Just one year ago, the Republic of Haiti was hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake where more than 300,000 people died and least 3 million have been injured and have lost their homes according to USAID. Not only that, with continuous aftershocks, floods from Hurricane Tomas , the spread of Cholera, and unsettled political disputes, the Haitian population is left in a state of fear, despair, hopelessness, confusion, and psychological trauma.
This week, many organizations and individuals are commemorating those who've lost their lives due to the catastrophe. Some are celebrating the bonds and uniformity of those who answered the call to solidarity, while others are revisiting their commitments to the relief and development efforts in Haiti.
Even though progress has been slow, the US government provided $1.1 billion in 2010 for relief efforts in Haiti. In November, USAID reported the completion of 9,739 transitional shelters (t-shelters), sufficient to house nearly 48,700 individuals. While working closely with other agencies, safe drinking water, food, household items, sanitation facilities, and health services were also made available to those affected.
However, life in the transitional shelters, otherwise known as camps, has not been ideal. The camps are crowded with children and their families, clean water and sanitation is scarce, and the health care services are hardly sufficient.The most affected people in Haiti right now are the children. Many have been orphaned or separated from their families. According to UNICEF, one of the long term development partners in Haiti, stated that more than 750,000 children have been directly affected. One of the concerns is the extreme fragility in children living in crisis, poverty, and trauma. Many of them are vulnerable due to the lack of education, health care, and most of all genuine nurture.
That is why, to date, the US government has established the Operation Protect Children initiative which focuses on the development of child friendly spaces. This plan is in line with BuildaBridge's mission to meet the needs of the most vulnerable. So we too are revisiting our commitment to the children in Haiti. With over 10 years of serving children and families in transitional homes throughout the United States and abroad, BuildaBridge International understands the importance of healing through the arts amongst those who've been traumatized. In the past year, we worked in an orphanage creating a safe place for kids to play, and in a school developing an after-school arts program. You can view these by clicking on the links.
By providing children an outlet to express themselves through art, music, dance, drama, and creative writing, they actually tap into a realm of escape, and healing.
This year, as part of our Haiti Arts Relief and Development initiative, we will continue our arts relief efforts with Practical Compassion in Pont Sonde, Haiti as well as building relationships with local and international organizations that are directly associated with Haiti.
So, do you remember where you were on that disastrous day? Let's continue to keep the people of Haiti on our minds and in our hearts. We all have a responsibility to put our hands and resources together for the greater good of this world. To get involved with BuildaBridge's next trip to Haiti contact Maeva Renaud.
To support the Haiti Arts Relief and Development initiative financially, donate online or send your contributions to BuildaBridge International 205 W Tulpehocken Street Philadelphia, PA 19144. Enter Haiti Arts Relief.
The Haiti Arts Relief and Development (HARD) initiative is an arts intervention and restoration development program that focuses on children in communities of poverty and crisis. This initiative will come to fruition through strong alliances with individuals and organizations that are involved in the reconstruction and rebuilding efforts in the Republic of Haiti since the January 12, 2010 earthquake that destroyed the capital and surrounding cities and the Cholera disease epidemic that spread throughout the country.
Our main objectives are to create safe places, provide healing and education for children living in transitional environments (shelters and residential care institutions), and train local artists and community workers in creative arts methods of education, healing, and the environment. We believe in holistic transformation. As part of the restorative development, the initiative offers training to Haitian artist, teachers, health care workers and residential care centers staff in arts-assisted learning, classroom management and curriculum writing, therapeutic art skills and psychological first aid.
