Back in Haiti!

It has been 10 days since I came back into Haiti with JEN.

10 great days during which I saw so many improvement and changing in the streets of Port au Prince or on the road to our field office in Grand Goave, driving through Martissant, Carrefour, Mariani, Gressier or Leogane.

All these places where I drove through so many times from March 2010 and July 2011! Everywhere I see changing! Most of the debris has completely disappeared, making the road usable on its full width! And portions of the national road number 2 severely affected by the earthquake have been renovated, improving the traffic conditions impressively!

It didn’t fix fully the problem of traffic jams in Port au Prince though! Even though the capital did change for the better quite a lot in my eyes! With many more public lights installed, commuting overcrowded bus stop better located and organized and significant improvement of the garbage collection system the whole atmosphere of the city is changed! Seeing hundreds of children in their school uniform waiting on secure spaces for buses that are free has also been fantastic!

Discovering at once all this improvement made me thinking that had been out of the country 9 months! 9 months I spent in Europe where the media were only mentioning once in a while Haiti, always when hurricanes, political tensions or general instability… true enough but I have some memories going all the way back from March 2010 and things have definitely changed and are changing still!

If this visual very first contact back into Haiti was excellent, the better had to come with meeting again with former and new colleagues, speaking créole and meeting constantly with known and friendly faces, from the guard I hardly knew at Port au Prince Office to the local authorities in Leogane!

It was great to meet again with some colleagues that I did recruit 2 years ago when emergency time made us walk all day long in the mountain, assessing the damages of the earthquake house by house with terrified population living in spontaneous camps!

Remembering this challenging and physically exhausting period and comparing with today there is no comparison! As for the staff updating me on what happened during my absence there is no comparison either! Their self confidence and general overview of the situation have improved so much!

I’m definitely truly happy to be back in Haiti! After this long break of 9 months it is fully refreshed and inspired by my 16 previous months spent here that I start on a new project for JEN in Leogane.
This new project consider in supporting YEC in its renovation activities of the streets of Leogane centre, my task and responsibility is to ensure a good organization of the hard labor crew from Leogane employed by the specialized Haitians building companies operating under YEC authority.

More coordination and reporting than pure field activities like in the previous WASH program I was involved previously but for sure still a real challenge as it is a completely different part of “cultural differences” I do have to learn!

Introducing a new staff in Haiti

Hi everyone, I am Hashimoto. I have been transferred to the office in Haiti. Will be in charge of accounting and general affairs.



I used to be in charge of projects in Sri Lanka and Iraq at the head office in Tokyo.
This is my first time to visit Haiti. My first impression of Haitian was they are pure and  very warmhearted people.

Although I have been in the personal battle with mosquitoes since the day one, it won't hold me back doing my best for this project.

I will be committed myself to reconstruction of this country that suffers from the disaster such as earthquake just like Japan.
Thank you.

BLOKIS!

"...Everybody knows how it is. Things are always like this. BLOKIS makes you miss an important appointment that you have to lie on the phone. "Tap Tap(public bus in Haiti)" is always packed that makes me feel irritated then I will be so close to explode.
On the phone, lying "I'm almost there". Sure you are not. Knowing it's faster if you get on foot but still you have a long way to go..."

This is some rilycs from the smash hit song in Haiti by this young pop singer called Wanito. "Blokis" means "Traffic Jam"

Traffic Jam in Haiti is horrible, especially in the Metropolitan area.
It often affects JEN's operation.

Speaking of the song, it's not simply about the cars being "stuck" in the traffic but tells you how peole being "stuck" and suffer in their everyday lives.

"...BLOKIS that's how it is always. Whole Haiti is in BLOKIS..."

About Labriette

In Labriette, many residents didn’t use a communal laundry place which Jen has built, but they used the river nearby for washing.  The reason is that, in order to use a lot of water for the washing, they needed to pump over and over again and it was very tough work for them.

So, I put a drum can to fill it with water.

Then, the communal laundry place is fully packed with mothers although it was empty before.

In addition, the mothers are crowded out of the place and said "make the place much wider ! "
A little idea to set up a drum can has led to the gathering place for the residents.

The place is now a base to share information as well as to talk each other, such as an information session about the use of chlorine by a water management committee.

Days in Toutif

We would like to share the usage of water supply and washing facility which Jen has built in Toutif.

At 11 am. The sun is blazing on skin.

At the washing facility, four or five women wash clothes of their families singing and chatting about for 2 hours.

They used to do laundry under strong direct sunlight before, but the roof at the washing facility made it so much easier for them.

A woman, wearing a yellow shirt and shining brightly under the blue sky, has to go to draw water with 15 minutes’ walk, at least three times every day.

It takes about three minutes to fill a bucket, and one bucket is about 20 kilograms approximately.
She handles it very well as if it were common sense; however, the work is very tough.

Before the water supply facility was built by JEN, the nearest water source was a river which 700 meters away, and it took more than 30 minutes by walk.

An accumulation of small improvements is gradually changing people's lifestyle.

Safe water - Power of knowledge

In Haiti, epidemic disease like cholera has spread due to lack of proper knowledge and habit of water sanitation.
Staffs from JEN who have been trained to chlorinate water properly held workshop for the residents. They can learn the proper knowlege of hygiene and how chroline plays its role in water sanitation.

Each community that JEN has been working with selected 3 people to get training to make liquid chroline.(2people from Water Control Comittee which controls the water-supplying facilities and 1 person from JEN's hygiene promotion project which promotes knowledge of hygiene.)

Here are the contents of the training;

1. The team leader from JEN explained why they need chroline for water sanitation.

2. Staffs from JEN enthusiastically explained how to make liquid chroline followed by Q&A with the class.




At the end of the workshop, each one of them tried to make the water chroline by themselves with masks and goggles which provided by JEN.
The staff from JEN supported them during the procedure.
Guess she was feeling like she was their mom.

After the workshop, staffs from JEN made sure, over and over, that people from Water Control Comittee and the hygiene promotion project understood enough to educate their communities.
We expect this process will encourage them to transform their action as well as hygiene education in their communities.

Safe water for everyone

JEN has been installing Chroline dispensers supportted from your generous donations and Japan Platform.

Installing the dispenser right by the well makes it possible to chlorinate the water at the source. Also it explains its importance of the chlorinating the water then encourage the procedure.

In the early December, staffs from JEN took training to make liquid chroline with HTH powder.

Calcurate the quantity of the powder to the certain quantity of water. You have to be careful with the density of the chroline liquid. If it doesn't contain enough density of chroline, the water can't be disinfected while it can affect the taste of water and health if too much density.

Ms. Elise from IPA ( Innovations for Poverty Action) does wear the same cloth everytime she gives training. Because the chroline liquid would splash over her cloth then it gets breached.

In Haiti, 5 gallon (about 19liters) buckets are usually used. You can get enough amount of the chroline liquid for the water in the bucket by turning the dispencer lever for once.

"Then what are we gonna do if we have 1 gallon bucket?"

"How long will the disinfected water last for drinking?"

They assume problems which could happen after installing the dispensers as many as possible. So that they can make sure that the project works in any circumstances.

From now on, staffs of JEN will give training to Water Control comittee, well administrator and volunteers on the safe water supply. At the same time, JEN will start the education project to help the community understand the health benefits of disinfecting water.

JEN aims to improve the healthy lives by learning about the safe water project.

Figuring out what "self-reliance" is

I have been assigned to this project in Haiti as a program officer. Before I came here, I comitted myself to the disaster relief effort and the reconstruction project in Ishinomaki, Miyagi pref after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

In Tohoku(Northeastern Japan), the massive earthquake and tsunami devastated the region on March 11th in 2011. A year before, the natural disaster had also struck here in Haiti.
Haiti is known for the honarable history of the first black-led republic in the world. However, they have been struggling with poverty and civil wars even before the disaster hit the nation.
Right after I got here, I had to face the fact that Haiti heavily depends on the international aid. That made me try to figure out what "self-reliance" means.　

We, JEN have been supporting them to found Water Control Committee by the residents as well as costructing the water supply facility and hygiene education.
The Water Control Committee should be run by the residents for the their own residents. The committee is to maintain the well to make sure it works properly everyday.
Also they collect maintenance fund from the residents monthly in case of a breakdown of the well.
What they are going to do with the committee might sound easy, but it is difficult for them. The reason is they are used to be supported by others that they need to learn how to work on their own, one by one from the scratch.

Persistence pays of, and vice versaq

By the end of last October, one project has been completed.
We would like to thank Japan Platform and all supporters.

This project required great effort with establishing well control committee and training for the communities.

They will start charging for using well to operate the committee.

The administrator will get paid while other members of the committee won't.
Even though it is called salary, it's about 250gould(6.25dollars).
In Haiti, unemployment rate is about 70%. But still finding a candidate for the administrator job was quite difficult.
However, finally the water committee has been established.

The new project which has been started since November, monitoring and supporting the activities of the well control committee is one of the most important activities.
Because even though we know the meaning of " Persistence pays off", we also know how difficult it is to keep it working.

A week or two weeks later since the delivery ceremony with music and dance, local staffs from JEN visited the wells without notifying them in advance.
What they found was that 7 out of 10 project location didn't have those administrators hired earlier. They were gone!
We were disappointed with it but we could see it happen somehow.
Probably everybody might have been through stuff like this. Ending up being "Mikkabozu" a Japanese word to describe someone who can stick to nothing.

The committee said they couldn't keep themselves motivated due to huge workloads which they found out after they were assigned to the jobs.

For now, they are trying to solve the issues by suggesting ideas like limiting open hours of wells or share the workloads with members from the committee.

