7A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Opportunity: 

Many citizens in Puerto Rico are not receiving the aid that they should because of the corrupt

government and the lack of media coverage of the ongoing natural disasters going on. This is why I

want to create an organization on campus that focuses on raising money and donations for natural

disasters within the United States as they appear.

The Who: The people of Puerto Rico 

The What: Not receiving the needed aid for the constant earthquakes currently going on 

The Why: The government has not been distributing the products that they recieve and the media is
not talking enough about what is currently going on

Testing the Hypothesis: 

Testing the Who: If we are only in America there are not many others that are being affected by

natural disasters currently that are in the need for basic hygiene products. 

Testing the What: Not everyone in Puerto Rico needs assistance, but instead those who live in the

South of the island who have lost their homes and are currently living in tents. 

Testing the Why: Many Puerto Ricans in the South have lost their homes due to the constant
earthquakes that started in January. This loss has caused them to lose their basic hygiene products,
food, and clothing. These needs have been overlooked by the government and many other citizens
blame them for this crisis because of the recent news outbreak that they hid donations from the
Puerto Rican people since the Maria Hurricane in 2017.

Interview 1: I interviewed my aunt who currently lives in Carolina, which is located in the northeast of the island. She has personally traveled to the South of the island and has seen the living conditions of those who currently are intents because they have lost their homes. With the rain, it has caused many tents to fill with water, which makes the situation worse. She states that many have donated food, which is good but the main need is for basic hygiene products like diapers and medicine. She mentioned that she has never seen this type of situation before.

Interview 2: I interviewed my mother who is from Puerto Rico and is constantly doing research about the news. She stated that she does not feel that the government ever does enough for the people of the island. She began to talk about the recent news last month where they found a storage facility filled with old donations that the government-held hostage from the people from Hurricane Maria. She mentioned that many of the donations ended up expiring, which led her to cry because she didn’t understand the logic behind their actions.

Interview 3: I interviewed my cousin who currently attends college in Puerto Rico. She informed me that every organization on her campus is picking up donations and physically taking them down to the South of the island. She informed me that most of the donations are brought over by the people because the government hasn’t made the initiative to give a helping hand to those people.

Interview 4: I interviewed my aunt's neighbor who is collecting donations. She told me that her church is collecting donations every day to take with them when they visit the South during the weekend. She informed me that local supermarkets are donating food and water to the families who have lost their homes and are in need, which I found amazing. She told me that this is why their main want for donations is hygiene products and clothing.

Interview 5: I interviewed my uncle who lives in Puerto Rico. When talking to him he also mentioned like everyone else that the government isn’t doing enough for its people and that this should be a sign for those around to go out and vote during the next election to make sure this does not happen again. He stated that despite the corruption this natural tragedy has brought the people of the island close and he can sense the unity as they bond together to help those in need.

Summary: 

I was able to collect that those who are from Puerto Rico all feel the same way about how they are

being treated during this time. All my interviews mentioned the constant donations made by the

people themselves. This can be a great intro to bringing the idea onto the UF campus because we

can let potential donors that currently all donations were bought by everyday people like us. If you

are reading this and are able to donate it will greatly be appreciated!!