Ten years ago, on January 12, 2010, a powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the capital Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The earthquake claimed the lives of more than 250,000 individuals and destroyed over 1.3 million homes, forever changing the landscape of Haiti and its people.
Over the last decade, there has been renewed hope and commitment from Canadians to do their part to help Haiti rebuild. To date, Canadians have worked with Food For The Poor Canada (FFPC) to build houses and income generating projects in the communities of Jacmel, Marigot, Grand Boulage, Gressier, Petite L’Arbitante, Savann Kabrit, Bezin, and Tierra Muscady. We shipped $14 million in medicine, provided 14 million meals and over 30 thousand bags of fruits, vegetables, milk and rice for distribution.
In 2019 alone, Canadian donors built 20 houses and a water purification system to complete the community of Tierra Muscady; delivered 2 million meals through nutrition programs, shipped $1.7 million in medicine to clinics and hospitals and provided over 500 mothers with newborn clothing and essentials. But, the biggest achievement of 2019 was raising $620,000 for the community of Derac, Haiti.
These funds will allow construction to begin in 2020, providing 60 families with safe and comfortable homes. This is part of a larger project to build 120 homes. Ten years later, we remember the families affected by the earthquake and celebrate Canadians who helped, and continue to help rebuild communities in Haiti, as we work with the people of Haiti to deliver the greatest impact.