- ATD Fourth World

In spite of a period of uncertainty and doubt, strong ties are being created

Today, Haiti goes through a period of doubt, uncertainty and concern. Many things are advancing slowly and the big hopes, such as school starting, prove to be unpredictable for many people and especially for the very poor families who cannot afford to pay for the requested schooling fees. Having to face such excessive challenges, totally new for everyone, how can people remain united knowing that progresses can only be made slowly?

Some of the victims of the earthquake have been re-housed in tents, in areas built far from the city and from the working places; living conditions there are harsh; other people are still living among the ruins. Because of the rain, the most fragile houses collapsed…Insecurity and bad reputation are on the rise in certain neighbourhoods. For this reason, certain NGOs are starting to leave these places although their work there is not done yet. This is particularly the case in the neighbourhood of Grande Ravine.

Before the earthquake, ATD Fourth World had already a strong tie with 600 families. Today, the team is working with 2000 families. The team says: “We found ourselves in a dialogue with families that are in similar situations with those families that we know already and that live in the same neighbourhoods. We did not find ourselves in the middle of a crowd, but at the heart of a community. That makes a great difference.”

ATD Fourth World work alongside the families of Grande Ravine

In this context, the team and its friends have re-launched the Street Libraries, the “Welcome babies” programme and the pre-school, responding to the high expectations of the families.

In connection with other international NGOs, ATD Fourth World acts so that the inhabitants of Grande Ravine can take part in the already established programmes: 400 families benefited from the “Cash for work” programme -15 days of clearing and the money being paid at the end of this period - knowing that the poorest people living from one day to another have no resources whatsoever, some of them even go to work without having eaten. Thanks to the “Cash for business” programme, 500 families have received a small amount of money allowing them to start a business. Many of them, decided to use part of this money for emergencies, such as schooling for a child that has to pass an exam or repairing the house during these rainy periods…

Strengthened by the existing solidarity networks, the Movement got involved also with the inhabitants of a small neighbourhood, in a mutual assistance process aimed at repairing their houses. From this experience, the lessons learnt could be used in other neighbourhoods as well. The Movement also continues to support and make it possible for adults and youngsters to express themselves concerning their situation and on their vision of the country’s reconstruction. Thus, the Movement tried to organize cultural events that would demonstrate international solidarity and that would reinforce everyone’s courage.

Essential questions that need to be brought forward:

At the heart of this action, the team, the friends and activists, raised a series of essential questions for the Movement in Haiti, but also everywhere else in the world:

• What becomes of very poor families when they are touched by a disaster that affects a wide range of the society?
• How should the emergency professionals position themselves with regards to such situations? How to avoid generations of humanitarian action executives getting stuck in a deadlock where actions and developments are thought over in an office without actually doing serious and sustainable reflection work with the people concerned by these actions?
• How can the solidarity of other world citizens be reunited with the efforts of people, groups and communities of disaster victims? What form can this solidarity undertake at a global level so that it underlines well our commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and our refusal to let money dictate?

Seeing that there is hope for the country:

The preparations have already started for the 17th October, an important date when the families can say how much they have been affected, how much the country is suffering, before entering a reconstruction vision. ”We have suffered, but we are still standing. We need peace, friendship, justice.” “It is true that the country has been crushed. But that does not mean that we will not be able to reconstruct it. We were able to state our vision, our commitment. That allowed us to see that there was hope for the country.”