Yes, I did, I made a donation on behalf of my two boys for all the children that have lost their parents.
JULIA ROBERTS, ACTRESS: How old are your boys?
CALLER: Four and seven.
ROBERTS: Oh, fantastic. It's such a great age, isn't it?
CALLER: Yes. Yeah. Love it. Love this age. And, you know, I can't imagine what these kids are going through. ROBERTS: I know. I know. I was just talking to my husband about that last night. That's -- that's really the -- the most heart- wrenching part of it all those little kids. So we will do what we can to help them safe and dry and loved and fed and you're a part of that.
CALLER: I hope so. And I know we're doing our part at work, too. I'm a registered nurse. And there's a group of us that are trying to inquire about going, so -- 'cause it looks like it is not going to be an overnight-type of thing.
ROBERTS: Yeah, absolutely, it's got staying powers.
CALLER: Juts got to see where it's going.
ROBERTS: Absolutely. Well, thank you so much.
CALLER: Thank you.
ROBERTS: And be well and take care of those boys.
CALLER: Nice to speak to you. I will.
ROBERTS: OK.
CALLER: You take care of yours, too.
ROBERTS: I will.
CALLER: Good night.
ROBERTS: Bye bye.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: The street, I've never seen anything like this. Look at this. It is just complete devastation. This is downtown Port-au- Prince. People don't even have shovels. People grab whatever tools they can. In some cases, just trying to dig through this with their hands.
People on the streets say there's a 15-year-old who's buried alive there. We are going to go try and see if that is the case and if there is anything we can do. It turns out her name is Bea (ph) and she is clearly alive, we can hear her crying out. You can see her foot is visible. They discovered her early this morning and they are still digging. They are not clear how they are going to get her out. They only have this one shovel. They just got both her legs out. You can hear people underneath you dying? People were crying, she says. This old woman was crying, saying "Someone near me is dying." Did you think you would come out alive? I believed I would live. I wasn't scared. I wasn't scared at all. You had many people who worked very hard for you. You are very lucky.
ROBERT PATTINSON, ACTOR: Underneath the flat in the university, Maxine (ph) waited. She was crouched in a fetal position and could barely move. In the darkness and during the hectic sounds of the day, through the pain, the hunger and thirst, she prayed that someone would find her. And on the sixth day, her prayers were answered. She was found because a text message from the rubble sent rescuers to her side. Unlike any other event in history, our world's been connected to this tragedy because of technology, to interrupt Facebook pages with pictures of the missing and text messages for help.
This technology is working right now to connect us, too. At hopeforhaitinow.org, you can donate and you can instantly interact with people in Haiti and anywhere in the globe. Join with those watching and see what they are saying about something we all care deeply about, helping the Haitian people get back on their feet. Please go to hopeforhaitinow.org and give as much as you can. Thank you.
STING, SINGER: (SINGING)
MATT DAMON, ACTOR: Andrew Greene went to Haiti for all the right reasons -- to bring peace to a people who longed for it. He worked as a political affairs officer in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti. He was devoted to his job. He loved the Haitian people and hung their paintings on his walls. He was a husband. He was a father to three beautiful children. And he lived by a creed that everyone deer deserves the same chances to succeed in life.
On January 12, 2010, at 4:53 in the afternoon, he gave his life for that creed.
CLINT EASTWOOD, ACTOR/DIRECTOR: Andrew was 44 years old when he lost his life as the U.N. headquarters collapsed. Seventy courageous and dedicated people like Andrew died during -- doing that -- doing the work that they loved. And 146 others are still missing. For the United Nations, it was the largest single day of loss in their history.
DAMON: As we move forward in helping the Haitian people, let's also take a minute and remember our fallen peacekeepers from all over the world. They were devoted to their work. Some were volunteers, but they all gave their lives while helping others. Let's make sure that their sacrifice was not in vain.
(SINGING)
STEPHEN SPIELBERG, DIRECTOR: Hello, it's Steven Spielberg.
REV. LAURIE MCKNIGHT: Hi, Steven Spielberg. That's really cool to talk to you.
SPIELBERG: Well, it's cool to talk to you.
Could I have your name?
MCKNIGHT: Sure. I'm Reverend Laurie McKnight.
SPIELBERG: Very nice to me...
