South Philly Review

Ralph Toussaint is the only Haitian at South Philadelphia High School, 2101 S. Broad St., so when it came time to pick a senior project, which consists of volunteer work and a research paper, his English teacher, Barbara Keating, of Seventh and Cross streets, suggested he focus on his ethnicity.

That was before the devastating, 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti Jan. 12, killing more than 150,000.

Prior to the earthquake, Toussaint was not sure how to complete the volunteer aspect of his project, but now he is collecting donations for the American Red Cross from his peers to serve his native country.

“It’s generated a nice buzz,” Keating, an 11th-grade English teacher, said. “[The students] are understanding it better thanks to this.”

Toussaint was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, where his mother Ghislaine Casseus and brother Ketler Casseus, 28, still reside. His father, Duval Toussaint, has lived in Philly for seven years and brought him and his sister, Nastatja Toussaint, 22, to West Philadelphia to live with him three years ago.

“When I first heard about the earthquake, I was scared because I still have family in Haiti,” Ralph said. “I can’t protect them. I cannot call because there is no communication.”

His mother and sibling survived, but his brother, who is in his final year of studies at a private univeristy in the capital city, stepped out of class to buy a bottle of water and came face-to-face with the devastation to come. Outside, he felt the ground shake, Toussaint said, and “he turned around and saw the school going down.

“My brother could not speak for three days.”

Many who were inside the school did not survive.

Since Jan. 19, the senior has traveled throughout Southern, visiting classrooms during morning advisory, and will continue to do so until tomorrow. He explains the situation to his classmates and accepts donations of any amount. As of press time, he had raised about $240.

“Nobody can do everything, but anyone can do something,” the 19-year-old said.

He even shows classmates a news photo he found that shows 500 people dead in Port-au-Prince with one man looking for his family in the midst of the devastation.

“When I look at the image, it’s eating me alive,” he said.

Toussaint hopes his peers as well as his own, contributions will make a difference.

“It’s not going to be too much, but it can buy water, blankets or whatever and it can help,” he said.

However, whatever Toussaint raises will be doubled thanks to Keating, who has secured Keating-Mara Associates, a Wayne-based legal and consulting service firm, to match the total collection.

“I was happy because I’m willing to do anything to help my country,” he said of the match. “When I look at the news, I feel [my] heart breaking.”

Elsewhere, local businesses are lending support to the cause, even those who do not know anyone directly affected.