GlobalGiving Relief Fund for Haiti Earthquake

When a 7.0 earthquake shook Haiti on January 12, 2010 it was apparent that the recovery process would be an extensive one. The number of affected individuals was unimaginable. Initial estimates calculated death tolls to be anywhere between 230,000 and 316,000, and it was determined that about 300,000 people were injured and over 1.5 million individuals were displaced following the disaster. Those numbers have not been easy to recover from, even more than five years later.

GlobalGiving responded by creating our Relief Fund for Haiti Earthquake, which served to get much needed dollars to projects on the ground in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake and aftershocks. As of today, 3 projects are still active and contributing to the ongoing rebuilding efforts in Haiti. Because of support from donors like you, GlobalGiving’s Relief Fund for Haiti Earthquake has received over 14,800 donations since 2010, resulting in $926,841 for projects on the ground. In the 5 years since the earthquake struck, relief work is still being done to aid those still without permanent homes or livelihoods, and GlobalGiving’s project leaders continue to work tirelessly to support those recovery efforts.

One of those projects is the Lambi Fund of Haiti’s Contribute to Long-Term Rebuilding in Haiti which supports sustainable agriculture in rural Haiti by providing resources to build up local food production. The project also facilitates locally managed credit funds that are accessible to community members. Already, the Lambi Fund has worked with 14 rural farming organizations to work towards these goals. Having evolved from providing emergency food supplies in 2010, the project now strives to boost commerce in an effort to combat unemployment and create self-sustainable communities.

Partners In Health (PIH) first dove into relief efforts in Haiti by providing medical care in the areas of Central Plateau, Artibonite Department and Port-au-Prince in coordination with the Haiti’s Ministry of Health through their Partners In Health Haiti Earthquake Recovery project. At first, PIH set up 4 clinics in Port-au-Prince and 12 clinics and hospitals in rural Haiti and in the years since the earthquake struck, Partners in Health have provided long-term healthcare. In 2013 PIH even established the Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais, a national teaching hospital in Mirebalais dedicated to providing quality care for patients and training for future health professionals.

International Medical Corps also continues to support recovery efforts in Haiti through their project Provide Medical Care to Haiti, which currently operates in northern departments of the country. In the wake of the earthquake, International Medical Corps provided medical care and was an essential part of the fight against subsequent outbreaks of cholera. In their most recent report, International Medical Corps detailed their approach to cholera case management and the launch of their new program that provides cervical cancer screenings. Thus far, the project has trained 22 doctors and nurses in conducting screenings and has since begun servicing the community by conducting health workshops for local women.

Haiti is still working to overcome the damage done by the 2010 earthquake. With your support, the GlobalGiving Relief Fund for Haiti Earthquake and these local projects can continue to service communities with the vital resources and services that they need to recover and thrive. Thank you for your support!

Links:

• Lambi Fund of Haiti
• Partners in Health
• International Medical Corps

It has been five years since that fateful day that catastrophe struck and devastated the lives of an entire population. Thanks to the support of donors like you, our partner organizations are still able to work hard to put back the pieces of the puzzle that fell when Haiti experienced an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude. Here is a glance of the impact GlobalGiving partner organizations have had in Haiti.

When the earthquake hit The International Medical Corps was quick to respond.  At the peak of International Medical Corps’ emergency response, volunteer doctors and nurses saw as many as 1,000 patients a day while simultaneously training Haitian counterparts. They continued on to establish 13 primary health clinics in displacement camps and earthquake-affected areas throughout Haiti providing some 350,000 medical consultations as well as mobilizing over 400 medical volunteers across the United States. Committed to promoting self-reliance and laying the foundation for long-term and sustainable projects, International Medical Corps has launched a Continued Medical Education Program in Haiti.

Partners In Health and its sister organization Zanmi Lasante continue to make their presence felt in Haiti. In partnership with the Haitian Ministry of Health they began construction on the University Hospital in Mirebalais. Today, University Hospital is an innovative, national teaching and referral hospital that is equipped to provide advanced, high-quality health care while training Haiti’s next generation of health professionals and driving economic growth throughout the region. Since its opening in March of 2013 this hospital has seen over 100,000 patients, employed 807 Haitians from communities in and around Mirebalias, housed 200 staff, and  stimulated economic growth. This is evidenced by the research of PIH/ZL and the Haitian Ministry of Planning’s Centre de Techniques de Planification et d'Économie Appliquée which have quantified the ‘multiplier effect’ University Hospital has across sectors of the Haitian economy; they found that for every $1 invested into University Hospital, $1.82 is returned to the local economy.

Lambi Fund has been actively involved in the betterment of communities since 1994. In the past 20 years, they have worked with 250 Haitian organizations and have witnessed rural communities take charge and make a difference even in the absence of infrastructure and government support. Moreover, they have planted 422,000 new trees, added 1021 goats to the herd and launched the construction of 20 new cisterns in drought-ridden Jean Rabel, in the locality of Dityet, Mawotye, and Lakoma. In alignment with their continuing focus on sustainable growth, they have put the emphasis on skills and management training.

Your donations have had a direct impact on the lives of countless Haitians, and for this we are infinitely grateful. Although progress is undeniable, there is still plenty of work to be done! We urge all of our kind donors to continue supporting our organizations in the rebuilding of Haiti. As Haitians would say, Mesi Anpil. Merci. Thank you!