Nelsen Menendez was playing scrabble with a friend when the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti on January 12. At the same time, in another part of the capital, Port-au-Prince, Adonis Verad was on the phone with his aunt.  "All I remember was the earth shaking and I could hear noises I have never heard before"  Adonis says. They were both trapped for days under the rubble before being rescued. And since then, their lives have not been the same.

By Sheriff Bojang Jnr, Dakar

"Sons of Africa"
Nine months after the quake, Adonis and Nelsen stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Senegalese president, Abdoulaye Wade at a posh hotel in Dakar for a lavish presidential reception. They are two of the 165 Haitian students who arrived in Senegal on Wednesday to take up scholarships. Soon after the quake, Wade offered a repatriation and housing package to Haitians whom he referred to as 'sons and daughters of Africa'. Haiti was founded by slaves, including some thought to be from Senegal.

'I have heard people saying over and over that some Haitians are originally from Senegal and once I stepped out of the plane, I immediately felt at home. There was a smile on my face after many months." says Adonis. According to him, landing in Senegal is a turning point for some of the students who have been going through pain and trauma over the earthquake and the loss of their loved ones.

No better opportunity
The earthquake left most of Haiti's schools and universities in ruins, and education in the country is still at a virtual standstill. Nelsen, who is a statistics student, says there's no better opportunity than the one offered by the Senegalese government.

'All our universities in Haiti are down and we have spent months wondering how we were going to get back to school. But then came President Wade's offer and we are very grateful to him and the people of Senegal for standing by us'.

Tears of joy
The 165 Haitians can now continue their studies at various Senegalese universities - all expenses paid. There were over 2,000 applicants for and Adonis says it is a miracle he made it through the tough selection process.

'The idea of coming to Senegal for education took the whole of Haiti by storm because Senegal was the first country to offer us repatriation after the tragedy. After we applied to come here, some of us have had sleepless nights. When my name came out, I cried, out of joy but also over de idea to leave my country for the first time ever.'

Hero abroad, villain at home
Senegal is known for its warm hospitality to foreigners and, in many quarters, the Haitian students will be received with open arms. But not everyone supports Wade's offer of scholarships. Critics say the president is intent on making a name for himself abroad while his people at home are suffering under grinding poverty. Education is a luxury for many Senegalese, and resentment may mean the Haitian students will sometimes be made to feel less than welcome during their stay in the country.