MCKNIGHT: I'm a pastor -- a Presbyterian pastor. SPIELBERG: Fantastic. So nice to meet you, although I think all of us would have traded these circumstances for any other in the world. But really, thank you for the donation that you've made to, you know, to the Haitian relief.
And how -- how have you been feeling about this since this first occurred?
MCKNIGHT: It's been really hard to watch anything on the news. And it's been hard to walk my congregations through, you know, children's sermons and preaching on such a difficult, you know, why -- why does God let this happen kind of stuff.
So it's -- it's been difficult. But I'm glad we're all coming together to help out in this way at this time.
SPIELBERG: No, it's -- it's the most important time to help out because, you know, the most important thing, of course, is to get everything on the ground.
MCKNIGHT: Yes.
SPIELBERG: And right to the people who need it.
MCKNIGHT: And what they really need is money -- money and medical personnel.
SPIELBERG: Yes. And they need antibiotics...
MCKNIGHT: So I'm hoping they can get that.
SPIELBERG: ...they need a lot of things. You know, they need -- you know, something as small as solar flats -- you know, solar-powered flashlights.
MCKNIGHT: Yes, yes.
SPIELBERG: And generators and things that just -- just to try to somewhat rebuild the infrastructure, which would also get more people -- more doctors closer to the people who need the help.
MCKNIGHT: Yes.
SPIELBERG: But it's -- it's such a disaster. And -- and, you know, what you've done and what your congregation is doing, we really appreciate.
MCKNIGHT: Yes, my congregation has donated also. But we're -- we're hearing little snippets of hope on the radio, like more water is available today and different things like that.
SPIELBERG: Exactly. And there's some really smart people there on the ground helping out. So, you know, I get very encouraged when I see how much intelligence is really operating and disseminating all of the -- the vital materials that need to get to the people who need it the most. And I get -- every single day, it sort of builds my confidence that it's being handled very well.
MCKNIGHT: It seems like they're doing it the right way, the best way they can.
SPIELBERG: Exactly. Exactly.
MCKNIGHT: Yes.
SPIELBERG: Well, listen, thank you so much, Reverend, for what you've done.
MCKNIGHT: Well, thank you for answering calls and making people's days in this way.
SPIELBERG: OK.
MCKNIGHT: Thank you.
SPIELBERG: Well, have a good weekend.
MCKNIGHT: You, too.
SPIELBERG: Bye.
MCKNIGHT: Bye.
MORGAN FREEMAN, ACTOR: Most people who go to Haiti to volunteer, work and enjoy its culture are profoundly changed by the time they spend there. The poet, Kalamu ya Salaam, experienced just that. And when he returned to his home in New Orleans, he sat down at his desk and he wrote this tribute to the nation he admired so much: "In tomorrow's Toussaint," he wrote, "There is beauty here, in the unyielding way our people colored charcoal and banana beige and shifting subtle shades of ripe mango or strongly brown black, sweet as the suck from sun-scorched staffs of sugarcane, have decided we shall survive. We will live on."
And with your help, they will live on. Do what you can. Give what you can. They need you.
(SINGING)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: And hello again.
I'm Anderson Cooper of CNN.
Hello again.
I'm Anderson Cooper of CNN live in Port-au-Prince.
Earlier in the program, you saw a little girl named Bea (ph) being rescued. We saw that rescue happen just hours after we first got here -- right the day after the earthquake. But, you know, so many people get rescued and they kind of disappear. It's hard to figure out what -- what happened to them. And a lot of people here who get rescued, you think that's the end of the story. But the truth is, even when they're rescued alive, the battle for living continues, because there's not enough medical care to -- to save their lives if they have some injuries.
I want to introduce you to a very special little girl, Bea, who you met being rescued that first day. She is here with us today.
Sak pase?
Are you OK?
Cava bien?
BEA: Oui. (INAUDIBLE).
COOPER: Oh, yes. You look very pretty, tres jolie.
BEA: Oui. Merci.
COOPER: And you're very, very brave, tres brave.
BEA: Oui.
COOPER: OK. You know that?
BEA: Oui.
COOPER: Bea is a -- is a great little girl. As I said, we saw her being rescued and we were really concerned about what had happened to her. It took us a long time. We actually just finally tracked her down yesterday. She has lost 10 members of her family. And they thought her leg was broken when they first pulled her out, but -- but her leg is not broken. She had some cuts.