JEN will support them until they can stand on their feet.The well control committee has just been born!

To create a more peaceful world

It's been a month since I was assigned to the project in Haiti.

A while ago, a monitoring team from Japan PlatForm(JPF) visited us.

Our projects has been supported through subsidies from JPF.
Here in Haiti, the current project which we dig wells, establish a well control committee and rebuild communities is one of them.

We, JEN as an organization that aim to create a more peaceful world, work together with JPF and contributing experts.

Photo:The current project in Haiti. Well digging and Establishing a well control committee.

(General Affairs&Account, Haiti office Taeko Kosaka)

A ceremony to celebrate the completion of a well.

The last Sunday became an important day for Pierre Lewis.

It's all because the members of the well administration and management committee and JEN's staffs have worked hard for over six months that digging a new well completed and its ceremony was held. Those members who learned how to administrate the well now try to start a new and ever unattempted mechanism that collects money as dues so that people in village can use water for the period ahead.

As people have been using water from a river so far, they didn't have a custom to pay for water. That's why the mechanism is new to them. Collected dues are deposited in a local bank and used for administrating and maintaining the well. This allows the people in the village unable to continue to access safe water by themselves without depending on any support from outside.

The local people prepared the ceremony: their traditional music was played and children's dance was also exhibited on stage. As the entire village was looking forward to this ceremony, many people participated in it. The dance continued before sunset and the ceremony was brimming with smile.

Well management Committee to start functioning! 5W1H??

JEN has been struggled to put a well administration and management system on track with the committee members. They are chosen by voting and serve without pay. Some of them declined to take part on the committee, because they realized how much works they have to handle when they actually get down to work.

Although those who remained in the committee are busy at their work, they managed to spare time for meeting with JENS's local staffs twice a week and make rules about how people share the well. JEN alone can lay down rules easily but the most important thing is to make them fit reality through discussing among the members.

For that reason, the rules were adopted one by one, after all members agreed why a rule was necessary.

Now that it was the time to unveil the rules, people were invited to the meeting of the committee. The formal introduction of the committee came first followed by explaining the rules. The people present receive explanation about how to collect dues, who is to hold them, how they are used and how information is shared. As a rehearsal beforehand was critical for giving a plain presentation, we had its simulation with JEN's staff. Our effort paid off and so the registration of well users has already begun. That was a meaningful progress in such area where people hadn't had a custom to pay for water.

Introducing a new staff in Haiti

My name is Kosaka. I newly assumed as an accounting and general affairs staff at Haiti office.

I’ve worked as same post for Tohoku Project at the Tokyo headquarters before I arrived here.

On the 21 September 2011, my fright has been cancelled for the typhoon and I hastily shifted my fright for the next day and changed planes at Chicago and New York. Then I arrived safely in Haiti on 23 September, 2011.

Everything is new and fresh to me because it is my first visit Haiti.
I’m very excited for the pink and yellow flowers, colorful fishes swimming in the clear sea, and so on. 

Haiti is a beautiful country but now Haitian people are living under harsh conditions. I can’t stop hoping to come the day as soon as possible Haitian people would gain the untroubled living conditions, here in beautiful country. 
I’ll focus on doing my own best work to be contributory to realization that. It has been my dream to engage this work.

I’ve been hoped to concern myself in humanitarian work since I’ve herd about my grandfather’s actual experience of during and after the world war Ⅱ. I moved to Ireland by myself after graduated junior high school, and I learned English and Northern Ireland’s problems. I visited to former Yugoslavian countries for example Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia while I was a university student. I engaged in many activities in those countries.

I continued to chase my dream after graduation from university. I applied to the work of overseas division during part-time work with JEN and get the post.
I’m very happy because I supported by many people to realize my ambition of a life. I’d like to return the courtesy for Haitian people little by little.

They look like different people!!

Cyril, our manager of overseas division has visited Haiti in about half a year, on 25th August 2011.

For this half a year, JEN has especially made a strong effort is capacity building for the local people and local staff.

It is not easy in Haiti where the education hasn’t reach enough for each people. But JEN’s resident officer, Dmitri has believed their potential and communicated them with patience. JEN’s staff has made effort to have their own self initiative and help them to feel a lot more confident their power.

In the beginning, they had seed direction from JEN’s resident staff everything and they hadn’t thought themselves and made a proposal what they should do.

But, by slow degree, JEN has increased their ownership and now the local staffs have taken chief responsibility for capacity building of the local people and discuss each other and think themselves what should they do sometimes wondering what doesn’t work fine.

Local staffs will stay Haiti after JEN has gone in future and they will contribute the recovery and growth of Haiti. I’m very excited that they will make some impacts for the Haitian people more and more.

One and half year since godou-godou*

JEN Staff(J): Hello, could you introduce yourself?

B:Hello, My name is Virgille Borlande. I was born in 28th of September in 1983. I live in Petion Ville.

J: Where were you when the earthquake hit? and what did you do after it happened?

B:When it happened, I was at home with my 2 sisters. They were on the first floor and I was on the 2nd.
I was jumping around from a roof to other roof.
One sister left the house immediately. But another finally came out right before the house collapsed by the aftershocks.
When the house collapsed, luckily all 3 of us were 30-40 minutes away that saved our lives.
None of us have never experienced this big earthquake, but I remember hearing odd sound.

J:What do you remember most during the earthquake was happening?

B:Got out of the house, I was jomping from the house to another, I saw the scene in front of me was also jumping.

J:What do you remember about your neighborhood right after the earthquake?

B:People were screaming and trying to figure out their loved ones safety.
Even before the aftershocks hit, houses were collapsing, but the number increased after the aftershocks.
I also saw people crying as calling the names of their loved ones who didn't survive.
The first thing I felt was fear. I couldn't know what was happening.
Then I realized that there were people buried under the debris and so many victims.
I felt the night came early while people were walking around to find survivors.
I was in a big shock that I didn't know what to do.
The only thing I was thinking was if my sisters evacuated the house safe.
So I was asking around if they know whereabouts of them.
I felt a big relieve when I met them. Then I started calling my relatives.

J: Was the phone line still working?

B:Yes, it started working 1 hour after the earthquake.

J:Did any of your friends get affected by this earthquake?

B:Yes, I used to work as a mechanic in Jakmel. My cousin who was the manager in the office and his 17 years old son were killed.

J:Where did you spend the night right after the earthquake?

B:Spent a night with many people at the soccer stadium.
It's not like everyone was alone there, but also we didn't form groups either.
People come and go all night. Aftershocks was still going on, everytime it happens, people got panicked. There are people crying or call for God.

J:Did you see any robbery?

B:While the earthquake still kept happning, I couldn't care if its happening or what. I was in a fear wondering why the earthquake was happening
But, after a few days later, I noticed some of our belongings were missing. Probably that was when robberry started happening.

J:Did you actually saw any robberies?

B:No, I didn't get to see them since I was at the soccer stadium. But sure some stuffs were missing from my house.

J:What do you think Haiti will be like in the future?

B:Well, things goes very slow and bit by bit.
They need to give us some relives through any temporary event since we are still in fear.
I still feel the fear everytime I hear the noise which reminds me of the massive earthquake.
When it comes to reconstruction of this country, it only works through the international organizations at the moment. I assume reconstruction is to take time.

*godou-godou >> the onomatopoeic Haitian word for earthquake

One and half year since godou-godou*

JEN Staff(J): Hello, could you introduce yourself?

Marie-Louise(M):Hello, My name is Derazin Marie Luis from Grand Goave. I'm 35 years old, wife and a mother of 4.

J:Where were you when the earthquake hit? What did you do after it happened.

M:When the earthquake hit, I was with 2 of my kids and 3 friends at home.
I was with 2 of my friends in the kitchen and I felt the big wobble all of a sudden. We hurried to get out of the house and then tell our kids to get out. But they hid inside of the house.
Somehow we managed to take them outside. Fortunately all of us at my house were safe.
Our house didn't get too much damage that only windows got broken. However, houses in the neighborhood collapsed and we heard people screaming.
Right after the earthquake, we evacuated to the countryside with little possesion. Then we have shared a tent with 65-70 families.
Aftershocks kept going everyday. Sometimes it happens every 2hours.I went back to my house to get some belongings once, but we couldn't stay ther for long. Neighbors vacant their houses for monthes.
After 3 monthes later, I finally decided to go back to my house. But most of the people were scared to go back or had no house anymore.

J:Do you think your friends were effected with the earthquake?

M:My aunt and uncle who lived in Port-au-Prince were killed in the corruption of a building.
Obviously, many people were killed with this earthquake. I heard there were 6 people became victims.

J:How do you think Haiti will be in the future?

M:I have no idea. In Haiti, the leader isn't really reliable. Nothing seems moving.
J:What do you think about the international aid organizations that came to Haiti right after the earthquake?
M:They are doing great.For example, JEN provided water which is important to survive.
Also Terre des Hommes helped children, OIM built houses for people at the camp.Samaritan Purse set up toilet facility.

J:What do you think holds back the recovery in Haiti?

M:Well, we don't have enough education facilities. Especially in Port-au-Prince, many children are living on the street and don't have a chance to go to schools. Also, we need basic hygene education.

*godou-godou >> the onomatopoeic Haitian word for earthquake

Develop a concept of community-Part 2

JEN’s staff now has been in the town, Pignon, which is located in the north of Haiti, for the second training presided by HO. HO has worked there since 1997 and there are already a lot of wells which the local community has been maintained themselves.

