Compassion International Work in Haiti Post Quake

Compassion International had seen a tremendous amount of poverty, disease and despair in its 40 years of work in Haiti.  But nothing prepared the international Christian child development organization for Jan. 12, 2010 and its aftermath.

The catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked Port-au-Prince left at least 220,000 people dead, some 300,000 people injured and approximately 1 million homeless. 

But there is no measuring the toll that the quake took on the hopes and dreams of Haiti's children.

Accounting for Children

Following the quake, Compassion International's priority was to account for the 22,800 sponsored children and their families who were living in the hardest hit areas. To date Compassion has accounted for 22,700 children.  At the same time, Compassion sought to account for members of its staff and the staffs of its church partners.

Two of Compassion's U.S. staff, Dan Woolley and David Hames, were trapped in the rubble of the Hotel Montana when the quake hit.  Woolley was found alive after 65 hours buried beneath the hotel's debris. Hames, however, didn't survive.

Immediate Relief and Mid-Term Recovery

As news reports circulated regarding the difficulty of getting relief supplies to the neediest, Compassion was working through its local church partners to quickly address the individual needs of sponsored children and their families.  Compassion quickly mobilized country staff and volunteers from Haiti and the Dominican Republic to support church partners in supplying food and water while meeting medical response demands and providing temporary shelter.

Long Term Recovery

Compassion is launching a two-year rehabilitation plan in January 2011.  One of the top priorities during these 24 months will be to repair or rebuild earthquake-resistant structures that will serve as primary and secondary schools on the properties of Compassion church partners.

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Food

• Two-week food kits went out to 15,625 families (78,125 people) immediately after the quake.  Baby formula was also provided to CSP mothers.

Medical

• Medical supplies for immediate relief-including medicines, bandages and emergency blankets-were distributed to 69 child development centers and 17 hospitals.
• Mobile medical clinics dispensed vaccines, water treatment systems and training for safe water/hygiene techniques.
• Revitalization camps were created to pull together scattered children, assess their physical and emotional well-being, and teach them vital disease prevention strategies.
• A water, sanitation and hygiene strategy will be put in place at the 44 Compassion child development centers (including schools) that were destroyed or severely damaged by the quake.
• Trauma counseling was provided for all children in the impacted area.  Staff was also trained to identify common psychological problems and to respond with proper stress-relief techniques.

Shelter and Financial Rebuilding

• Transitional shelters for 6,000 children and their families were made possible through a supply of construction materials for those who could rebuild.  Waterproof tarps or tents for temporary shelter were supplied to those who were left with no home and no property on which to rebuild.
• To provide sustainable income generation, a two-year program will provide training to families and children.  In addition, small business loans (average of $500) and technical assistance will be provided to the parents of 2,000 Compassion-sponsored children.

Education

• Compassion constructed transitional classrooms that enabled all of Compassion's school operations to resume ahead of Haiti's official public school reopening.
• On Jan. 12, Compassion will break ground on reconstruction of the first five schools.  

Orphan Care

• To protect the 3,720 highly vulnerable children who lost parents and who are at risk of being exposed to abuse, violence, exploitation and trafficking, Compassion is searching for credible institutions that can provide secure homes.

ABOUT COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL:

Through child sponsorships, Compassion International serves 64,000 children in Haiti working to permanently break their cycle of poverty.  Compassion International is the world's largest Christian child development organization that permanently releases children from poverty.  Founded in 1952, Compassion successfully tackles global poverty one child at a time, serving more than 1 million children in 25 of the world's poorest countries.  Recognizing that poverty is more than a lack of money, Compassion works through local churches to holistically address the individual physical, economic, educational and spiritual needs of children - enabling them to thrive, not just survive.  Compassion has been awarded eight consecutive, four-star ratings by Charity Navigator, America's largest charity evaluator.  Additional information about Compassion International is available at DeMossNews.com/Compassion.

 

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