We made sure that a medic got to her. She hadn't had any medical attention since being pulled out of the rubble at all, so we were really concerned about that. But she is -- she's doing OK. She's -- she's a strong girl. She doesn't have -- you know, the reality is, there's not a lot of food. There's -- there's -- in her place, there's not running water. You know, her school is destroyed.
It is a struggle for -- for a girl like Bea -- 10 members of your family. I mean she -- she has lost so much. She has lost so much and yet she -- she is strong and she looks beautiful.
Are you OK?
BEA: Oui.
COOPER: OK. She's a little bit -- a little nervous.
But, you know, it's not just kids who are struggling. I mean, adults are struggling here, as well. A little girl like Bea, who's strong enough to survive more than 18 hours under the rubble, still needs all of our help.
Let's go back to New York. BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ever since Hillary and I took a delayed honeymoon trip to Haiti nearly 35 years ago, I've been totally captivated by the country -- by its rich history, its culture, the beauty and bounty of the land and the amazing, resilient spirit of the people.
Now, as the United Nations special envoy for Haiti, I've been able to witness firsthand the great progress the Haitian people were making to overcome 200 years of poverty and oppression.
Before the earthquake, I really believed Haiti finally had the chance to build a stronger, more secure, more modern nation worthy of its people.
What I want you to know tonight is that despite this tragedy, I still believe they have that chance. But it will take all of us -- governments and businesses, private citizens, from America and all around the world, coming together in the spirit of our common humanity to help our neighbors in need.
Last week, President Obama asked President George W. Bush and me to lead a joint fundraising effort. And I'm very grateful that our Clinton Bush Haiti Fund will be one of the recipients of the money raised here tonight.
Through our fund, we will focus on helping the Haitian people build back a better, stronger nation; infrastructure that can withstand future disasters; better schools and higher quality education; improved health care; a more diversified economy, with more trade, more investment and many more good jobs; and more opportunities for an independent, clean energy future.
But before we can do all that, our focus must remain on saving as many lives as possible and bringing emergency assistance to people who need it right now. It will be a long road to recovery, but it's a road we won't let the people of Haiti walk alone. And I thank you for making that walk, for your support and your prayers tonight and in the months and years to come.
(SINGING)
BEN STILLER: Here's something you might not know. In Haiti, the kids go to school in the afternoons. That means at 4:53 p.m. last Tuesday, the elementary schools and high schools were packed with kids. They were in those classrooms sitting at their desks, walking to the blackboard or opening up a book, when everything crashed in around them.
When you visit the Severn School (ph) in the central plateau of Haiti, you meet so many beautiful and smart children. In spite of every obstacle out there -- no clean drinking water, a lack of food, no roads or electricity, they have this amazing will to learn. And they deserve good, safe schools.
The Haitian education system was in trouble before the earthquake hit and now it's devastated. In order to rebuild these schools and make them sustainable, we have to help, so that in six months or a year or five, when the spotlight has faded, we're still helping these children read, write and learn.
Anyone who has ever been to Haiti will tell you about the vibrant colors of the act, the transcendent rhythms of the music and, most of all, the incredible spirit of the people. In Haiti, they've always prayed.
And in spite of so many hardships, the people have a true faith in a power greater than themselves. Your phone call, your pledge of any amount, can literally be an answer to those prayers.
Please call 1-877-99-HAITI.
(SINGING)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: As Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, as a journalist, I've never seen anything quite like this. It's just astonishing -- a 15-day-old baby begging for Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. And she's moving both of her arms. That's good sign.
Hi, sweetie. Hi.
She has a pretty significant laceration here.
(CROSSTALK)
GUPTA: ...the forehead.
(CROSSTALK)
GUPTA: She's sucking her thumb. She's...
(CROSSTALK)
GUPTA: Dozens of patients are just lining the halls -- no gauze, hardly any bandages and very few I.V.s. This is jungle medicine.
COOPER: Apparently, all the -- the other doctors who only arrived today have now pulled out. Dr. Sanjay Gupta finds himself basically the only physician on site.
GUPTA: Every 20 or 30 minutes or so, you start to hear some loud wailing, some screams -- a clear indicator that a -- a loved one has died.
There are so many patients who -- who are in desperate need. It is an unbelievable sight and a lot of work needs to be done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: So many still in desperate need.
Hi, again.
I'm Anderson Cooper live here in Port-au-Prince, along with my CNN colleague, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
And the things, you know, you have seen, what -- what is the greatest need right now, in terms of medicine?
