Haiti saw a change in political leadership in 2011 with the election of Michel Martelly as president in April. But the country is still struggling to recover from the 2010 earthquake, while a cholera outbreak continued into 2011. Haiti also felt the effect of the global financial crisis which has resulted in steady increases in basic living costs.
Concern's work in Haiti
Concern has been working in Haiti since 1994, with current programs in Port-au-Prince, Saut d’Eau, and the island of La Gonâve in health, water, education, livelihoods, and emergency response.
EMERGENCY—Providing lifesaving assistance to more than 273,600 earthquake survivors
In 2011, Concern continued its emergency program to assist earthquake survivors by providing temporary shelters for 7,400 internally displaced people. Concern also piloted a range of alternative shelter solutions for 192 households, providing them either with rent subsidy for 12 months or repair work on their homes. Concern also implemented shelter rehabilitation activities to earthquake-affected populations in Saut d’Eau and La Gonâve, reaching 459 households.
Earthquake survivors continued to receive other assistance including water, sanitation, food and nutrition support, essential survival items, cash-for-work projects, and vital health services. Concern’s program met the water and sanitation needs of 55,625 people still living in camps and provided access to education for 2,200 children through the operation of Temporary Learning Centers. As part of Concern’s child survival program, 12 tents were set up to continue providing nutrition support for 50,680 mothers and children. And the livelihoods program provided short- term employment opportunities for 5,120 households in Saut d’Eau and La Gonâve.
HEALTH—Ensuring access to vital health services for 148,800 people
In 2011, Concern’s nutrition and health program supported five stabilization centers, five health centers, and six supplementary feeding programs. These efforts helped treat 2,900 children suffering from malnutrition and 4,450 children with early childhood illnesses or pneumonia. The program also reached out to 7,115 children and 2,641 pregnant women, providing education sessions about child illnesses and pre-natal care.
Through Concern’s water and environmental health program, the rehabilitation of three spring-fed pipes and the drilling of eight boreholes have provided 14,350 people with access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
EDUCATION—Improving access and quality of education for 11,400 children
A total of 41 preschools and primary schools in the rural communities of Saut d’Eau were reached by Concern’s education program, benefiting 11,400 children. Activities under Concern’s program included the distribution of school materials to 11,400 children, providing furniture, water treatment kits, and soap for all 41 schools, and training150 teachers and 22 head teachers in areas of hygiene promotion and cholera prevention, child rights and protection, and classroom management. Concern also began the construction of three new schools in hard-to-reach locations.
LIVELIHOODS—Improving quality of life of 48,800 of the most vulnerable
In 2011, Concern focused its efforts on improving road conditions in the most remote and marginalized areas of La Gonâve, enabling better access to markets. The successful rehabilitation of these roads led to a reduction of people’s travel time from two hours to 30 minutes and reduced travel costs by 25 percent.
Concern also worked to improve access to microfnance services to the most vulnerable people. The program provided 834 female-headed households with comprehensive business and management skills training to improve the social and economic standing of these women. In 2011, 134 women supported by this initiative graduated from the program and have gained access to formal microfnance services, enabling them to start new businesses of their own.
Haiti at a glance
Area (sq km): 28,000 sq km
Population (millions): 10.1 million
GDP per capita: $1,000
Infant mortality rate: 87
Life expectancy: 62.1
Living with HIV and AIDS: 1.9 percent
Literacy rate: 48.7 percent
Without access to safe water: 35.6 percent
Human development rank: 158 (out of 187)
Global hunger rank/index: 76/28.2