Help the people of Canaan, Haiti, tell their story through verbal testimonies and media production, and empower those living in this new urban settlement play a role in the development of their town. Internews, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and others are working to enhance the public debate on housing and urban development in Haiti. You can help by giving a voice to people who are living in this evolving urban settlement situated on the outskirts of the Haitian capital.
This community-built neighborhood developed after the 2010 earthquake is now home to more than 160,000 people. With a lack of basic services and formal planning, massive migration is posing challenges to sustainable urban development. There is an untold story here, that of self-recovery and resourcefulness of the people who built Canaan with no outside help. They have a lot to say about how they got there and how they see their future. However, their stories have not been adequately told.
Your donation will help give a voice to the individual experience and imagination of people building up and developing their neighborhoods by helping media to accurately describe the area and increase coverage of these untold stories. The media has neglected this self-recovery story, and in doing so has presented a reductionist and unbalanced view of Canaan. By highlighting real stories, people, and voices, policymakers can make more informed decisions for Haiti.
Thoughtful, fact-based reporting on urban and housing issues is critical to Haiti's development, as urban development is tightly linked to overall economic development and resilience. The consequences of understanding and fairly representing this population are enormous in a country where state resources are scarce and where government and international investments are intertwined. An in-depth report on the Canaan community will help to bring global attention to local voices.