GUPTA: Well, you know, you talk about antibiotics for infections; you talk about pain medications to ease physical and emotional suffering, frankly; and proper surgical equipment. The need is immediate. I mean, we -- we hear these awful stories about the hack saws and vodka being used to perform amputations. So...
COOPER: And the surgery is saving life. I mean even a broken bone here can lead to somebody dying if it gets infected?
GUPTA: Right. Or even a cut or a seemingly innocuous problem, untreated -- in this squalor, no antibiotics -- that can turn into gangrene and cause an infection. And these are -- you know, you can treat these with antibiotics that literally cost a nickel and are very easily available in most parts of the world.
COOPER: And this still, you know, this is not something that it's too late now. I mean there are still people right now waiting for surgery -- life-saving surgery who can't get it because there's not enough equipment, there's not enough supplies, there's not enough personnel or operating rooms open.
GUPTA: There were people who lived after this earthquake, people who died and there's a big chunk of people caught in between, the people you are describing. They have these injuries. These are fixable injuries. They are treatable injuries. And they're going to be needing these -- these solutions for quite a long time.
COOPER: There are people being operated on in public parts in downtown Port-au-Prince tonight. I mean, there are probably operations going on right now. People's lives are hanging in the balance and -- and this is going to be happening for days to come. You know, that's why -- I mean the time is short. The urg -- the need is now.
GUPTA: We measure medical relief in minutes and hours, as you and I have talked about. But you're absolutely right. I mean people say we want to help, they're going to need help for a long time.
COOPER: Right.
GUPTA: And if you want to volunteer, you know, months from now, they're still going to need this help. And some of the situations you're describing are still going to be ongoing.
COOPER: We're going to have more from Port-au-Prince in a moment.
Let's go back to Los Angeles. KATHERINE PORTER: My name is Katherine Porter and the 3-year-old little girl I want to adopt is still in Haiti. Her name is Amalya (ph). And she and I were together in the market when the earthquake hit. We were very lucky to survive when so many in the market did not.
I tried to bring her back with me to her new home in Florida. Because the paperwork wasn't finished, they wouldn't let me bring her back. So last Saturday, I left her with my friend, Caolina Masan (ph). I haven't heard from her or Amalya since. I don't know if she's safe. I don't know where she is. I won't lose hope in finding Amalya.
Thank you.
Thank you for giving and caring so much about the people of Haiti.
(SINGING)
TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: Hello, this is Taylor Swift.
CALLER: Hi, Taylor, my name is Debra Boen (ph) and we love your music and we just donated 25 dollars on behalf of our grand daughter, Shila (ph), who has spina bifida.
SWIFT: Thank you so much, Debra.
CALLER: We thank you for everything you are doing, all of you very much.
SWIFT: Thank you very much. And please tell Shila that I said hello and to stay strong.
CHRIS ROCK, COMEDIAN: It is a privilege -- it is a privilege to stand next to the greatest. After he saw the destruction in Haiti, he wrote down a few words and asked me to read them aloud. I told him it would be an honor.
These are his words. "In my life, I have been called by many names. There are also many names for the charity that resides in the hearts of all human beings. In my faith, charity is called Zakat (ph). Zakat is one of the pillars of my faith.
"By any name, charity can bring the people of our planet together. Charity crosses borders and eases pain of oh so many. Charity changes lives and saves lives. There is an old saying that charity begins at home, but it cannot end there. That is why we call upon all the good people in every corner of the world to help those who cannot help themselves.
"Whatever you believe, whichever words you choose, Zakat or charity, please give now."
Go to HopeForHaitiNow.org. God bless.
(SINGING)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, I'm Anderson Cooper, CNN, here in Port-Au-Prince. I want to go back to a story you heard at the beginning of this evening. Halle Berry told about a little boy named Manley (ph), five years old. He was rescued eight days after the earthquake. He was found alive in the rubble by his uncle on Wednesday. He was dehydrated. He looked impossibly thin and frail. Eight days alone like that. Can you imagine?
Which is why we were stunned today to find little Manley, just two days after his rescue. We brought him here today tonight. He is seemingly healthy. He looks completely different than he did just two days ago. I want to introduce you to the nurse who saved him. Your name is.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gabriella Macado (ph).
