NEWS & PRESS RELEASES

 

“On top of the great loss of life and widespread material destruction, the education, social and economic systems in Haiti has been completely destroyed. The Haitian society will have to rebuild itself entirely but in a different way”, explains Lucette Willerval, a Aide et Action Theme expert, who left for Haiti the day after the earthquake hit the region. The catastrophe left thousands seriously injured and handicapped. Children left alone are everywhere, and most families lost everything in the quake. “The programmes led by Aide et Action in Haiti have been spared, but employees, volunteers and the association’s partners are still traumatized by the quake. Many are in grief or are still looking for or taking care of their families”, explains Alain Bangoura, Head of Aide et Action Haiti. “We already know that we will need to reformulate our projects. A major task awaits us: starting a rebuild project is a priority but we will have to mobilize the whole community first, notably teachers”, he carries on.

 

Aide et Action, a development NGO, which has been distributing food and delivering drugs since the earthquake, has already launched the “Nap Vanse” programme, which features a temporary shelter for the most destitute families and education for the children. But the association, which is an expert in education, is also updating its programmes to take part in the reconstruction of the country. According to the NGO, the situation requires the rapid implementation of environment education system, which would include environment protection and reactions to have after an earthquake or a cyclone. “The epidemic risk is high: many corpses are still under the rubble. When the raining season starts, water sources are likely to be contaminated and to become a health threat to survivors. Besides, most supermarkets have been destroyed; food is now lying on the ground near the rubbish. This is a perfect niche for different infectious diseases”, Lucette Willerval insists. In this environment, Aide et Action is highly convinced of the necessity to strengthen its hygiene education action plan to radically change behaviours and settle a new sustainable development approach that will help rebuild a new Port-au-Prince.   The association, which already works upon a decentralisation project in Haiti, would like to develop its activities to help small rural towns handle the massive flow of population who has fled Port-au-Prince.  Other projects about the reconstruction of the education system are being elaborated. (See the webpage devoted to the reconstruction of the Haitian education system). “The international community will certainly help rebuild the country, but how will the Haitian population be involved in this project? They will need to lead the way”, adds Lucette Willerval. In this environment, Nesmy Manigat, Head of Aide et Action Latin America Caribbean, calls on the Haitian community, including the elite who lives abroad, to make themselves heard. “I am convinced that Haiti will stand up again if all conditions are met and if the Haitian international community, which has substantial resources and knowledge, is directly involved in the project. This implies to help the Haitian population get over its previous divisions so that it is united by common goals and a shared vision of a sustainable future”.

Together, let’s turn this disaster into an opportunity to build another Port-au-Prince, another Haiti.