The USAID/BHA Strengthening Community Resilience in Haiti program is a three-year initiative aimed at enhancing community awareness and preparedness for natural disasters. The program, which began on June 15, 2021, focuses on the North region of Haiti, specifically on Cap Haitien and Fort Liberté, two communes prone to tsunamis. The program’s goal is to reduce lives lost, people injured, and social and economic disruption in the region.
The program’s interventions are centered around three sub-sectors: Building Community Awareness/Mobilization, Capacity Building and Training, and Policy and Planning. The Building Community Awareness/Mobilization sub-sector aims to strengthen community awareness and response preparedness, particularly among youth. The Capacity Building and Training sub-sector focuses on enhancing the capacity of the Corps of Civil Engineers and Architects (CICA) through targeted systems and capacity development. The Policy and Planning sub-sector utilizes a data-driven approach to support national-level disaster risk management.
During the reporting period, October 1, 2021, through September 30, 2022, the program team successfully identified five schools in the North where the project will focus on youth to strengthen community awareness and response preparedness. Vulnerability assessments were conducted on the target schools in Cap Haitien and Fort Liberté with the support of CICA engineers. The project team also began the capacity-building process for CICA engineers and municipal officials.
Training seminars were held for engineers, with two of the seminars also including representatives of the municipal urban department responsible for building permits and construction inspection. Community and partner engagement efforts were carried out through regular coordination meetings, program socialization meetings, and planning sessions held each month with key community, NGO, and government stakeholders. Two conferences were held by the project team in conjunction with municipal representatives, and five informational radio announcements were released to the public to ensure greater awareness of the program’s objectives.
The program team faced several challenges during the reporting period, including the assassination of the President of Haiti, the August 14, 2021 earthquake, COVID-19, and growing security and safety concerns. Despite these challenges, the program team was able to make significant progress in implementing the program’s objectives.
The program’s overall performance during the reporting period was satisfactory, with the team successfully implementing several key activities. However, the program team also experienced some delays in implementation due to the challenges faced during the reporting period. The program’s future plans include continuing to build the capacity of CICA engineers and municipal officials, as well as strengthening community awareness and response preparedness among youth.
The program’s geographic focus is on the North region of Haiti, specifically on Cap Haitien and Fort Liberté. The program’s timeframes are from June 15, 2021, to June 14, 2024. The program’s recommendations include continuing to build the capacity of CICA engineers and municipal officials, as well as strengthening community awareness and response preparedness among youth.