Staff members asked many questions about the way how to maintain and so on after seeing the practical activity of HO. But the other director of HO, Neal said;

「Afterwards, there would be more than one way to find the technical solution like that. But most important thing is whether the community is built on the three believes.
1; Transparency, 2; Obligation, Duty, 3 ; Accountability.
Please remember that you won’t take a short view and always think about how you should do to pursue for the three believes. 」

For example, there won’t be the transparency if the residents haven’t known the presence of the Water committee.
　
HO show up to the community and examine the people if they understand what the rule based on the Water committee is working, how much is the monthly water fee, and what is the penalty for them if they break the rule.

HO won’t fix nor install the pomp if people will not pass the exam. They carry into action for the maintenance or installing the pomp after they confirmed whether the committee has been workable or not.

It is really big issue for the people who have almost no income whether they have to pay for water about 50-100 yen or not as a month.

JEN’s project, to develop a concept of community will go on to talk around people about the importance that they can use their well in the long run and the effectiveness of the effort as a community to solve their problem.

Develop a concept of community-Part 1-

Because of a sense of community hasn’t  sunk into the Haitian people, they rarely ever　cooperate to their common interests.

Therefore, many international organizations or NGO group had set up water facilities until now, but it had not been maintained by the citizens themselves. Haitian people have not the system of conservation and maintenance, so once it had broke they had left the situation as it is.

JEN has driven forward the establishment of a committee of water management to self-organize by the local people.

But it is impossible to make the community which has no precedent handle the committee like that.

Then we asked an organization called HO(Haiti Outreach) to make the training for citizen people. HO has a lot of experience of water and health problem in Haiti. Furthermore, National Water and Health Office recommend them.

First of all, it is important that we, JEN’s staff will contact the community with our clear vision.
Roger, one of the director of HO asked JEN’s staff.

Roger; Imagine the situation after five years later about the well and its surrounding which you are doing now. Please clearly imagine.

JEN(Adone);I imagine the committee of water management will function very well.
They will save lots of money and establish their school by its money. There will plant many flowers and set a bench around the well. There will be filled with energy.

JEN(Nadia);I expect that the committee of water management will become a dead issue within a year. They will cease to act, for example because they lost their account ledgers. They can’t collect water fee, pomp will be broken, and National Water and Health Office do nothing for the problem.

Roger; Please raise your hand who expect very positive situation after five years, like Adone?
No one raised their hand.

They all know that it will be very difficult to keep effective acting of the committee of water management without adequate preparation.

But there is much point in imaging about five years after.
Firstly, it clarifies our policy to which direction we want to lead the community.
Of course the direction should be settled by the community, but local people’s motivation will change depend on the vision of 　staff. Also, it will change the style of contact for the community.

Secondary, we can prepare for the issues that could happen.　Everyone had laughed what Nadia said because it was so realistic .It was too real.
Maybe it is likely to be the situation which Nadia said if this goes on.

But of course we don’t want to be like that, everyone think so and keep going to the community, and the training will go on. ( To be continued)

Our meeting with the mayor of Leogane

Leogane city where JEN operates is close to the epicenter of Haiti earthquake. 80% of the buildings including the city hall have been partially destroyed.

The earthquake killed thousands of people in just 30seconds, the city was in chaos with many NGOs have been operating their relief efforts.

Staffs of the city hall lost a lot as well as their citizens, with difficult issues, worked so hard to protect their families.

Since the mayor and the team at the city hall were occupied with protecting their own families, they were not able to serve the public at the same time.

It was also a big damage that many of the stored documents and data have been lost by the earthquake.

In the beginning of May, 2010, 50 representatives of 30 international representatives gathered at the liaison and adjustment meeting. Mayor Alexis Santos and the team from the city hall were barely able to figure out the current situation.

It wasn't very successful because there were misunderstandings and different perspectives on the reconstruction plan.

The biggest problem was that NGOs need to go through complicated procedures to sign their contracts with the municipal or the central governments.

JEN set the goal to improve the work result.  We thought the people in the immediate needs come first and kept our operation in the farming area.

We have built a great relationship with CASECs which is the smallest public service in Haiti in one year and a half. Then we were honored to have a opportunity to meet Mayor Santos.

Mayor Santos have already been well aware of JEN's operation in Leogane. He offered us his recommendation letters to not only the municipal level but the central government to register JEN.

1 month later, we have completed the signing all the papers for NGO registration in Haiti.
Once it is approved, it makes it easier for JEN to keep our operation in Haiti.

This is our biggest joy that we will be able to support people in the commune through numerous works in the future.

Program officer Romain Briey

To grow the local community

n Haiti, the basic infrastructure such as drinking water, electricity, education and medical treatment, is not provided enough.
The local government encouraged villages to set up the water control committee to revitalize the local community.

In Haiti, international organizations or local organizations have been working to secure the access to the safe water.
But there are not many that lasted long.
According to one international research group, only half of wells that were built long time ago can be in use despite of damage of the earthquake.

Establishing the water control committee is the first step to making it possible for the local residents to maintain the access to drinking water by themselves.
Members of the committee will be elected from the community. The committee will discuss issues with the people in the community and solve them together.
Then, they will establish the system to collect water bill. So that they can sustainably maintain the water facility.

JEN will dedicate ourselves as a solid support in the background to supporting the local residents to get on their feet. Then they can maintain the resource sustainably.

Cross Cluster Mapping Project (CCMP) – moving on to better coordination of organizations

Since March 2010 when JEN started its activity in Haiti, JEN has been participating in a coordination conference for groups which are conducting their activity in Leogane and Grand-Goâve.

The coordination conference organized by UNOCHA (United Nations, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) is divided by cluster (field) according to sectors of activity (water, housing, education, medical care, security and etc.). The purpose of this  conference is to deliver supports to those most in need by gathering, coordinating and diffusing information about the progress of activity in every sector.

JEN is recognized as one of the important groups mainly in the cluster of water/hygienic environment (WASH). Especially, JEN puts most of its efforts into hand pump and hygiene education campaign.

However, the coordination of supports has become more and more difficult due to the diversification of humanitarian support groups and the complication of projects. In the WASH cluster, such difficulty might be caused especially by the lack of intermediary system to exchange information from NGOs which are working in the same sector.

Under the current system, each group participates voluntarily in the coordination conference to exchange their information. However, since the exchange is made by using paper and the exchange process is complicated, it is difficult for us to get and analyze necessary information. Therefore, there are a lot of groups which give up providing information. Consequently, we have been in the situation of not knowing what are being done by other groups in the same area.

Recently, JEN has created ‘Cross Cluster Mapping Project (CCMP)’ with the cooperation of SASH (NGO). CCMP is an user-friendly intermediary tool with the use of map software called Google Earth.

On the map of CCMP, we can have a look at every group’s activities which are underway or planned in the clusters of housing, education and medical care. As all the activities are displayed on a map, we can see immediately possible overlapped projects or some vacant area. Therefore, coordination and cooperation among groups can be made effectively. Thus, time for planning will be reduced and the quality of projects will be improved. CCMP will also help us establish better relationship with local authorities by preventing duplicative activities and providing the share of transparent and clear information.

The tentative operation of the first mapping project is scheduled from May 15 to July 15, 2011. If the tentative project is performed successfully, this tool will be used for the coordination of projects in all Haiti.

Challenges in digging wells in Haiti – Part 2

A company called ALCO Service was contracted to dig the first well in a place called Kafou Thozin. The area is accessible on road and has enough space for well digging, so it didn't look like a difficult project site.

The workers started digging, and when we thought we were going to see the first drop of water, we hit a hard rock and could not continue using the drilling machine. We were planning to dig manually and then with a machine, but we had to continue digging manually.

Day by day, the worker went deeper into the hole. A courageous worker dug 13 meters underground before he reached water. We hoped that the nature of the soil would change from this point onward, and could start digging with the machine. However, the nature of the soil remained the same.

The worker went back into the hole, and while two trucks sucked water, he started digging again to reach the second underground water level, 21 meters underground.

Without the hard rock, we were supposed to finish digging the well in two or three days using the machine, but manually, it took us two weeks. We never know until we start digging – By overcoming such a challenge, we will continue digging wells for the people in need of clean water!

Challenges in digging wells in Haiti – Part 1

Well-digging, a new JEN project in Haiti, started in Grand-Goâve. The first well is about to finish!

Although we’ve anticipated, there were a lot of challenges before starting the well-digging. Some of the basic things are difficult in Haiti where public administration is not fully functioning.
A place in need for a well is not so difficult find. However, whether or not we can actually dig a well in the selected place is a different matter.

The first issue is the access to the project site. An equipment for digging a well is transported by a big truck. The truck needs a decent road to reach the project site. However, there are few paved roads in Haiti. Grand-Goâve is especially difficult to reach since it is surrounded by mountains. A community in need of a well is often the most inaccessible. The road condition is the first thing we need to consider when assessing the site for well-digging.

Another issue is whether or not we can get drinking water at the ground depth for hand pump. Because there is no water analysis conducted by the government in the area, there is no guarantee that we would get drinking water from digging the ground. 

In addition, there is another problem of finding the landlord.

In Haiti, most of the people borrow land from landlords, and the landlords themselves often live abroad. You think one person is a landlord and may find out later that person is a tenant. Therefore, we need to check over and over again in order to find out the actual landlord. Fortunately, JEN staff was able to find out the landlord by closely consulting the people in the community, and received the permission to dig a community well on his land. After a lot of effort, we also received a permission from Grand-Goâve administration and Haiti Water and Hygiene Directorate to dig a well.

Once all the problems are resolved, it’s time for the actual digging!

