ONE YEAR LATER....
jANUARY 12, 2011
Today marks the anniversary of the earthquake that struck Haiti one year ago. In just over 30 seconds much of the country was reduced to rubble and ruin with catastrophic loss of life, hundreds of thousands more seriously injured and the displacement of 1.5 million people. There have been many opinions offered about the billions of dollars in aid packages being offered but not yet implemented, the pace of cleanup and the reconstruction of damaged areas, and the need for a well-coordinated effort to rebuild the country's roads, energy grid, related infrastructure as well as the development of jobs.
CHP's track record in the past year has been admirable with its focus at St. Paul's and the wider surrounding region. Most of the money we received for relief has been allocated in the form of sending shipments of nearly 35 tons of food, shelter materials for approximately 2,000 new residents, several medical teams, and a psychological trauma response team. One of the medical teams was the fist ever to be led and staffed by women health professionals focusing on women's health issues, and it established a new precedent with its clinic at St. Terese bringing services closer to many of the people located more remotely from St. Paul's. We also established collaborative work with the World Food Program resulting in additional food for the school and with Bank Fonkoze to initiate two innovative programs that provided small grants directly to local small business women and host families of those who fled the zones closer to the epicenter and relocated into our areas. The St. Paul's School opened itself to the children of the 'reskape' families and our total enrollment increased by close to 50% as a result.
As I write this, CHP's board chair, Don Snyder, has just arrived in Haiti to meet with Fr. Kesner Gracia and with him to begin to define the course for the months that lie ahead and CHP's priorities in Haiti.
On this anniversary of one of the greatest tragedies the world has ever witnessed, we should take time from our day to pray and reflect on the needs of our Haitian partners, friends, brothers and sisters. CHP stands firm in its long term commitment to sustainable development, but today we also stand quietly in sympathy and solidarity with the Haitian people.
Paul Casey
Executive Director
The Colorado Haiti Project
DONATE
To DONATE ONLINE to the Colorado Haiti Project click here. Please indicate "use where needed most" for your donation to go to earthquake relief and to support our other programs in Petit Trou. You can be assured that your donations will be used to support all of the programs and activities described under “How Does CHP Define Relief?” with a minimal amount used to sustain the operations of the organization which makes all of this possible.
Or mail checks to:
Colorado Haiti Project
908 Main Street, Suite 245
Louisville, CO 80027
Please write "earthquake" in the memo.
We want to assure Colorado Haiti Project’s donors that we have a total overhead cost of only 11.4%. In addition, if a donor to CHP specifies to us that their gift is to be designated toward a specific program and/or for relief efforts in Haiti, 100% of that amount will be spent for that purpose in Haiti.
IRS Tax Break for Haiti Earthquake Contributions
Volunteer and In-Kind Donation Information
Click here for VOLUNTEER AND DONATION NEEDS AND OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP
While CHP is not primarily a relief organization, our relationship in Haiti will enable us to give effective support in short-term relief and long-term development for the people of Haiti. Here are some other organizations that we know are doing excellent relief in the current crisis:
Episcopal Relief and Development
CHP Updates
Please see below for updates that came in the weeks following the earthquake. For more recent news see the Spring 2010 Newsletter and sign up for our eNewsletter email updates (sent 2-3 times a month).
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February 22 - In Petit Trou, as in many other rural areas, there is a significant influx of people who fled Port-au-Prince after the quake. The carrying capacity of these regions is not sufficient to meet these increased demands brought by outmigration. Our network of 37 women health volunteers, working in 20 zones in the region, started revising their previous census by doing home visits before we left, and the lists of names added to various households showed significant increases. A subsequent estimate by the government also showed an additional 370 families from the area as being homeless due to structural damage or destruction of dwellings.
We have witnessed heavy rains while we were there. Roads west of Miragoane are unpaved and it becomes difficult for vehicles to cross rivers that have no bridges. I am concerned that if international aid organizations do not start to bring a concerted effort at distribution of aid into these rural areas we will begin to see a secondary disaster unfold that could otherwise be prevented with a shift in the strategic response. Although food and water may be in better supply in and around Port au Prince where aid efforts have been primarily focused, food security throughout Haiti will continue to be a significant concern. Ongoing efforts to ensure equitable distribution as well as increased production of agricultural products in Haiti needs to remain a priority.
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February 12 - In Petit Trou our engineer found little serious damage to any of the structures. We were relieved that the buildings were okay, but the whole campus was too quiet. The teachers were all gone and only a few of the support staff were there to welcome us. Soon people arrived from the surrounding community and the pain in their hearts became evident as they told stories of family members and friends who had died. In a classic community organizing approach, the CHP assessment team opened the meeting up to the Haitian people to give them an opportunity to express in detail how the earthquake was impacting their lives. The result was a powerful expression of a people in pain. At the same time, there were signs of strength as various members of the community stated their willingness to move forward in creating a strategic response to the devastation that was flowing into the Petit Trou region with each of the many families and individuals who had migrated out from ground zero in Port au Prince. Our goal is to do a thorough assessment of the various impacts of the quake and begin to shape with the community here our collaborative response.
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February 8 - The CHP assessment team-Paul, Don, Warren and Nic Remmington-have made it safely to Petit Trou. The roads were damaged, so it was slow going. Paul said the difference in the amount of damage to the roads is clear as they move farther from the epicenter. Leogane is just as badly damaged as we’ve heard-rubble. The buildings appear to be safe and the team has spent a lot of time meeting with community members to determine needs and where to go from here. They intend to assess the food situation to see how we can advocate for additional food deliveries to the community. There were apparently three wells damaged, and they brought the tools to fix the issues. They did not go through Port-au-Prince, so do not know the situation there.
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February 4 - CHP Executive Director Paul Casey, along with board members Warren Berggren and Don Snyder and structural engineer Nick Remmington left for Haiti this morning. They will be flying into Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and making their way from there to Petit Trou by car and bus. This team will be making assessments in the region around Petit Trou. The focus of our work is in the region around Petit Trou in the western region of the Department de Nippes and will be holding community meetings related to public health, the status of our 12 water wells, and to identify other key needs of the community as they define them.
CHP in the News
Boulder Daily Camera Guest Opinion by Sharon Caulfield
Channel 7 Denver ABC Story 1
Other info
Links to information about the earthquake: