Last week marked the two year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake disaster which killed more than 200,000 Haitians and left one million homeless, many of whom were children. This anniversary was an important opportunity not only to highlight the work that still needs to be done to help the country recover, but also to show UNICEF supporters how their money has saved children’s lives in Haiti.
January 2010: Two elderly women try to salvage their merchandise, amid smoke and fire at the
Marché Hyppolite, also known as the Marché en Fer (Iron Market), in a commercial
area of Port-au-Prince, the capital.
©
UNICEF/NYHQ2010-0135/Roger LeMoyne
Two years ago I was studying at University when news of the earthquake came through and the very next day I was with friends on campus raising money. I had been involved in many grassroots charity events before but there was something different about the Haiti disaster which compelled us all to act immediately. It was hard to imagine that a country like Haiti where children comprised almost half the population could recover from such an event. A familiar sight for the average charity volunteer is a busy person, head down and doing their very best to ignore you - but not on this day - something about Haiti had really struck a chord with the public.
Two years on and I am now working as a media intern at UNICEF UK during a time in which emergency aid and charity are coming under intense scrutiny.
January 2010: At dawn, a baby and many others begin to stir, having spent the night in the
middle of a street in the impoverished Bel Air neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince,
the capital.
©
UNICEF/NYHQ2010-0128/Roger LeMoyne
In 2010 donations to the UK's 500 biggest charities fell by £70m according to the Charities Aid Foundation. It’s easy to see how the current economic climate could affect the public’s generosity or the street volunteer’s enthusiasm. This is why it’s important to highlight that over the past two years these donations have really improved the lives of children and created a future for Haiti.
More than 750,000 children have returned to earthquake-resistant schools, carrying equipment and learning materials provided by UNICEF. This education will help Haiti’s young people create better prospects for themselves while also giving them a normal and happy childhood with friends their own age.
A boy holds a backpack that bears the UNICEF logo during a
ceremony launching the 2011-2012 school year, at the UNICEF-assisted Tabarre
School in Port-au-Prince, the capital.
©
UNICEF/NYHQ2011-1577/Marco Dormino
The devastation was not just found amidst the rubble of buildings but in the break-up of families too. Two years on 2,770 children have been reunited with their families due to the continued support of UNICEF and the Family Tracing and Reunification Network.
The great success of the past two years is the building of an infrastructure which will secure a better future for the children of Haiti. Most importantly the children of Haiti have been instrumental in the rebuilding of their country.
UNICEF has been leading a youth programme which brings together young people in a series of consultations on child rights and multi-media workshops. Attending one of these consultations was 16-year-old Luxon Julien, who was elected to represent his fellow youth at the national forum last January.
Youth speaker, Luxon Julien, during the Youth-Forum in Jacmel, Haiti.
©UNICEF Haiti/2010
“It’s better to reconstruct the children and young people than repair the adults,” Luxon said “because children are the foundations upon which a nation stands.”
Every child has the right to a voice and a UNICEF workshop on radio production has been helping the youth of Haiti communicate with adults. Using this platform young people have been able to discuss issues affecting their community by broadcasting their stories on national radio.
“I think that these forums are very important because they allow our future leaders to listen to us and include us in the rebuilding process,” says Luxon, “This is really important as we are half of Haiti.”
Two years on there is still a considerable amount of work that needs to be done but it is important to highlight the positive progress of Haiti. The hours UNICEF volunteers spend raising money and the generous donations of the public do make a difference – there is a long way to go but with the help of organisations like UNICEF Haiti is making real commitments to improve life for millions of children.