Haiti: A Year After the Earthquake
Posted by Billy Shore on Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Today’s one-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti is a sobering reminder of how much progress remains to be made to rebuild the country. It is equally important, however, for us to celebrate the success achieved to date.
Within the first 48 hours following the earthquake, Share Our Strength made emergency grants totaling $145,000 to Partners in Health, CHF International, the UN Foundation, CARE, and International Organization for Migration. In the months following, we raised and distributed another $160,000, which was granted to the Prosthetics Outreach Foundation, World Food Programme, Partners in Health’s Zanmi Agrikol project, and Haiti Health Ministries. The dollar amount was small in the scheme of things, but we were able to get the funds there quickly and directly into the hands of those who could use them best.
Here are a few updates directly from our partners:
Partners in Health’s Zanmi Agrikol: Shortly after the earthquake, Zanmi Agrikol (“Partners in Agriculture”) established malnutrition clinics in four settlements. Since January, 1,000 extremely vulnerable families are now being trained by Zanmi Agrikol in innovative and effective agricultural techniques. The program will employ 100 new farmers to increase production of our ready-to-use therapeutic food, Nourimanba, which will be given to 7,500 children suffering from acute malnutrition over the next year. (www.pih.org, www.standwithhaiti.org)
CHF International: Since January, CHF has removed 265,404 cubic meters of rubble, by employing 14,970 Haitian workers. We have constructed over 4500 shelters, capable of housing more than 28,470 people. We have partnered with the private sector to complete two major training centers; one to train Haitians in heavy machinery operation, all of whom are now employed by our rubble removal program, and the second to train tailors, engineers, managers and executives in best business practices. (www.chfinternational.org)
Friends of the World Food Programme: Within 24 hours, WFP started an emergency operation to feed survivors, and in the weeks following, delivered one million rations to more than 200,000 people. Six weeks after the quake, WFP’s food had reached some four million Haitians. WFP programs are now focusing on increasing long-term food security using the following models: school meals, cash and food for work, and nutrition programs. (www.wfp.org)Prosthetics Outreach Foundation: Following the earthquake, POF partnered with the Haitian government to establish a prosthetics center at a hospital in Cap Haitien to meet the medical needs of amputees. A solid partnership agreement is now in place to implement the project, a facility to house the prosthetics workshop has been identified and is now being renovated, all essential workshop equipment has been acquired, and local staff is being selected to be trained in prosthetics. (www.pofsea.org)
Haiti Health Ministries: Before the earthquake, Haiti Health Ministries’ Medical Clinic in Christianville was the main provider of medical care in and around Leogane and Carrefour (the earthquake’s epicenter) and treated over 30,000 patients in 2009. After the earthquake struck, the staff at the clinic began treating patients within 15 minutes. Reconstruction is currently underway for the medical complex buildings, the on-campus school, and the staff housing that were all completely destroyed on January 12. (www.haitihealthministries.org)
At Share Our Strength we were humbled by the generosity of our friends and supporters in the face of such tragedy last January, and we were proud to support Haiti in a time of great need.
*Photos courtesy of: Jenn Rogan
January 12, 2011 | 0 comment(s) | Tags: emergency relief, Haiti, partners
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