Ten Years Later - A Reflection on the Earthquake

Dear Friends,

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Haiti. You will likely see articles and news segments — many focusing on the discouraging lack of progress, some highlighting the positive things that have occurred. Hopefully the latter pieces will feature the Haitian leaders who have fought so long and hard for their country over the past decade.

A fundamental component of what made January 12, 2010 so devastating is the extreme overcrowding that defines Port-au-Prince. The capital is overburdened and overpopulated because of the dearth of opportunities in rural parts of the country. In the years that followed the earthquake, many development experts bemoaned the lack of foresight that international agencies showed at the time. Had relief programs included the rural parts of the country and not just Port-au-Prince, the response would have encouraged important decentralization and improvements in food and livelihood security. 

Our work in Petit Trou relates to the earthquake anniversary in two important ways. Neither is as flashy as helicopters dropping in with supplies or medical teams coming to perform surgeries post-disaster, but both are aimed squarely at avoiding the type of tragedy and desperation that the world witnessed ten years ago.

First, for Haiti to thrive, rural Haiti must thrive. For Port-au-Prince to progress, the rural parts of the country must progress as well. All the beautiful beaches, mountains, and hillsides you can imagine don’t make a difference if you cannot deliver your baby safely, access schools for your children, or have hope for employment. You will leave to seek opportunity. This has happened all over Haiti, with over 140,000 people leaving rural parts of the country every year for Port-au-Prince or for often dangerous routes of emigration. Targeted investment in rural communities provides a path for lasting, grassroots development.

Second, thanks to your generosity, we are now completing a new, safe, and durable Pre-K to 6th-grade school building, which our leaders at St. Paul’s School will inaugurate in the coming weeks. We built this new school precisely because of earthquake risk, because we know what can happen, and because we could not accept the risk of keeping students in the old building. This year we will continue to invest in a forward-looking campus, converting the old two-story school building to a one story-structure, transitioning to solar power, and adding essential agricultural infrastructure. These investments link directly to our fundamental goal of investing in initiatives that allow families to thrive in rural Haiti.

I first arrived in Haiti a few weeks after the earthquake. I lived at a hospital and did my best to support what was a locally-led response to the emergency. What I remember most about those days is the Haitian doctors and nurses I met. Many had lost family, had seen their homes destroyed, and were sleeping in tents. In the face of that, these women and men arrived to work at 6 am and left at midnight, caring for an endless line of patients. This was my first and lasting impression of Haitian people. 

On what is a sad and somber day, we reflect on lives lost, we are hopeful for the future, and we are grateful for the chance to humbly share in this work with you.

Sincerely,

Wynn