The Haiti Earthquake Response (HEAR) program was a year-long initiative designed to facilitate early recovery efforts for families affected by the January 2010 earthquake in Port-au-Prince. The program aimed to inject cash into the local economy through Cash-for-Work (CFW) activities and stimulate local business recovery. WCDO developed coordination relationships with the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communication (MTPTC) on shelter issues and with the Haiti Reconstruction Committee on CFW initiatives.
The project focused on enabling individuals and families to stay on their own land and property by providing shelter materials and building repair assistance. Despite several security incidents, primarily caused by known criminal elements in target communities, targets were achieved, and in most cases, work recommenced in insecure areas at a later date. Importation of goods, specifically transitional shelters (T-shelters), proved difficult and time-consuming, leading to the prioritization of house repairs over T-shelter installation. As a result, more than 600 houses were repaired, while only 103 T-shelters were installed.
The Economic Recovery and Market Systems (ERMS) sector aimed to restore sources of income affected by the earthquake. The sector focused on two sub-sectors: Economic Asset Restoration and Temporary Employment. In the Economic Asset Restoration sub-sector, 903 members of households were assisted through economic asset restoration activities, exceeding the target of 1,000 families. The total USD amount channeled into the local economy through cash grants was $366,452, exceeding the target of $450,000 USD. In the Temporary Employment sub-sector, 4,769 people were employed through Cash-for-Work (CFW) activities, significantly exceeding the target of 2,000 people.
The Shelter and Settlements sector aimed to prevent the negative coping strategy of migrating to camps through the provision of adequate living space and transitional shelter at the original home site. The sector focused on two sub-sectors: Emergency/Transitional Shelter and Shelter Repair. In the Emergency/Transitional Shelter sub-sector, 603 households had their houses repaired, and 103 households received emergency/transitional shelters. The total USD amount and percent of approved project budget for Emergency/Transitional shelter spent in the local economy was $455,394 (49%), exceeding the target of $703,000 (75%).
A success story from the program is that of Bernato Germeil, a single parent of two young children who lost his wife and home in the earthquake. Bernato was one of the first to receive a transitional shelter from WCDO, which gave him the strength to keep going and provided a home for his children. The shelter was the first thing he had been given since the earthquake, and it brought a sense of stability to his life.