Brick man of Grangoave in Haiti, Ti George

George Zephyr is 50 years old man and he is also a father of 8 children. He is a man of Haiti with strength and proud. It may be felt wander that he has a nickname of “Ti George” (“Ti” means “a little”, by the way) but it is very suit him because the adjective of “a little” before his name is very familiar just like himself! 8months has been passed since we saw him for the first time, and he always show smile on his old and being brown face even though he is in hard situation.

His work is making bricks, and it is one of the hardest works in hot whether of Haiti. Besides, it can not say that work is good for earning money. He spends at least 10 hours to make a sand move with his assistant. This step is necessary before mixing sand, water, and cement to adjust solidity. They do not have useful machine so they just use a handcart to bring sand and cement and a bucket to bring the water. All they have is human power and passion for their work.

Next step is mixing completely by their handwork. The brick can not be made if this step is not good enough. Besides, they have no machine to forming brick so they use only their old tool and muscle.

The new brick which form precisely and being compressed are dried by sun, but these are moved at least 4 times to dry enough. Main Street of Grangoave does not have enough space. Besides, they have distribution problems too, so they need to bring bricks again to make 25 bricks pile.

The price of a pile is 0.625 dollars, and the team of Ti George can make only 250~300 bricks per day. It means they can expect to earn maximum 187.5 dollar per day but the cost of raw materials are taken away so their benefit is not corresponded to their effort.

In order to buy 150 bricks to repair a well in Leogan area, constructing staff of JEN visit his bricks at 6:30 AM in every morning, and Ti George always be there with strong muscle and smile!

In last Jury, I made one decision as humanity support engaged person. The decision is that we order the bricks to local bricks maker, not manufacture of bricks in capital of port-prince It means JEN choose Ti George as bricks supplier. He is the most proud person in my point of view. I hope their team gets more valuable works, and they and their families spend their life well.

Tap, Tap

Public transportation in abroad is very interesting. The pictures on old vehicle are showing the culture and custom in that place. At the same time, the name of public transportation is also interesting for foreigners. For example, a bus was called “angkot” in particular region in Indonesia, “Matatu” in Uganda, “Flying Corch” in Pakistan, and “Tap Tap” in here, Haiti.

People in Haiti deeply believe god, and they like music very much, so on the body of vehicle, the picture of Christ, or favorite soccer player like Kaka and Maradona, or famous singer like Bob Marly, Shakira, Tupac, and Snoop dogg.

The other aspect of Tap Tap is that no payment is necessary most of the time unless passenger has large size of luggage if passenger rides on the roof of bus or hangs on the pole of bus.  It is very risky but people do not care about that risk.

It can often be seen the view that passenger eat something or have that bag by one hand even though they hold the bus which is running by 80~90 km per hour by the other hands. One of the passenger sit down the edge of the roof and take the nap. A vendor of the bus sale is holding the bus and sales the goods to passenger of Tap Tap. Such a vendor can ride the bus for one section of bus line.

National route 2 which continue from port-au-prince, capital of Haiti, to Miragoane, Jakmel, and Leogane is always crowed by Tap Tap. The driver of Tap Tap never cares about traffic rule, and music is played loudly in bus. The road is destroyed by earthquake, and that additional damage is given by rain and flood. This makes many traffic accidents and its victim in every month.

JEN perform the activity in Leogane and some of staffs live in Port-au-prince, so they need to use Tap Tap to come to office in Leogane. The fee of Tap Tap is cheap but it takes long time to reach Leogane. Staff in Port-au- Prince get their house out at 4:00 am and arrive office at 8:00am. We hope that people are safe including JEN’s staff, and the road and traffic system are fixed by government.

The Fight of Health Promoter

In Leogane where JEN perform some acitities, both people and livestock wash their bodies at rivers. People also use the water of river for washing their clothes and drinking. Most of them are thinking that water which is spring out again after empting the water in the hole near by the river is clean and safe because it is clear.

Cholera has spread in Leogane which has gotten big damage due to earthquake, and most of the people in there suffer from double damage. JEN can perform health educational activities at the region where an outbreak of cholera has happened like Leogane or Grand Goave because of supporter of JEN and corporation of Japan platform.

So far, 459 people of health promoter took training from JEN. They join this activity as unpaid volunteers so they have strong will that they want to change an unhygienic habit of more than 50 thousand local people. JEN’s staff saw health promoter’s steady effort with their own eyes when they visit houses of local people.

At first, some people doubt promoter but most of the messages about hygiene were accepted now. Local people misunderstand that promoter perform this activity to get economic reward, not to follow their strong will. In the country where people can not get job easily, the idea of “volunteer” is not easy to understand but promoter explain carefully and find the people who can work together with JEN without payment.

Today, importance of hygienic countermeasure is widely understood because of practical damage of growing cholera. As involving this, local people started to evaluate health promoters. Most of the people visit health promoter of JEN to learn the way of prevention and information about cholera. They are considered as philosopher of that region.

In the meeting which JEN’s staff and health promoter perform, they always tell the people some important message about hygiene. Besides, the messages which was sent over and over in each region by health promoter were sent again as different form like poem, play, and pamphlet.

JEN Get New Family!

New family comes at Pòtoprens office to join JEN. A female dog, whose breed of dog is Rottweiler, was born in Haiti eleven months ago. When large scale earthquake attack to Haiti, only first mounth has passed after her birth. Her breeder’s house was destroyed because of earthquake but she and her mother were survived and grew up in a tent.

Actually, it is very difficult to find a watchdog in Haiti. At first, there are only few spot where dogs which is suitable to train as a watchdog are sold. Besides, even that spot has collapsed by earthquake, and many dogs were died. Because of these situations, a watchdog can not find in Haiti easily.  Of course, as one of the choice, we can import watchdogs from neighbor countries. However, we choose the dog in Haiti which survive from earthquake because we thought this dog can be a member of JEN through the activities with us against goal as “revive”.

Fortunately, we met this female dog through the driver of JEN. We began to live together from November 22th. A general election would be on 28th and reinforcement of security was demanded for fear of disturbing peace after the election.

When I joined the cultural lecture of Haiti, the reason why people in Haiti do not like dogs deeply related to history of colony age. Haiti was one of the most abundant colonies so the way to control of Haiti was cruelly and dirty. At that age, dog was used not only for threaten the slaves. When slaves run away, they were run down to sea shore, and they needed to choose “drown in the sea” or “eaten by a fierce dog.” Besides, the people who are colonialism use dog as a show. People in Haiti were taking over this memories of suppression and fear, and they can not eliminate that memories after two hundred years from independence.

Rolca, A new family of JEN, is just child dog but it has already big. When she came to our place, John peter, security staff of JEN, looked that he felt fear to the dog. He lives in JEN’s office. We asked him to take care of Rolca but his face looks freeze and smile is disappeared from his face. However, several days later, he is smiling at Rolca, and treats her well. This is exactly prove fear comes from ignorance. He start to take care of Rolca, and he learn that she do not attack him without any reason, and finally they can understand each other.

If we imagine

In this country, several hundred families have to go to bed without eating proper dinner, and several thousand children can not commute to school. Many people are going to die without taking enough treatment in the hospital every week. Why?

‘‘Poverty.’’  Oneday, one of the villagers that JEN perform some activity in his village ask us, ‘Do you have any salaried work?’ From this question, we began to discuss about poverty.

Villager: I am so hungry, but I do not have both work and money
JEN: What kind job would you like to? Can’t you find any job in your village? If you can not find, why don’t you create it for yourself and other villager?
Villager: I can not do that. A half of people in the village can not find the job. How can I create the job?
JEN: I think you can create because there is a beautiful in this place. Most of the people in the world like the beach very much.
Villager: I know such a thing, but people like famous and clean beach, not like this place.
JEN: Do you think that is only reason that people does not come this place?
Villager: Umm,,,,,,,, I do not know
JEN: Listen what I say. Please imagine. 200 families live in this village. You recruit one person from each family, and begin to clean the beach. Maybe cleaning is going to be finished in two days, and all of garbage is disappear in third days. After that, you gather the money from villagers, and build the shop which sell cold drink or the seafood restaurant. Then maybe many visitors will come to beach, and they swim, buy some cold drink at shop, and eat some lunch in restaurant. At that time, how many villagers can get work……

That villager thinks it seriously.
JEN: Do you think that is impossible?
Villager: N, No! I do not think like that, but how can we let the people realize that this village have nice beach?
JEN: That is easy. Make the direction and put it up on the highway. You should write the beach’s name, an arrow, and distance from the beach. In addition, take some beautiful photo and had them run in the newspaper. You also go to tourist board at the capital, and report what you did. If you finish everything, everyone in your village must help you. If you work with everyone as unison, how many works you can create?
Villager: (count on his finger,) Manager of shop and restaurant, waiter or waitress of restaurant, cleaner, security guard, sailor, fisherman, and guide…..Wow! There are many jobs!
JEN: Yes. You can do anything you want. Anyway, think about making money in this sea. This is the same as fisherman of village.
That villager starts to think, and say.
Villager: I will try! At first, I will gather other villager and discuss about this idea.

Earning enough money for family living….. This is the dream of all of pure people in Haiti, and this is also a goal of JEN. Therefore, we have to let the people realize the importance of independent, and support their effort to come their dream true by themselves.

Haiti needs practical work for revival from damage of earthquake or rebuilding the country. Every single people in the country should help each other, and they work as unison to become the country which can prepare enough food, hospital, road, and school.

The Campaign of Sanitation by Villagers

he contemporary technology can expect natural disaster like a hurricane, storm, and flood, but an epidemic like cholera will attack without any warning.

