Haiti Earthquake Appeal Update
25/02/2010
ChildFund has been working with established partners on the ground in Haiti to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to those affected, including emergency food (some of which has been bought locally), clean water (including 1,000 water filters), temporary shelter and essential non-food items.
ChildFund’s disaster management team leader Anne Edgerton says that with the help of our partners the first of ten Child-Centred Spaces has also been established.
“The earthquake was a terrifying experience for adults and children alike. Children especially need to feel emotionally safe to help them adjust and cope. Our expertise and focus in emergencies is to provide a place that helps children regain a sense of normalcy.”
A Young Hero
Anne has heard firsthand the personal stories of Haitian children and families and witnessed their struggles in the aftermath of the earthquake. At a Child Centred Space, she was moved by the story of eight-year-old Lorenzo’s heroic efforts to save his younger sister.
“His mother said that even as the ground was moving, Lorenzo had run back into their house to save his three-year-old sister. In doing so, he lost his right foot. He sadly told us that he would never play football again. It’s hard to explain to a child how a prosthetic may mean he can play again. ”
Despite his sadness Lorenzo enjoyed his day at the centre and his mother said they would be back every day the Child Centred Space was open.
Lorenzo’s family lives in a car on the edge of the largest camp in Port-au-Prince. Anne met Lorenzo’s young sister and his grandmother. The family share the car — for sleeping, shade from the sun and mealtimes.
“Yet, the family is grateful not to have lost a single member, thanks to the life-saving intervention of Lorenzo, a hero at age eight,” says Anne.
As Lorenzo’s case illustrates, ChildFund’s immediate efforts in Haiti have focused on reaching children with disability or injuries.
“Children with disabilities are particularly vulnerable in emergency situations and require focused protection measures,” says Anne.
ChildFund is supporting the rebuilding of the collapsed Centre d’Education Special, which provided services to 500 children with disabilities in Port-au-Prince before the earthquake hit.
“These children need our support more than ever. Now, with renewed attention and resources, children with disabilities and injuries — as well as other community children in need — will be found and included in rehabilitation support appropriate to their needs,” says Anne.
ChildFund’s partners have also had structural engineers inspecting homes for safety.
After the immediate assistance the next stage of the relief and recovery effort will involve livelihood rehabilitation, shelter and housing reconstruction, disaster risk reduction, trauma healing, education and peace building.
About Child Centred Spaces
Child Centred Spaces provide places for children to gather and offer alternative basic education in a structured environment. Children are able to resume a schedule and focus on something other than the loss around them. This also includes training volunteers, teachers and counsellors, who will work with the children to talk about the effects the earthquake will have on their lives.
