In January, for the first time in 140 years, a significant earthquake hit Haiti with the epicenter less than 10 miles from the CODEP project area. Port-au-Prince and Léogâne both experienced significant loss of life, collapsing buildings, and disrupted supply of the basics of life: water, food and medical care.

Search, rescue and medical teams from all over the world descended on Port-au-Prince. The global response has been nothing short of incredible. The Red Cross and Medicines Sans Frontiers were among the first responders. Episcopal Relief and Development and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance are preparing sustained relief, recovery and development efforts. The UN, US and Canadian Armed Forces are providing emergency food and water supplies while maintaining order.

What about conditions in the mountains? Without media attention there is a considerable “information gap” about how people living in the mountains were affected by the earthquake. Do they have food, water and shelter? What about their homes, schools andchurches? And how is Haiti Fund responding to the needs? All of these are important questions and there is much to tell. So we are focusing this entire issue on the January 12th earthquake and how Haiti Fund is responding.

In the mountains, some lives were lost and others were injured, mainly by falling concrete structures. The main road through the mountains has been reopened to at least a single lane and Canadian military are providing emergency food, water and security along the Jacmel road. CODEP is receiving emergency supplies for distribution from the US and UN military, as well.

Homes, schools and churches built of concrete are another matter. The adjoining picture is the school at Siloe that has been destroyed. Most homes and structures along the Jacmel road need to be rebuilt. The Epiphane church and school across from our L’Acul CODEP headquarters also needs to be rebuilt.

Fortunately the L’Acul facility is structurally sound and is back in operating condition to house visiting work teams and provide a base of operations. TheAPKF farm store building and yard in the mountains also fared well and will serve as a secure supply depot for reconstruction. Our main focus is taking care of the folks in the mountains, rebuilding homes and schools, whether they are CODEP communities or not. The task is large, will take a year or more, and the CODEP Haitian management team is excited about the possibilities of helping build a better future.

Our CODEP directors, Mike and Nicole Carlin, and family have returned to Haiti as did a team of building experts. These visits are seen by the people as a huge statement of support in their time of crisis. It is astounding how the spirits of the people are high, with plans and expectations of how things will get better in their lives. This faith is heartwarming and touching to us Americans, who cannot imagine being in a situation like this for a few days, much less months. God is good. God can be seen in the faces and hopes of the people of Haiti. God showers His grace on all of us.

Thank you for your generous support in response to the needs of the people of Haiti.

John Winings, Haiti Fund Executive Director.

The 3 ‘Rs’ - Recovery, Rebuilding and Redevelopment

As a kid in school it was stressed that the 3 Rs – Readin’, ‘Ritin’, and ‘Rithmetic – were the keys to good grades and success in life. The same may be true for Haiti, now recovering from a devastating earthquake a month ago. The acronym in Haiti stands for Recovery, Rebuilding, and Redevelopment. Each of these has a different meaning and a different time schedule. It is expected that it will be five years before Haiti is back to ‘normal.’ Since before the earthquake Haiti was the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, normal isn’t necessarily the desirable result.

The hope is that, through this terrible tragedy, the world will pay attention to this lovely, yet difficult country with the idea that things can change for the better – permanently. Better, not with American solutions, but utilizing Haiti’s own brand of unique industriousness in combination with an infrastructure that allows individuals and communities to move past subsistence living to good jobs, good health, and self-fulfillment.

Recovery is well underway. The Canadian forces have responsibility for the area from Jacmel through to Léogâne, and their efficiency, equipment, good humor and inoffensive methods are much appreciated by all the Haitians. There are lines for food still, and people living in tent cities temporarily, but overall, the bazaars and markets have returned – sparse still, but active and on the normal schedules. Tap-taps honk, ‘motos’ whistle, and people are getting on with their lives.

Rebuilding has barely started. Many, however, do not have homes anymore. Haitian concrete block buildings with poured, steel-reinforced, 4-inch-thick second and third floors could not withstand the tremors. Most fallen buildings had the upper floors pancake down to what is now rubble and dust.

The homes and buildings using wood support structures and tin roofs built by BGF (shown post earthquake on the left) fared much better. In Haiti concrete block and cement construction is cheaper than imported wood. Thus a new form of construction that combines lower cost concrete at the base with stronger wood support structures for higher stories appears to address both the cost and strength issues. Building Goodness Foundation (BGF), of Charlottesville, VA has developed new designs for homes and larger buildings which take these needs into account. CODEP is planning to rebuild homes and schools first so that people have places to live and kids can get back to school. Understand however, that the rebuilding effort will be long, perhaps a couple of years or more.

Redevelopment is the longest, and yet most important effort. This is because it provides economic independence. Microeconomic development, commerce and supplies all are needed. Recovery and rebuilding can’t be sustained without the economic engine that redevelopment provides.

CODEP has particular skills in land restoration, food production and agro-forestry. It also has 600 Haitians organized into very effective work teams. Where the needs lie outside our primary skill set, we will identify and recruit a skilled partner such as BGF to reconstruct buildings. Our work teams can prepare sites for rebuilding and work along side the skilled builders from Virginia. This both maximizes the contribution the BGF teams can make and imparts valuable skills to the Haitians.

Earthquake Effects in the Mountains: Needs & Response

Located within ten miles of the epicenter, both the CODEP service area in the mountains and the headquarters at L’Acul were exposed to major shaking. The mountain road to Jacmel was initially impassable and the cell phone service failed. When the earthquake struck, CODEP directors Mike and Nicole Carlin and family were in the United States.

With communication virtually impossible Mike quickly returned to Haiti to assess damages and meet with our leaders. Most traditional design concrete structures in the mountains were badly damaged or destroyed although loss of life and personal injury was small compared to Léogâne and Port au Prince. The compound at L’Acul is structurally sound and water, electrical and communication systems have been restored adequately to provide a base of operations. Nicole and children returned to L’Acul February 14th.

Initially all available food and mature fish in the hatchery at L’Acul were distributed to those in need. All medical supplies were given to the area health worker, Pastor Gabriel. Food and emergency supplies at the APKF farm store in the mountains were also distributed. Contact was made with the UN military in Léogâne and rice has been made available for CODEP’s distribution in the mountains.

Many living in the mountains are subsistence farmers with their own gardens. Rice is the major basic food item that they do not produce locally. Thus being cut off from external food supply was not the major problem it was in the cities. And now the Canadian military are supplying emergency food along the Jacmel road.

Water remained available for most from streams or the fiberglass cisterns CODEP has supplied in recent years. The cisterns held up well although some of the pvc collection piping was broken and needs to be repaired or replaced.

Next Steps

The APKF farm store (shown at right) is being restocked by CODEP so that a wide variety of agricultural and related supplies will be available in the mountains. Similarly the very successful micro bank is receiving a capital infusion from CODEP to jump start the local economy.

Rebuilding homes and schools is the next priority. Building Goodness Foundation and Haiti Fund will be sending construction teams to Haiti monthly for the next several months. Building supplies, especially termite resistant treated lumber from the US, will be a major challenge to arrange as will sufficient skilled construction workers. If you can help us with either please contact John Winings, Haiti Fund Executive Director.

A Big Thank You

Many thanks for your generous financial support that is enabling CODEP to carry out the recovery, rebuilding and redevelopment work in the mountains. Your financial contributions of the Haiti Fund and the hard work of the Haitians are making possible a better and brighter future for our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Please continue to support and work with us in the weeks, months and years to come. Thanks again.