JEN are performing the sanitation promoting project against 50 thousand families. 459 volunteers who are trained for this sanitation promoting project are teaching knowledge about sanitation. They have high motivation, and try to spread what they learn to village.

Volunteer go to village to explain about cholera after joining emergency meeting with JEN staff about corresponding how to sterilizing house, car, and dead body. They also stimulate villager to get information about sanitation by listening radio, or communicating with each villagers. In a village named Jeanty at Grand Goave, wash place is established at center of village, and call out the villagers to wash their hands by soap.

This effort started from ‘Global Hand Washing Day’ on Octorber 15th.  This trial has begun under the leadership of volunteers for letting everyone wash their hands appropriately.

After that, we decide to establish wash place in Sojin, next village of Jeanty. At the area where JEN perform the project, this kind of sanitation improvement activity is spreading wider than we expect. Volunteers accomplish their new role at life improvement of people in the community, and they are very proud of that.

If Hurrican Thomas attacks to Haiti, the risk to spread cholera virus may become higher. Haiti team of JEN has 500 people including JEN’s staffs, drivers, and local volunteers, and they try to prevent to spread the sickness to 50 thousand people in Haiti.

Natural disaster and human disaster Part 2

Around 16:00 on September 24th, very strong wind raged, and it began to rain. About 20 ~ 30 minutes it remains and at least 50 thousand lives were lost around capital because of this rainstorm. Billboard was destroyed and fallen, and utility pole was also falling down. A concrete block wall collapsed, and road became like river. Due to this effect, electric supply around capital area has been stopping. However, even this damage is lighter than the damage of hurricane.

If there is any other enough fuel except charcoal in Haiti……
If there is better construct structural standard in Haiti even though it is not good enough as earthquake-resistant construction……
If infrastructure was prepared enough…… .

Several hundred thousand people’s life may not lose. This kind of problem in Haiti will never solve after all if we give up solving this problem as due to natural disaster.

Haiti needs support as long as possible. Support include not only economic support but also reorganization and thinking of the problem in Haiti, and it lead to good future to our world.

In rainstorm, one of the office assistant, Corolla, called a guard and driver loudly, and run to the place which car is parked. Head officer yielded to her that she should stay inside of the house. Head officer watch what happen to her, and he saw everyone ride the car to prevent blowing the car by their weight.

Natural disaster and human disaster Part１

Due to large scale earthquake on January in this year, Haiti was focused people’s attention around the world. Haiti has suffered by natural disaster frequently so far. Recently, there are four hurricanes landing Haiti in 2008. It made 800 people death, and 800 thousand people, 8 percent of total population, became victims of this disaster. In addition, about 26 hundred through 30 hundred people died due to mudslide or flood caused by tropical storm (smaller scale than hurricane) in 2004.

Even if we consider the increase of abnormal whether due to environmental destruction, hurricane or storm is just natural disaster in this region. However, the damage of humanitarian disaster is also occurring in Haiti.

Oil is expensive in Haiti so most of the people depend on inexpensive charcoal as living fuel. In addition, forest is provisions for farmers. They fell forest to selling charcoal, tilling the field, and growing livestock. Because of this felling, Haiti has lost almost of all forest which covered 98 percent country and there is no resistance against heavy rain.

In 1980, the forest in Haiti which has covered about 25 percent of country were still remained. Although the Hurricane, which had a big destructive power and was classified “Category 3” in five category, had hit in 1987, no one was killed by that disaster. However, the forest is decreasing to 1.4 percent of country in 2004 and it is not enough to protect the people from flood and a mudslide. As a result, more than 26 hundred people people were dead because of heavy rain which was continued for 30 hours.

Staff Introduction: Marie Dibangue

  My name is Marie Dibangue, born in the city of Douala, which is an economic capital in Cameroon. I am the second child in the family of five children.

  I left Cameroon seven years ago for Beirut, Lebanon to continue my studies in political science at Saint Joseph University, where I obtained my Master’s degree in political science. I have also completed a professional training in mediation.

  Living in Lebanon provided me with an opportunity to supplement my theoretical studies with a one-of-kind field experience. Due to its ethnic complexity, ideological divisions, and the exterior interferences that have constantly challenged its independence, Lebanon is again undergoing multiple conflicts.

  In 2004, I joined an NGO where I conducted different actions to initiate peace dialogue and reconciliation among people in Lebanon. I participated in all kinds of activities there, of which the inauguration of free summer camps for children and reconstruction projects were particularly enjoyable.

  During the war in Lebanon in summer 2006, in response to the humanitarian emergency, I volunteered to host refugees from Southern Lebanon in shelters. Having been trained in methods of coaching and teaching youth through UNFPA-Lebanon, I taught courses in English and educated students on human rights in Marwahim in South Lebanon, at a local school that had been rebuilt after the 33-day war. I also participated in peace actions, especially in the countryside "Our Unity is Our Salvation" implemented by 49 NGOs during the year 2007, to restore hope in the inter-Lebanese dialogue.

  I have strong conviction in humanitarian action. I believe working with JEN is the perfect opportunity to fulfill my ambitions.

  In Haiti, I work as a program officer for JEN’s hygiene promotion project, which has been an extremely fascinating experience. I believed that our action can change people’s habits regarding hygiene.

Challwngin in Haiti, Part 2: Many rivers to cross.

30 minutes later, JEN's vehicle was running national highway in the rain. Vehicle was beyond five rivers without trouble!

We got a contact from volunteer who lives around our project site that we would not be able to go back to the site today because the road is closed due to increasing water of rivers.This is why, we would go to Grand Goave, next town of the site, to buy something necessary for our project.

However, we caught a traffic jam right away and that makes our staff members annoyed. Grand Goave is only five kilometer away from the point beyond the rivers, but our car can not move on. We got stuck in the muddy water but other cars did not make the line behind us and nobody helped us. After all, we spent three hours to move on only five hundred meters!

Since the bridge between Grand Goave and Foche felling down due to earthquake on January 12th, there is no way to get the town except crossing this river. Normally, we call this place 'a bank', but this place will remain 'river' several months because of rain.

Today is too hard to say 'normal', and we hope there will never continue such a day.
After several months, the season of a hurricane will be coming, and it is possible that large scale of hurricane directly hit to Haiti so we must be cautious about that.
Millions of people in Haiti can be homeless again.

Staff Introduction: Romain Briey

  I am a French citizen born 37 years ago close to the border between Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. It has now been quite a long time since I left the Northeast side of France.

  After a completely normal childhood and teenage years fully dedicated to cycling, I left home and the area where I grew up after high School to join the French Elite Permanent Training Center in Bordeaux, a big city in the Southwest of France renowned for its wine. There, as a young eighteen-year old country boy, I discovered at once independence from the familiar environment, life as a student, the all-year-round temperate weather, and the ambivalent relationship between cycling, professionalism, and doping...

  With all my dreams of becoming a successful, professional sportsman ruined, I returned the year after that to the Northeast side of France to study business at a decent-sized city called Nancy.

  Two years later, after graduation and as I was ready to move to England for extensive studies, I got called by the national service… A ten-month compulsory service in the French army was the rule for all young French men at the time. Not interested at all in the army and especially spending ten dreary months not doing anything interesting with very little money (around 100 USD/month), I took the risk of applying for an extensive period with the possibility of being stationed abroad in exchange!

  Having been fascinated by Africa since I was a child, I of course applied for a position in the black continent among all other choices.

  Dakar, Senegal!

  I don’t remember being happier than the day I saw these two words in the letter asking me to be in the closest Air Force base to my parents’ home on January 4th, 1996. As I had expected and dreamt many times before, I spent two years in pure heaven in West Africa. As lucky as I was to get a fascinating job as a private secretary of the Chief of the French army Head Quarters there, I was also allowed a chance to take regular four-month holidays. Traveling for about three weeks every three to four months during these two years, I got to discover and experience much more than I had ever thought was possible.
By the end of 1998, upon my return to the civilian life in France, I knew that one day I would work as humanitarian worker.

  Strangely enough, it was as a manager of a supermarket that I started my professional life… I spent three years in Paris followed by two years in Guadeloupe in the French West Indies, Caribbean, where I realized it was time to revisit my initial idea of joining the humanitarian world.  Once again, however, reality turned my plan around completely, and I ended up living in Copenhagen, Denmark for seven years before finally working for JEN in Haiti as a humanitarian worker.

  Program officer since March 6th 2010, I have to say I am actually glad that it took me a long time to join the NGO world.  I realize everyday how all the different experiences I have accumulated in my background are extremely useful.

 
Romain

Challenges in Haiti

It would not be so far from the truth to say that there are countless challenges in Haiti. For hundreds of years, Haiti has been suffering from a variety of problems, such as poverty, poor economy, unemployment, lack of education, inadequate water supply, poor sanitation, lack of health facilities, vulnerability to natural disasters, political instability, dire security situation, drug trafficking, insufficient agricultural resources, lack of livestock management, and many more that we may not have realized yet.

In spite of these challenges, it is interesting that Haiti is the first independent nation in the Caribbean, the only nation that gained independence through slave rebellion. Haiti is the second independent nation in all of America after the United States.

Now how do we assist Haiti in tackling these challenges? The only answer I can think of is to make people in Haiti self-reliant. 

People in Haiti will eventually have to stand on their own, instead of depending on others. Haiti will prosper if their people realize the importance of self-reliance. Haiti has fertile land that is useful for agriculture, rains, a variety of fruits, beautiful hills, and some of the finest beaches in the world.

