Oxfam in Haiti

Marie Carole St. Juste (with her mother) inside her new shop, provided as part of Oxfam's livelihoods recovery programme in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. Photo: Toby Adamson

From our staff

Mari Soudnie, Gender and Protection Adviser

 Oxfam's work in Haiti has two main components - responding to the 2010 earthquake and helping people improve their lives in the long-term. Our earthquake work focuses on things like clean water and sanitation, and on people's food supplies. We're also involved in a cholera response programme, while our long-term work helps communities grow enough food, prepare for disasters and take control of their lives.

My role focuses on ensuring that our work supports women and helps overcome gender inequality, and I'm proud that, by working at Oxfam, I'm able to align what I believe in as a citizen and campaigner with my professional goals.

The impact of our work: Haiti earthquake

Video: Haiti earthquake thank you to supporters

In 2010-11 Oxfam helped:

1,100,000
people in
Haiti

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Snapshot of Oxfam in Haiti

Photo 1/10 photo by: Ivan Munox/Intermon Oxfam

The earthquake that hit Haiti on 12 January 2010 had a devastating impact on the already vulnerable island nation killing more than 220,000 people and leaving over a million homeless. Oxfam launched an immediate response to provide support to some of the worst affected. Here, residents of Tapis Rouge camp clear up debris as part of our cash-for-work programme.

  • The earthquake that hit Haiti on 12 January 2010 had a devastating impact on the already vulnerable island nation killing more than 220,000 people and leaving over a million homeless. Oxfam launched an immediate response to provide support to some of the worst affected. Here, residents of Tapis Rouge camp clear up debris as part of our cash-for-work programme.
  • We worked to ensure that people had access to clean, safe drinking water by setting up water points and filling up Oxfam bladders like this one pictured. In total we provided clean water and sanitation facilities to approximately 400,000 people displaced by the earthquake.
  • Health promotion was a vital part of our emergency work. We trained community mobilisers to reinforce messages about good health and clean sanitation facilities around the camps. We also worked with children like Katery (pictured), recycling rubbish into ‘towns’ with public health messages such as ‘wash your hands before eating’.
  • Small restaurant owner Charitable used to run her business from her house which collapsed when the earthquake hit. Oxfam gave Charitable a grant that she has used to restock her shelves and provided her with a fuel-efficient stove. She also participated in Oxfam-supported business training.
  • In addition to our emergency work, we also run longer-term development programmes in Haiti. Here, a young pupil from Limonade school enjoys a bottle of Let Agogo sterilised milk. Oxfam has provided advice and financial support for the establishment of 13 Let Agogo dairies throughout the country.
  • Elise Elbeau is a member of Oxfam partner Veterimed’s Women’s Association and received help to establish her garden. “The association have helped me here with agricultural training and money for seeds. We have pimentos, tomatoes, guava and peppers. I can use this for food and I also sell at the market.”
  • We also helping people respond to and be prepared for natural disasters. Here, the Civil Protection Committee of Borne runs through a training exercise to learn how to save lives in a flood. “This area floods a lot and people feel safer knowing that we have training on how to save lives and are in a position to help,” explains Ismelia Jeune (pictured centre).

The impact of our work

 I've had training [from Oxfam] many, many times. What they told us was to put aquatabs in the water and how to wash our hands. You have to have somebody pour it for you when you wash your hands. And they told us not to wipe our hands but to shake them.


Altagrace Nicolas, recipient of an Oxfam-supported latrine