Haiti President Praises Dalembert

HOUSTON - Houston Rockets center Samuel Dalembert's love for his native country of Haiti is far bigger than his 6'11" frame.

With the second anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Haiti on Thursday, officials at the very top of the Haitian government applaud Dalembert's efforts to help his country rebuild.

Dalembert has donated more than $650,000 for relief efforts.

He has also pledged an additional $1,000,000 toward his dream of building an academy for children in Haiti that will cost $20,000,000.

"Samuel Dalembert is a star on the court and a star philanthropist," Haiti President Michel Martelly said in a statement to FOX 26 Sports. "He has helped hundreds of Haitian children see a better and brighter future.

"We are so grateful for his efforts."

Stanley Lucas, special advisor to President Martelly based at the Haitian embassy in Washington D.C., takes the thoughts of his president a step further.

"It's part of the Haitian DNA," Lucas said. "Once Haitian, always Haitian meaning that many of our brothers and sisters going overseas to find economic opportunities, they never forget the country who gave them birth. So they always try to do their best to help relatives, to help the country.

"Part of that is what Samuel is doing for his country. He became a man because of his country. Today he's giving back to the country. I think it's in the philosophy of what the President of the United States stated before, don't ask for what your country can do for you, see what you can do for your country."

Dalembert will never forget his trip to Haiti two days after his country had been hit by the earthquake.

"It was shocking," Dalembert said. "You just got out there and see a lot of people laying down in pain, missing legs or arms and little kids are crying with blood all over their face.

"Mothers are screaming looking for their loved ones. It was like wow you feel like it was the end. It's like the end of earth. You watch some of those movies sometimes and you go wow you're living it right now."

Dalembert, who lost a cousin and friends in the tragedy, knew he had to help his people and quickly.

Because caring for his country truly is a part of Dalembert's DNA.

"For me giving back is something I got from my parents," Dalembert said. I always say to myself who would I be if I see myself in this situation and not be able to give back and help out at least. I know I'm not going to be able to save the whole place, but I know I can make a difference with some of the young ones' lives and give them hope.

"God kind of gives you this opportunity to come away from there and be in the league and not just made it, to be able to be in it for a long time. I take pride in that. I'm happy and I'm blessed and I continue to do the best I can and help."

Growing up in Haiti has left a lasting impression on the Rockets center.

"Every day I feel a sense of guilt," Dalembert said. "You go to open your refrigerator and you get a juice. I was talking to my little brother, sometimes you gotta be blessed and grateful you are able to do that. You got electricity 24/7.

"To me, I grow up studying under candles. When they give electricity one time a week or maybe one time every two weeks, moms try to iron as much clothes as they can for the days to come, because they don't know when the next time they are going to give it back to you.

"I grow up in that. That's why a lot of my friends laughing at me when they come to my house, all the lights are off. All they see is candles all over the house. They like 'what the Hell I mean are you set up to move or something?' I'm like no. It's not that. It's just like I'm used to that. That's the kind of atmosphere I feel very comfortable in."

And Dalembert believes finding a comfort zone in Haiti is critical for the youth of his country.

"It's like when I go back home no matter how poor it is, you see your youth," Dalembert said. "You got that sense of pride, like wow this is my country. I always tell some of those kids (who say) I want to leave. I want to leave. I'm like listen man there are countries out there who are not independent until this day and the only thing you can say is it's yours. This country is yours and you got to make the best of it. You got to stop thinking wow it's not good, it's bad. What makes a country bad is the people in it. I always tell people you got to look at yourself and say what can I do differently to make the place better."

Like Dalembert, who plans to raise the necessary funds to see his dream of an academy for children become a reality.

"I got this academy I'm doing right now," Dalembert said. "I'm doing the phase one myself and I'm putting my own money in it. So I'm about to put a million dollars of my own money and start phase one. Eventually you got the second phase.

"I've been trying to be a realist about the situation. Could I build a 20-something million dollar thing? If I was Donald Trump, yea," Dalembert laughs.

Dalembert's dream of building his academy in Haiti

mirrors the dreams of his father.

He asked his father, Emmanuel Dalembert, a former government official who has retired, to join him in the United States, but the elder Dalembert said no.

"He said son in all you're life there's one time you can see your country (get) rebuilt," recalled Samuel Dalembert. "Some people never live to see that.

"He said I will never leave this country. He's a patriotic guy."

So is Samuel.

It is in his DNA.

The Rockets center said if anyone would like to help him help Haiti, please go to dalembertfoundation.org.