JEN’s mandate is to assist disaster-affected people in becoming self-reliant, so we are trying to follow that mandate here in Haiti; by physically involving local people in our projects. JEN is rehabilitating 80 water works and providing hygiene promotion education to local communities, of which expected beneficiaries are around 50,000. Both projects are ongoing through the help of volunteers from local communities. These volunteers are working without any financial support from JEN. Admittedly, it is difficult to imagine working with volunteers from a country that has recently been affected by a massive earthquake, and many NGOs, in fact, have “Cash for Work” projects. JEN’s staff, however, has successfully made people realize to stand on their own and work for themselves without any external incentive but their future.

We hope that what we are doing here is best for Haiti.

In the dismal slums, the traumatized Haitians are living in “torn, sweltering, and soaked tents suitable at best for weekend camping,” surrounded by rubble and stench of rotting garbage, their patience taxed to the limit, and their lives shattered for lack of basic services, including housing, sanitation, and enough food and clean water.

Torrential afternoon rains leave “lake-sized puddles in which mosquitoes breed and spread malaria. Deep, raspy coughs can be heard everywhere. Scabies and other infections transform children’s soft skin into irritating red bumpy rashes. Bellies are swelling and the hair turning orange from malnutrition. Vomiting and diarrhea are as common as flies.”

Torrential Rain: A New River?!

On the 8th of August at around 7:00 pm, rain started pouring accompanied by thunder and lightning as I was cooling down in the balcony at the end of a boiling hot day. I love lightning so I was enjoying the cool air. However, in about twenty minutes, I heard people talking and laughing outside. I then looked down the street in front of the house, and could not believe what I saw!

There was a new river that did not exist just twenty minutes ago. The sound of the water was like that of a waterfall! People came out of their homes to play in the muddy, dirty water.

This event highlights a few of many problems in Haiti. First of all, there is an evident lack of proper drainage system, not to mention the lack of preventative measures against mudslide. Another is that people were enjoying putting their feet in the muddy water, which is quite unhygienic. People are unaware of the danger of infections such as tetanus. The hurricane season is about to begin, and what we saw was only one torrential rain, not a hurricane. What will happen when the actual hurricane hits Haiti that is already ravaged by the earthquake?

JEN is now working to repair water points and conduct hygiene education. We are now only at the first step, which is a crucial one. Haiti needs long-term support to restore the necessary infrastructure and install preventative measures to be fully prepared for natural disasters as a disaster-prone country. We are continuing our effort toward this goal.

Another Disaster in Eight Months?

Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world with a tragic history and deadly incidents. The low-income strata of Haiti are frequently affected by hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and political conflicts and violence in any era.

Haiti has always been vulnerable to natural disasters. Tropical storms and floods killed more than 3,000 people in 2004. In 2008, another storm hit Haiti, which affected 800,000 people and killed more than 400 people. These disasters not only inflicted people directly but also the country’s economy that has always been in shambles. People therefore cannot rely on agriculture or farming. The biggest natural disaster in the history of Haiti was the earthquake in January 2010. 80% of the main cities like Port au Prince, Leogane and Petit Goave were destroyed, along with their economies. More than 300,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands of people became homeless. Despite the fact that it has been just six months since the earthquake, the meteorology department announced that the hurricane season would begin in August and predict that it would be one of the worst in history. People who are living in camps prefer to remain in such poor condition and would not start reconstruction since they know the deadly effects of the hurricanes. They don’t want to be affected twice in a year after an eight-month period.

Humanitarian organizations and developed countries must strengthen their support to rebuild Haiti. Let’s hope together that we can improve the situations in Haiti because nothing is impossible in this world.

Something to cheer for

It has not been so long since the devastating earthquake killed more than 200,000 people in Haiti. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their family, became homeless, and live in temporary housing, either with host families or at one of 1,200 makeshift camps around the country. We are working in the field everyday as we constantly notice those who are living in dire situations.

Despite their challenges, there is something to be cheerful about, which is the currently ongoing FIFA World Cup. Whenever there is a game, we hear a loud live broadcasting coming from inside buses and cars everywhere in the street. Those who have personal radio sets carry them by their ears while walking or working. The most fascinating part is seeing so many people gathered around TV sets in shops and restaurants. Every time their favorite team scores, fans cheer in excitement and celebration.

Among the Haitian people, the Brazilian national team is the most popular, followed by Argentina as a close second. JEN’s staffs always watch out for security after each game, when all the streets become blocked by the excited crowd. And now, we are planning a project that would further inspire and encourage th local people.

“Theme song”

Living in Haiti, I hear many different sounds on a regular day: babies crying, water splashing as people do their laundry, trucks passing by… In the midst of all these, the sound that stands out the most is the “theme song” of the water trucks in the early morning.

In Haiti, it is common that people who don’t have access to tap water buy water from the water-vending trucks. These trucks are common, and they usually come around with a familiar music that they play. Simply imagine the water truck equivalent of the ice cream truck music. Playing music to attract customers is nothing new, but what particularly caught my attention was their selection in music. In general, these trucks play either one of the two songs: the theme song of an academy award winning movie, “My Heart Will Go On,” or the year-round “Jingle Bell.” My guess is that these songs are meant to send us messages that “water supply will go on forever,” or “we wish you a merry day just like Christmas!”

While Haitian people may take these familiar sounds for granted, for me, coming from another continent across the Pacific, they are an intriguing piece of the Haitian life that captured my attention.

Challenges of an Admin-Finance Officer: Loading Trucks

  It has been almost one month since I came to Haiti as an administrative finance officer. Today I would like to talk about a background work that normally gets little attention.

One of my duties is loading the truck that transports materials. The day before distribution, we load the truck with shelter kit materials. While it sounds as simple as receiving the ordered materials and placing them on the truck, it can be quite painstaking.

First, the truck rarely arrives on time. Even though we confirm the time of its arrival the day before, it arrives a few hours late. In worst cases, we wait as long as six hours.

When the truck arrives, the first thing we load is lumber. We provide five pieces of wood perpearson, so we count five as one unit and load the woods for the total number of targeted people. Some woods can be of very poor quality, so we have to watch out for them.

The next material we load is perhaps the most troubling: CGI sheets. Why? Because we need to count CGI sheets that are so thin, one by one, in the hot container, as many as three thousand! Some are so closely stuck together that it is extremely difficult to count them, and more importantly, one can lose concentration easily due to the heat and the routine nature of the work. CGI sheet loading can take over two hours because we count them one by one, saying the number out loud with one or two other people to make sure that we are counting them right.

We also count other materials, such as hammers and gloves, unless the container is preserved properly. This is because even though the boxes may look intact, they sometimes contain fewer materials than are written on the boxes.

Loading may sound like such a simple task but it can almost take the whole day. What makes me so happy, though, is the driver who voluntarily helps the loading process. For the truck driver and the driver for JEN’s cars, helping the loading or distribution process is not part of their contract (they are also my French and Creole teachers!). Nevertheless, they offer to help and work in sweat. The pride of supporting Haitians must also be taking root in their heart.

Assistance for Self-Reliance, Part 2

Following the lecture on hygiene maintenance, we decided to give a lecture in which we review the meaning of humanitarian assistance. The meaning of humanitarian assistance is “principles”. Elmaille and Berlande, who had already received the training, delivered this lecture.

The principles of humanitarianism are outlined in the “Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross, Red Crescent Movement, and NGOs in Disaster Relief.” JEN also signed this code of conduct.  To respect these principles is the basis of our work.

Without humanitarianism, equity, independence, neutrality, non-violence, non-malfeasance, accountability, transparency, and a profound belief that humanity is the first priority, one cannot be called a humanitarian.

At the end of the lecture, our program officer Romain gave a project report in the first month he had been working for JEN. We assessed what we had learned, what went wrong and well in Haiti during this past month. 

Through this assessment, we were able to see our results from an objective point of view.  In addition, by sharing our assessments with each other, we were able to bond as a team and return to work in a refreshed mind.

Assistance for Self-reliance Part 1

Last week, two JEN staff, Fifi and Stanley, went to Leogane for three days to participate in a hygiene training organized by UNICEF. Leogane is a town located between Port-au-Prince, the capital city, and Grand Goave.

The weekend just after that training was “Thanksgiving Day”.  Our team could manage to have some days off after several weeks of work non-stop.  Thanksgiving Day is an extremely important festival in Haiti. After the relaxing weekend, we had a training in the office.  Since our two staff had taken part in the UNICEF training, we wanted to share the information and the knowledge with other staff while their knowledge is still fresh.

Fify and Stanley lectured on hygiene management and it was supposed to last two hours. The manager and the driver also attended the training at their own initiative. We asked the housekeepers in our office to attend this training. They also needed the detailed knowledge of hygiene management.

However, it is quite difficult to manage time. Although the training was due to last for two hours, it took us six hours in the end.  However, our team could deepen and expand our knowledge of hygiene management.

Emergency Assistance: System of Information Sharing

It has been nearly 3 months in Haiti since the devastating earthquake, unprecedented number of organizations, large and small, has been doing their projects under respective principles. When so many organizations are working in the limited space individually without any kind of coordination, many problems arise: doubling of goods, concentration of organizations in one specific area and thus smaller reach to other places etc. What is then needed to solve such problems, when assistance is in dire need? It is sharing of information among organizations. How is this done in emergency situation?

In emergency times, it is OCHA – Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – that takes the main lead. This UN-related organ coordinates meetings called ‘cluster’ meetings that are categorized into different important sectors, such as shelter, medical care, and education. Cluster meetings are held 3 times per week during the first 3 months after the natural disaster, and 2 times per week onwards. The meetings consist of sharing WHO does WHAT in WHICH camps, WHEN. More complicated discussion and information sharing also take place.

