CHF - Helping Rebuild Haiti

Camélita Cadet, 40, had a very different experience with Hurricane Tomas than in previous hurricanes: this time, she did not have to evacuate or find her belongings buried under mud when she returned. “The water just flowed through the canals without causing any damage to the area,” says Camélita. She lives near Bienac canal in Gonaives, which was constructed by CHF International with USAID funds.

In previous years, the northern city of Gonaives was one of the most badly affected when tropical storms or hurricanes hit Haiti. Thousands of people lost their lives in 2004 when Hurricane Jeanne hit, and countless more were affected by Hurricanes Hanna and Ike in 2008. On a regular basis, homes were submerged in mud and the roads became impassable.

This year, there were no deaths in Gonaives and the damage was minimal despite the 12 inches of rainfall that Tomas brought with it. This success is due to the work that CHF International has done to protect Gonaives from flooding due to tropical storms. In a two-pronged approach, CHF reinforced surrounding slopes and ravines by planting over 230,000 trees and building more than 100,000 cubic meters of erosion-preventing dry-stone walls, while at the same time building over 15,500 linear meters of drainage canals. These lead to three main canals: Bassin, Bienac and Bigot, that drain into the sea. Additionally, CHF built five main roads which are sloped to help drain stagnant water along the sides, and an artificial lake was expanded in order to hold 16,000 cubic meters of water.

“Every rainy season before the completion of this project, all the homes along the Bassin road would be flooded,” says Jean Philippe Sejourne, 49, and President of the Bassin Community Association, “and all the commerce and traffic would be blocked.” “Now,” he says, “our quality of life is better and in the name of the community that I represent I would like to thank those who have done this work.”

Roland Poncelet, the CHF Field Office Director in Gonaives, points out that despite the great amount of rainfall there was no major damage to the city. “This time there was some flooding due to water, but no mud,” explains Roland. “Especially important is that the new Bassin canal prevented National Road No. 1 from flooding; all the water was canalized through Bienac and down to the ocean.” The Bassin canal is located above the entrance to the city, a spot previously affected by water running off the mountain ravines surrounding the area. The canal now diverts the water before it can enter. Additionally, the third Bigot canal channeled a huge amount of water without any reported damage.

 “Good job!” said Camélita enthusiastically when asked about the drainage canals built near her home. “I can guarantee you that since the completion of this work, all of us in this zone will take care of this canal as long as it is necessary,” she added happily.