COOPER: Gabriella works with the International Medical Corps, which is a great organization, literally saving lives here. You and Doctor Colleen Bono (ph) really saved his life. How does he look to you now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He looks amazingly well, especially coming from being eight days -- you know, being stuck in the rubble.
COOPER: His parents died in the rubble. He doesn't have a place to stay. He is going to stay here tonight. He is sleeping in a tent with his uncle, normally. Do you worry about what happens to kids like him here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I did. And you know, I -- we had him in the pediatric section to be observed overnight. And we checked on him the next day, and he was gone. So we had no idea what -- where he was staying, what his living conditions were, and his uncle was very worried, that he didn't have the resources to make sure that he had a great place to live.
COOPER: Very brave little boy. (SPANISH) He is definitely very shy. There are literally tens of thousands of kids just like Manley, which is why all of us need to do more. We got to think about what we can do, and really do whatever we can. The number is there at the bottom of your screen if you want to call.
Now, let's go back to Los Angeles. Thank you. Merci.
BRAD PITT, ACTOR: In that first night after quake, while the dust was still settling, a sound weaved its way through the darkness. There in the small city of Jacqmuel, amongst the ruins and rubble, stood a loan musician playing his guitar. He played for his fellow artists who are now gone. He played for the fathers who had lost sons, for the sons who had lost mothers, and the sisters who had lost brothers.
He played to make sense of the incomprehensible devastation and soothe his broken city. And through the night, more than ever, he played for those who will carry on. Carrying on tonight, Haitian artist Emeline Michel.
(SINGING)
TOM HANKS, ACTOR: Fairna Saju (ph) had just picked up his cousin at the airport when the earthquake hit. His truck started shaking like a bucking bronco. The road split apart. And instantly there were people running and yelling, buildings falling, and debris in the road. Smoke and dust were everywhere. Obstacles surrounded him, but Fairna stayed in his truck and said, keep going.
He drove into Port-Au-Prince to make sure his family was OK. It took him six hours to reach his sister. Early Wednesday morning, he found her in the street, burned badly on her face and suffering from an injured leg. His brother was there and was able to care for her, so Fairna kept going.
He found his mother trapped underneath her concrete house. And for three hours, he used his bare hands to free her, as she cried "don't let me die." He didn't. He pulled her to safety.
For 60 hours, from Tuesday through Friday, Fairna kept going. And so must we. We must keep giving. We must keep caring about the people in Haiti, tonight and long after this event has finished.
The phone line will remain open. The website will remain up. And you can purchase this amazing music on iTunes. Just keep going. Please, call 1-877-99-Haiti. And thank you.
(SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need two people, who wants to go back in?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much for giving your time tonight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you for giving tonight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. I wish I could do more.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, say to somebody that a whole lot of littles make a whole lot of lots.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's absolutely the truth. I kept saying, you know, if even everybody that's watching this would pick up the phone and call and give five dollars, that's a huge amount of money.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Believe it. Thank you so much for everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God bless you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have a great night. Have a good weekend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Bye-bye.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Daphne Claude never gave up. In seconds, the earthquake turned her home into a pile of concrete, twisted metal and dust. Underneath the mass of destruction, she could hear her two- year-old son's cries for help. A mother's love is a force to be reckoned with. With her bare hands, she began to dig.
For 50 hours, Daphne searched as her precious baby's cries grew weaker and weaker. She kept digging, and soon right beside her a team of rescue workers appeared. Their equipment began to pull away the large slabs of concrete. Working together, in the middle of that darkness, they pulled little Regison Claude (ph) out.
He was alive. He had blood on his head and wounds on his face. He was cradled into a rescue worker's arms, dazed and his eyes unfocused until he saw his mother. He leaned toward her and she reached for him.
For 50 hours, she refused to give up. Now it's our turn to never give . Please go to HelpForHaitiNow.org and give what you can.
(SINGING)
DENZEL WASHINGTON, ACTOR: Even in these trying times, none of us can afford to lose hope. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "if you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving. You lose that courage to be, the quality that helps you go on in spite of it all."
It took seconds to tear down so much. It will take years to build back something better. It will be a struggle. It will take patience. But we are ready to do this. Not for, but with the Haitian people. In spite of it all, 200 years of hurricanes, poverty and earthquakes, Haiti refuses to break, no matter what challenge or heartbreak catastrophe sends.
So as you listen to the music of Haiti's native son, let us all pledge to do what we can, what we must, to help bring hope for Haiti now.
(SINGING)