This system of information sharing is always evolving with technology. For example in Haiti, a new system was put in place where all information of each organization active in Haiti are handled in OCHA’s website. Some clusters use interactive software to post up information on online bulletin boards. Organizations that cannot attend meetings and under limited time, such systems are very convenient to implement projects smoothly in chaotic emergency times. 

JEN belongs in the shelter cluster, which utilizes Google Earth to publicize detailed information on “WHO distributed HOW MANY of WHAT, WHERE?” By sharing such quantitative information, we can continue our projects safely and efficiently.

OCHA’s website “oneresponse” has much information on such things, not only about clusters, UN, and NGOs. If you’re interested, go have a look at the website!

Time Consuming

7:45 – I leave the JEN compound to go to the Shelter Cluster Meeting that will be held in Log Base, a UN camp in Port au Prince at 8:30. On Sunday this trip would take 10 minutes, but during the week it’s more difficult to estimate.

8:40 – I finally reach the meeting, running a little bit late. I am not the last one but there were some UN vehicles that prevented us to drive for few long minutes on the way, in front of the US Embassy.

9:55 – Meeting and side-meetings in log base are ending. I’m now going to Leogane to assist the Water and Sanitation and Hygiene meeting, to be held at noon.

11:35 – I reach the newly built and soon-to-be moody UN camps in Leogane. The trip took 1 hour and a half, which is not so bad. My colleagues, who are traveling everyday to Grand Goave, our activity site, few kilometers even farther than Leogane, must spend between 2 hours and 2 hours and a half for each travel. This means 4 to 5 hours per day in cars, just going to work.

13:45 – Meeting and side-meeting ended, I call the team and go to meet them informally for few minutes on the way to Grand Goave. We have some information to exchange and I got a new map from OCHA, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs that can be useful for us.

14:15 – on my way back to Port au Prince.

17:00 – I finally reach our compound, with only a 15 minutes stop on the way back to try getting some material at the UN camps, which is located on the way. I spent 9:15 out of the office, to participate in 2 meetings, of little more than one hour each.

18:15 – the team comes back from the field. They left at 6:45 this morning. Now our local colleagues have to go home from the JEN compound. Between 1 and 2 hours of tap-tap’s trip (Tap Tap is a small local bus that make your butt feeling “tap-tap” – cf. picture below). They already spent approximately 5 hours in the cars, just to go and return from the evaluation they conducted today.

I spend half of the week losing time in cars, and so did the field team.  .Such a situation is common in areas with high population density and especially after damaging earthquakes. But the Haitian case is, one more time, perhaps one of the worst I have ever encountered. However, efforts are necessary to realize our assistance. Because in participating these coordination meetings, we can understand the local needs, coordinate our activities with other active NGOs in the area, exchange valuable information with NGOs and UN related agencies, all in order to support the people more efficiently. It needs to be emphasized that these efforts are as important as the actual distribution of goods in our activity sites.

During some crowded traffic jams, I sometimes thought of buying a motorcycle. That could make us gain some time at Port au Prince’s level, but only if we arrive safely. One friend of mine, who was driving a motorcycle here, was comparing that to a video game: you have to avoid a guy, then a woman, then a car, then a hole in the road and some children, and then you enter in a smoky area with parked cars after a curve… nice when you are comfortably sitting on your sofa. Less nice when the only points you could score are stitches In JEN, we are not to use motorcycles for reasons of safety.

What is necessary in such conditions is to secure the safety of our staffs, and do the maximum we can at all time. Efforts shall be continued for further assistance!

Poverty in Haiti

　In Haiti, there remains a very strong tradition of apprenticeship called “reste avec”. This country, known to be the poorest country in the Western hemisphere holds half of the population living under 1 dollar per day, and 78% living under 2 dollars per day. Many families unfortunately cannot afford to bring up their children, so these children, often young girls, are sent as apprentices “reste avec” to wealthy families.  In reality, these children are not sent out to work and earn money, but are rather “given up” forever to be taken care of by wealthy families, never to be　reunited with the biological family again. According to UNICEF, there were about 100,000 girls between age 6 and 17 sent to apprenticeships, before the earthquake.

　These children lost their families, houses, even their biological families. In the spontaneous camps, no protective system to take care of these children are working, including communities, churches, schools and the police, rendering the children to become street children.

　JEN will continue to conduct assistance projects for all the Haitian people, including children, to regain independent lives.

Some children we have seen in Haiti after the earthquake.

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Donation for JEN Haiti Earthquake Emergency Assistance.
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We appreciate your cooperation.

Precisely, Efficiently, Delivering assistance to those that really need it.

We have distributed, on March 11th, shelter kits for shelter reconstruction to 73 households in a small locality called Vieux Caille, in mountains above Grand Goave. This time, the kit includes wood materials in addition to the previous contents; corrugated iron sheets, hammer, nails, saw and gloves, to prepare for the approaching harsh rainy season. However, with lack of various materials, we asked 3 households to share 1 saw.

In order to deliver assistance to those that truly need it, and in order to do it precisely and efficiently, community’s cooperation is indispensable.

That is because, needless to say, the local people are the ones that know the community.
So at this time, along with the community leader, Nader, many volunteers from the community supported the distribution.

During the preliminary assessment, we have selected the targeted households by visiting each and every household to verify the degree of destruction of each house.

Then the distribution day, Berlande, our national project officer, calls beneficiaries one by one, relayed by Nader with the megaphone. When the beneficiary comes, Nader confirms whether that he’s the right person. This is done to make sure that double distribution or distribution for non-targeted households does not occur.

Finally, the staff and volunteers distribute the prepared kits.

　 

Without the support of volunteers, JEN’s activities cannot be implemented.
With the motto “together with the local people” we realize “self-reliance assistance” we will continue our activities.
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Donation for JEN Haiti Earthquake Emergency Assistance.

By credit card via homepage (in Japanese)

By postal transfer (available within Japan)

⇒00170-2-538657. Account name: JEN

We appreciate your cooperation.

Together with the local Haitian staffs

On March １１‘th Wednesday, we will start distributing shelter kits to ４，０００ households, which we have been preparing for some time now.

Based on the name list created by the community, JEN’s staffs have been visiting each and every single household to study the degree of destruction and their daily lives as evacuees.

The local Haitian staff contributed greatly to this process by creating the research documents, designing database, and conducting numerous research simulations.

This Haitian local staffs are an essential part of our team, in achieving projects, but also in helping our understanding of the local culture and lives.

The death toll of the Haitian earthquake

The Haitian government, on 10th February, has reannounced the death toll of this earthquake, from 200,000 to 230,000.

With population of around 10,000,000, this death toll means that more than 1 out of 50 have lost their lives. To come to think about it, I realized how destructive this earthquake was.

For example, the number signifies that out of 400 of your high school graduating class, 8 have died. Out of 20,000,000 that watched a soccer match, up to 400 have died, all at the same time.

Those that survived the earthquake fortunately must bring themselves together to rebuild their lives. This is going to be a very, very long journey.

JEN aims to assist in their ‘self-reliance’. We are determined to support as much as possible in this earthquake-stricken country.

JEN’s shelter kits…

JEN’s staffs have returned to the community to assess the usage of the distributed shelter kits, from February 4th ~ 7th.

Roofs and walls that used to be sheets and curtains were now corrugated iron sheets distributed by JEN. Since we distributed some tools along with materials, we heard that the people could quickly translate into action in building their temporary shelter.

   

Completion of distribution of shelter kits to 700 households!

After 4 days, on February 7th, we have successfully completed the distribution of shelter kits to 700 households. The last day of the distribution in coincided with the Christian day of prayer, so the distribution began after noontime in the camp.

It proceeded very smoothly with the cooperation of community leaders and young volunteers, and we were able to distribute to 160 persons within just two hours. Some were so delighted to receive the shelter kit that when their names were called some mothers came running to the desk shouting with joy.

We pray from bottom of hour hearts that with the distributed shelter kits, the people can live through the rainy season starting in May. Our program officers are planning to come back to the project site sometime next week to check how our kits are utilized.

[Haiti Earthquake Emergency Assistance] Distribution of Emergency Goods, mission completed!

We have distributed our first set of emergency relief goods on February 4th (5th Japan time).
We have targeted 4 spontaneous camps in the town of Grand Goave.
Luckily there was no chaos during the distribution, and the goods have reached the hands of the affected, safe and sound.
The content of the tool kits is as follows: 10 corrugated iron sheets, 1 hammer, 1 saw, 1 pair of gloves, and 1 kg of nails.

After the distribution, Ms Yonekawa has visited some homes of those that received the kits.
We were able to see some relieved faces, successfully set their first step towards recovery.

[Haiti Earthquake Emergency Assistance Flash Report] Distribution of Emergency Goods #1

Here are some photos that just arrived from Haiti.
Faces brightened up with smiles…

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Donation for JEN Haiti Earthquake Emergency Assistance.
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Haiti Emergency Assistance Reporting Session

JEN is organizing a reporting session on our emergency assistance activities for those Haitian people affected by the earthquake, on February 15th Monday 2010 at 18:30.
At the Session, Ms Masako Yonekawa, who has been engaged in the emergency relief activities onsite, will report the environment of the preliminary needs assessment and voices of the affected people waiting for distribution of emergency goods... Many photos and video clips will be shown during the reporting.
JEN has dispatched 4 members to the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince from the Dominican Republic.
We are currently active in Grand Goave, a town about 50 km West from Port-au-Prince, where the need for sheltering is very high. We are distributing tool kits for removing rubbles and building temporary shelter, for 700 households of refugees. These kits include corrugated iron sheets, hammer, saw and nails.
One month has passed since the earthquake that left the infrastructure critically damaged. According to the Haitian President, by February 2nd, the death toll rises 200,000.
In addition, the hurricane season is approaching soon.
JEN is planning to continue with the assistance to help the affected people regain the life and be self-reliant as soon as possible.

