SCIAF partners ITECA open up the road for access following the earthquake (Photo: SCIAF)

SCIAF has worked in Haiti since 1987. We work through local partner organisations to reach the poorest and most vulnerable with the aim of helping them work their way out of poverty

The 2010 earthquake hit many of our partners hard. This had a devastating impact on the people who rely on the support of our partners with many left homeless and forced to rely on food aid due to increased strain on crops.

SCIAF is part of Caritas Internationalis – the world’s largest network of Catholic aid and development agencies. This meant that when the earthquake hit, we were able to work with our Caritas partners to get help to those who needed it – fast. Within hours, Caritas teams were helping to search for survivors in the rubble of Port-au-Prince and set up field hospitals to treat survivors.

In the first few months following the disaster, SCIAF worked with Caritas and church networks to provide:

· Water, latrines and hygiene kits containing soap, toothpaste, water purification tablets and towels to 169,700 people living in temporary camps in Port-au-Prince

· Tents and blankets for 18,000 people who had lost their homes

· Cash for work programmes which employed 41,700 local people – giving them a much needed income in exchange for helping to clear the rubble from the streets, dig latrines and distribute food at the camps

· Medicines, hand sanitisers and information leaflets to help minimise the spread of disease following the cholera outbreak

SCIAF is also working with local organisations in Haiti to support long-term recovery in the country. Over 3 years, 8,000 families in rural villages will receive seeds, tools, animals and training so that they can grow food – both to eat and sell at market in order to earn an income. 1 year in, the results can already be seen, with improved harvests of beans, peas and maize, vegetable production, improved goat and cattle rearing, and environmentally friendly farming techniques.

The results of these 3 year programmes should help rural communities not only overcome the effects of the 2010 earthquake, but also improve their local economy based on sustainable farming techniques which will help them to protect themselves and their livelihoods from future disasters.

However, these efforts are hampered by a number of factors. Haiti’s transport infrastructure was poor prior to the earthquake, and badly damaged by it, leaving rural communities isolated. Small-scale farmers struggle to get to markets and transport costs are high. Furthermore, many Haitians, both those in the country and in towns, are still living in tents and temporary shelters, awaiting an adequate solution to their permanent housing needs. SCIAF plans to support permanent housing projects in 2012.

SCIAF raised over £1.2million in response to the Haitian earthquake thanks to our supporters and the generosity of the Scottish public. We focused on Haiti for our Lent appeal in 2011 to show people how we are helping people in the short-term as well as aiding the long-term recovery effort (please note, the money raised from this appeal funded all of SCIAF’s work). Susan Boyle even got involved to help us promote this campaign.

Mary Denise has benefited from Cash for Work schemes in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake (Photo: Thomas Omondi)

SCIAF remains in the area for the long term and is helping Haitians like Mary Denise in Port-au-prince:

"I had two children, but one is lost in the earthquake. The children were at school, I went to get them from school, I left them at my house, they were studying. I went to Petionville to go shopping. I felt the earth move and I went back to find my children, at my house by foot, I couldn’t even get into my house because it was destroyed. I couldn’t find the children and then I found one. I had to sleep in the street with my child. I am a single mother.

My mum’s house was also destroyed, so since the earthquake my mum and I and my child have lived here in this camp.. I do the cash for work programme, and I have been provided with a hygiene kit and a cooking kit. There is also clean water and showers, which is good. However, I still cry all the time because of my child being missing. We still have a lot of need here in Haiti. I hope that people keep helping us."