Our Work
Samaritan’s Purse responds to Haiti earthquake
July 12, 2010
Samaritan’s Purse staff writer Gary Martyn is in Haiti to help document the progress that’s been made since the earthquake struck six months ago. On July 8th, he blogged about the changes he has seen on his third trip to the island.
This is my third visit to Haiti since the earthquake in January. I stepped into the chaos at Baptist Haiti Mission Hospital less than a week after the quake happened when hundreds of injured people were lying on mattresses on the floors, and medical teams were working around the clock to help save lives.
It’s encouraging to be able to think back to what it was like then and now see the progress that’s been made over the last six months. Every Samaritan’s Purse program—from food, water, shelter, and rubble removal to medical care—is helping people rebuild their lives.
I saw a great example of the improvement this morning at a food distribution we coordinated in a rural area in the foothills outside Leogane. It was so different from the early food distributions we did, when thousands of desperate people lined up behind coils of razor wire, and armed troops stood by to provide security.
People from 610 families gathered at the site this morning to receive cans of cooking oil, bags of pinto beans, soy meal, wheat, and other staples that can feed a family of five for a month. Every family was on a list and everyone waited their turn.
But the food we distributed today only went to households that include widows, orphans, mothers with children under five, elderly parents, or family members who are disabled. The Haitian government requested that the United Nations and other organizations transition from the emergency mass food distributions that were critical in the beginning to targeted distribution programs that help families with the greatest needs. The idea is to encourage farmers to increase crop production for local markets again. There are also other programs in place to help train and equip families to grow more food.
It was encouraging to see the families receive the supplies, hoist bags over their shoulders or balance them on their heads, and take off in all directions toward home.
I talked to a 10-year-old boy named Robinson, who was waiting beside a footpath for his mother, with his 18-month-old sister sitting in his lap. Robinson’s father is dead and his mother has five children to care for.
“Sometimes we’re hungry,” he said. “The food my mother is getting will help a lot. I’m here to help her carry it home. I’m strong.”
Helping little guys like Robinson and his family is what we’re here for. You do what you can and then pray. Robinson will be on my prayer list tonight.
June 14, 2010
Brittney Clark, who works with our food programs, blogs about our ongoing efforts in Haiti.
We just had our weekly staff meeting, and here are some of the highlights (excuse me for bragging, but what Samaritan's Purse is doing here is just too good not to share!):
SHELTER: To date, we have put up about 1,060 shelters. That is only slightly less than other NGOs have put up in Haiti—combined! In fact, Samaritan's Purse was asked to give a presentation on what they are doing, so that other NGOs can start putting up shelters faster. Soon, SP expects to be constructing 100 shelters per day!
RUBBLE REMOVAL: The rubble removal team has moved something like 300,000 metric tons to date, and they are being approached by organizations all over the place who are asking us to do more. These guys are good too—they can pull down a wall that is literally touching another wall without bringing them both down. They're not tearing down buildings so much as clearing the way for reconstruction to start, which is such a cool thing! And it's important to get these buildings down so they don't hurt more people when they do decide to fall.
FOOD: This week, we have served over 100 metric tons of food in eight different villages. Here’s a cool story. The other day we found out that the staging area for the distributions was at the base of a tree that a voodoo witch doctor used as his sacred tree. For three days, we not only prayed under it but proclaimed the Gospel, and showed people the love of Christ through a month's ration of food. Apparently the guy was pretty upset, but people had at least heard the truth proclaimed under the center of his little worship area.
May God get the glory and the honor for all the work being done here in Haiti!
June 9, 2010
Kristi Ven Der Merwe arrived in Haiti a couple of weeks ago to join her husband, Ruco, and the rest of our team in Haiti. Kristi, who worked with Samaritan’s Purse in Uganda, wrote about her first impressions of the earthquake-ravaged country and our work there in a recent blog post.
Truly, the need here is so great. I think it just hit me for the first time two days ago. There is just so much damage: homes collapsed and rubble everywhere, people living in tents made out of linens (in the rainy season!!!), roads damaged and cracked, etc. I have been observing the destruction all along, but the perspective of just how great the need is hit me like a ton of bricks just recently.
However, I have to say, (and I know I am biased,) that SP is doing so much awesome work here. Everywhere I go, I see "Samaritan's Purse" tarps and people tell me of the work SP has done for them—clearing rubble, setting up shelters, and building latrines, among other things.
I had the chance to visit one of the food distributions this week (pictured above). I have also been busy this week organizing a tent distribution. The tents are huge and will be used as gathering places for churches, and also temporary learning spaces for schools that SP has cleared here in Haiti.
The people are so generous and grateful … happy that SP is here, and happy that people are caring for them! I love it!
May 21, 2010 - Simple Hygiene
May 20, 2010 - The Culture of Haiti
May 18, 2010 - Leogane
May 18, 2010
Thanks from Haiti
Among the orphanages and schools helped by Samaritan’s Purse in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti is the Haitian Academy, a non-denominational Christian academy with a campus located about 15 miles north of Port-au-Prince.
We have provided hygiene kits, rolls of tarp, some food, and blankets to the school and surrounding area.
The school recently thanked Samaritan’s Purse in a posting on their website:
“We at The Haitian Academy would like to thank Samaritan’s Purse for their generosity, for sharing with others what they have, and for the support they have provided to those that are in need in Haiti.”
May 14, 2010 - Health Clinic
May 13, 2010
Combating Insect Infestations
Insect-borne diseases are a major concern for earthquake survivors in Haiti. A lack of clean water and sanitation, coupled with crowded living conditions, often create public health threats in the aftermath of major disasters.