<JEN Haiti Emergency Assistance Reporting Session, by Ms Masako Yonekawa>
Date; February 15th Monday, 18:00-20:30 (Opens at 18:00)
Shinjuku Tabunka Kyosei Plaza
Tokyo-to Kenko Plaza Haisia 11th floor, 2-44-1 Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku-ku
(5 minutes walk from Shinjuku station, JR and Tokyo Metro)
(Access -> http;//bit.ly/dk4Nu6 )
Capacity: 35 people
Fee: JEN&JSE members are free, otherwise 500 yen
Please contact the Tokyo Headquarters, Hamatsu or Ikeda, by telephone or email (Please include your name, company, and contact).
（Tel： 03-5225-9352 / E-mail： info@jen-npo.org ）

Reporter: Ms Masako Yonekawa (Francophone Area Emergency Assistance Specialist)
Field Director at UN Volunteer and UNHCR since 1992.
Adviser to the UNHCR High Commissioner, Specialist of Peace Building Operations.
Associate Professor at Faculty of International Studies at Utsunomiya University.

NGO JEN, Hamatsu/Ikeda
Daini Tobundo Bldg 7F, 2-16 Agebacho, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 162-0824
Tel: 03-5225-9352  Fax: 03-5225-9357
Email: info@jen-npo.org  URL: http://www.jen-npo.org

[Haiti Earthquake Emergency Assistance Flash Report] Photo Archive #1

Overseas Program Department Director, Cyril Cappai, has completed the preliminary mission in Haiti and has returned to Tokyo.
Here are some pictures that he brought back to Japan.

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Donation for JEN Haiti Earthquake Emergency Assistance.
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People Living in Handmade Camps

Many of the affected people are now living in outdoors in places like soccer fields and open spaces, far from their homes, in fear of their houses destroying or of another earthquake.
In Grand Goave, JEN staffs visit such camps everyday as part of the needs assessment research.
Obviously these people do not have any proper material to build the temporary shelter with, so they use pieces of wood, blocks, and cloth.
The finished produce is so small, both in height and area, family members can barely lay down.
They don’t even have mattresses to cover the naked ground inside the shelter.
Given such situation, JEN has decided to first of all come up with a list of shelter-building tools. These tools will be assembled as a ‘kit’ and be distributed to families in need.
The list includes corrugated iron sheets, saw, hammer and nails.

Once Crossing the Border…

The international airport in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, ever since the earthquake, is only available for the US military and the UN’s use only.
That is why we have taken the road, early in the morning of the 28th, to reach Haiti.
In Dominican Republic, the main roads were all paved, and houses lining the roads were painted pink and emerald green, all colorful. It was as if I was watching a movie from the Caribbean.
However, once crossing the border into Haiti, none of the roads around the border are paved.
Moreover, there was a terrible amount of coal flying in the air from a coalmine nearby.
My window was open and I had a sudden fit of coughing.
As we near the capital, nearly all the buildings in this country are what look like mere barracks.
Haiti used to be the poorest country in the Caribbean, but the scenery I saw clearly was its evidence. The aftermath of the earthquake is even worse, due to this fact.
I strongly felt the need for distribution of emergency relief goods and disaster prevention workshops.

National Border in Chaos

As a supporting staff in JEN’s assessment team, I, Ms Fumiko Tanaka, have arrived in Haiti on January 28th.
I entered Haiti by road from the neighboring Dominican Republic.
It took around 4 hours to reach the border as planned, but the speed slowed down and it took 2 hours to travel 1 km just before crossing the border, and finally entered Haiti.
The border was filled with trucks carrying emergency goods into Haiti coming from all corners of the world, and a mass of Haitian people flowing out to evacuate their homeland.
On top of this chaos, we found people trying to do business by selling various items or doing currency exchange services, and people trying to organize, in vain, buses and trucks that come driving into the mess.
Due to the earthquake many roads near the border are damaged and sunk in water, two lane roads are now single lane with landslides, and these hamper the transportation of emergency assistance goods.
I just hope that assistance from the world will reach the affected people in Haiti, as soon as possible.

[Haiti Earthquake Emergency Assistance Flash Report]

We have received some photos from Haiti.

Presently, JEN is conducting research in a town called Grand Goave about 50 km away from the Haitian capital.
About 60% of the buildings are completely damaged here.
We are seeing spontaneous camps in numerous places such as open squares and soccer fields.
The photo shows a temporary house made with desks and chairs from a destroyed school and tree leaves.
People are desperately building temporary shelter with wood blocks and bits of galvanized iron sheets.

Of course there are no toilet facilities.
As JEN, we have come up with a list of items to be used for removing rubbles and building small huts by their own hands. We have selected a supplier to procure the necessary items and materials from the neighboring country Dominican Republic.

Written by Ito (In charge of Haiti, Overseas Program Department, JEN Tokyo HQ)

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[Haiti Earthquake Emergency Assistance Flash Report] 3 Staffs begin assessment research in Haiti

This is Hirano, Deputy Director of Overseas Program Department.

I would like to deliver our first report from Haiti.

On January 20 (local date January 19), JEN’s 3 staffs (Cyril Cappai, Olivier de la Motte Saint Pierre, Masako Yonekawa) have entered the Haitian capital Port au Prince, from Dominican Republic after 8 hours drive.

Currently there is no accommodation available in Port au Prince, so the 3 staff are staying at an acquaintance’s place.

There are some aftershocks, but it is relatively safe in the buildings that remained after the earthquake.

There is a risk of mosquito-born diseases, so they are using mosquito nets at night.

The only means of communication is the one satellite cell phone they brought from Japan.

With 14 hours of time difference, when we contact them, it is always night time in Haiti.

What is more, the phone conversation always gets cut off every two minutes. The lack of electricity makes it difficult to even take notes during conversations.

The next day after arrival, they have visited the affected area. They also attend regularly attend UN coordination meetings with other NGOs.

They began conducting some research in a remote town about 10 km from the capital.

According to the Head of Mission in Haiti and Director of Overseas Program Department, Cyril Cappai, even for an emergency NGO expert like him, the sight in Haiti was as if “a bomb had been dropped”.

Every building is crushed to the ground, and many corpses lay untouched.

Through this assessment research, JEN will determine the contents of emergency assistance as well as the area in which we will conduct such aid.

Emergency goods will be imported from the neighboring state Dominican Republic.

We will continue reporting the progress of the Haitian situation through this flash report.

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[Flash Report] Emergency Assistance in Haiti

To conduct needs assessment research and distribution of emergency daily necessities, JEN has dispatched emergency assistance specialist Masako Yonekawa, Head of Mission Cyril Cappai, and Program Officer Olivier de la Motte Saint Pierre. Olivier has worked with JEN during its Lebanese Emergency Assistance.

In order to conduct our activities with utmost safety, especially with the given worsening of security situation characterized by violent lootings, JEN sent 3 experienced international staffs, all francophone.

On the 17th, the three are to arrive in Dominican Republic, then after some preparation such as hiring a car, they are to enter the Haitian land by road.

Given the lack of accommodation and water for the staffs in Haiti, staffs have prepared tents, first aid kits, and water purifying tablets in France.

There are indications of the shutting down of tale-communication, so communication between Japan and Haiti will be done with transmission via satellite.

Outbreak of Earthquake in Haiti on 2010/01/13

Outbreak of Earthquake in Haiti on 2010/01/13
Emergency Assistance will start for the afflicted people of Haiti

JEN, non profit organization (headquarters at Shinjuku, Tokyo) will start its emergency assistance for the affected people, following the earthquake that occurred on January 13th in Haiti.

The devastating earthquake took place on January 12th 16:53 local time (13th 18:53 Japan time), directly under the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, maximum number of the affected is expected to reach 3 million. The Haitian President has also announced that number of deceased could go up to 30000 to 50000 (as of January 14th). The extent of the deadly damage is expected to increase as we obtain further information of the affected area.

JEN has decided to implement the emergency assistance at this time, based on our experience with emergency relief after similar natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones. Internationally, our ongoing projects are in Indonesia (Sumatra earthquake in October 2009), Myanmar (Cyclone ‘Nargisse’ in May 2008), and our past projects were in Pakistan (Earthquake in South-west region in October 2008 and Kashimir Earthquake in October 2005), Sri Lanka (tsunami caused by Sumatra earthquake in December 2004), Iran’s earthquake in Eastern Region, India’s earthquake in Western Region, and Mongolia’s snow damage. Domestically, we have implemented emergency assistance in Niigata following its Chuetsu Earthquake in October 2004. As of today, in Niigata, self-reliance assistance is ongoing for the elderly affected by the earthquake.

3 staffs are dispatched to the site on January 15th: Cyril Cappai (Head of Mission, JEN, French), Masako Yonekawa (Francophone emergency assistance specialist), and Olivier de la Motte Saint Pierre (Program Officer), all due to arrive on January 16th. Taking into consideration the aggravating security situation, we will first collect information of the damage and necessary information for our emergency relief. Simultaneously, we will distribute necessary emergency assistance goods as much as possible.

JEN has begun its charity drive as part of our emergency relief assistance for the affected people in Haiti. In order to reach our assistance to the people with rapidity, accuracy and flexibility, we need your cooperation.
In addition, the latest information will be announced on our website as well as our flash report mail magazine.

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