The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., recently reported how Samaritan's Purse shelter communities are being built on a model that is designed to limit infestation.
“In Canaan 2, a collection of tents made of sticks, trash bags and cardboard scraps on a hillside outside Port-au-Prince, residents complain of biting insects,” the newspaper reports. “But in a compound adjacent to the village of Lafito, several miles north, Samaritan's Purse has erected more than 260 evenly spaced shelters in neat rows, and a breeze blows down the dirt streets that were a farm field less than a month ago.
“Residents are within walking distance of well water. Three enclosed latrines serve every 12 shelters. Gutters and rain barrels will collect the rain that falls on the shelter roofs, reducing the amount of standing water in the camp.”
Samaritan’s Purse plans to construct 7,500 shelters, mostly in communities like this. The shelters, which are designed to last for two years, will belong to the recipients. Priority is given to the elderly and disabled, and to single mothers with no support.
May 11, 2010 - Temporary Shelters
April 26, 2010
Staying Healthy
An escalating “buzzzzzz” filled the open-air classroom in Haiti where a lively group of 3-to-6 year olds reacted to a larger-than-life illustration of the ugly “bug” that can make children sick if they don’t wash their hands.
More than 60 children at the Mission of Hope school and orphanage sat cross-legged on mats and listened intently as two Samaritan’s Purse health and hygiene workers talked about the importance of hand washing and cleanliness.
The children quickly learned a song about hygiene to the tune of Frere Jacques. Every hand went up when Myriam, the team leader, asked who wanted to stand and repeat the five important points about hygiene they had just learned.
“I really love working with children,” Myriam said. “It’s so important to teach them how to protect themselves and others from catching and spreading dangerous diseases.”
Five-year-old Marie counted her fingers as she repeated the key points of the lesson. Everyone joined in the applause when Myriam and Flosie, her coworker, smiled and said, “Bravo!”
Concerns about clean water, sanitation, and the spread of disease became critical following the earthquake, as hundreds of thousands of people lost their homes and were forced into makeshift camps. Samaritan’s Purse responded by providing shelter, clean water, latrines, health education, and hygiene workshops in tent camps, schools, mission compounds, and community centers.
Nearly 12,000 family hygiene kits were distributed in the worst-hit parts of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.
Health and hygiene teams continue to coordinate education programs for children and adults living in tent communities. They also conduct on-site inspections and meet with community organizers who help monitor health and sanitation projects in the camps.
As Myriam and Flosie entered a tent camp in Grand Guave, children swarmed around them as several adults walked over to receive cleaning supplies and talk about conditions in the community.
“Working with the people who live here helps them take ownership of the community and feel a sense of involvement in it,” Myriam said. “Together, we can promote proper hygiene and create a healthier environment for everyone.”
Myriam and Flosie walked further down the main road to an outdoor community center where a second group of children had gathered. Another “buzzzzzz” echoed through the crowd as Myriam pointed to the nasty bug on her colorful chart and started another presentation.
April 12, 2010
It has now been three months since a devastating earthquake struck Haiti. Samaritan’s Purse has been hard at work bringing aide to the survivors of one of the deadliest natural disasters in history.
FOOD: Working in partnership with the World Food Programme, Samaritan's Purse has distributed basic staples such as rice, beans, and oil to approximately 500,000 people living in Cite Soleil. In the coming weeks, this project will transition to targeted feeding for the most vulnerable people, particularly mothers and children under five.
SHELTER: In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, our team distributed thousands of 20'x20' pieces of heavy-duty plastic to replace the sheets and cardboard that people were using to construct makeshift shelters. We also provided hundreds of rolls of plastic sheeting to churches and orphanages for them to use for emergency repairs and shelters.
Today, we have constructed about 100 transitional shelters, and our team is working diligently to complete thousands more as quickly as possible. We also continue to distribute plastic through churches and orphanages, and we have supplied 72 tents to families left homeless by the disaster.
WATER: Within days, Samaritan's Purse had sent community water filters and water purification packets to Haiti. Since then, we have installed 20 community water filters in Port-au-Prince, Leogane, and Grand Goave. These machines can provide safe water for up to 3,000 people per day. We have also given out 20,000 bottles of water. We have constructed more than 100 latrines, and our team is conducting hygiene and sanitation training in communities receiving filters and latrines.
MEDICAL: Our Disaster Assistance Response Team medical advisor was on the ground less than 24 hours after the disaster. He immediately began working at our partner's 100-bed mission hospital. When he arrived, there were more than 300 people crowded into the facility, and busloads of additional patients arrived daily. Samaritan's Purse sent in dozens of doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel to assist, and the hospital was quickly stabilized. The facility began working so efficiently that our
partners and staff were able to take in patients from overrun hospitals in Port-au-Prince. Thousands of sick and injured Haitians were able to receive medical care.
Samaritan's Purse has also restored a clinic run by our church partner in Cite Soleil. We have equipped and staffed this facility, and we now see an average of 100 people per day. Patients are receiving care for chronic illness, traumatic injury, and malnutrition, and many are receiving immunizations to help prevent the spread of disease from living in cramped, unsanitary conditions.
RUBBLE REMOVAL: Samaritan’s Purse chartered a cargo ship to bring heavy equipment to Haiti, including dump trucks and bulldozers. We are now employing more than 350 Haitians — 42% of them women — to help remove rubble and debris. Through this program, we have cleared miles of road and prepared sites for churches and businesses to begin rebuilding.
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