Haiti Assessment Results

Nearly twenty months after the Haitian earthquake, Hope Force's efforts continue to help rebuild the nation. Staff members, Rene and Marianne Lako, recently completed a six-week assessment project, designed to build the foundation for upcoming Reservist deployments and development projects. The work was undertaken with the cooperation of local beneficiaries and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Along with the efforts of Hope Force in the region, excellent work is being carried out by other groups such as the Spanish Red Cross, Christianville Ministries, Isra-Aid and World Relief.

The Lakos visited extensively with families in the Hope Force Child Sponsorship Program (CSP), talking with the parents/care givers, and meeting the children and family members. This important effort allowed them to gain a complete snapshot of not only the child but also the entire family, gathering birth dates, school enrollment, church affiliation, and work information. This information is added to a spreadsheet to provide an overview of those under the program. "For days, we walked through the village," Rene said. "We saw how they live, what kind of dwelling or shelter they have and what potential needs are."

By talking with the village people, the Lakos learned that almost all of school-age children have been attending school, and that the majority of adults have some form of income from various agricultural endeavors or commerce - selling goods from soap to tobacco. Several mini-shops were found where locals sell their goods in small quantities, however against small profit margins. Also, some families are able to keep animals for personal use. "It is a substantial improvement from a year ago," Rene says. "The first assessments of the village and ensuing interactions showed a very different picture: very few children were in school, many families had lost livelihoods from the earthquake, and many literally lived from one day to the next, not knowing how they would feed their family the next day." Make a donation to our work in Haiti.

The Lakos also visited the Spanish Red Cross, who has been working in the Sous Savanne area since the earthquake. They are providing T-Shelters (Temporary Shelters) for the displaced, a number of whom are also in the Hope Force program. The Red Cross also will be building 4,000 latrines and working in the area of livelihood development in the future. "They are very friendly and open to share information," Lako said. "Collaborating in this fashion allows us to avoid duplication of services and also assess needs to the greatest extent, ensuring there will not be families or individuals whose needs go unmet."

While in Haiti, the Lakos attended services in two churches in Sous Savanne. The first, in the Pan d'Amour church, a damaged building, is attended by 21 adults and 13 children, 15 of whom are baptized members. Rene said they sing from a songbook that combines hymnals and worship in French and Creole. After the service, he spoke with Pastor Vitalem and visited his family's living space behind the church made out of tarps and make-shift shack materials, which represents some of the poorest living conditions in the village. The church began in 1986 and was abandoned many years ago before Vitalem restarted services after the earthquake. Vitalem also pastors a church in Marechal and Lako believes he would be a candidate for a Maxima house, once Hope Force is able to secure funding for this endeavor. Click here to read more about Maxima houses.

"He seems a humble man with a heart for the people," Lako said. "Although his church is struggling and he lives in appalling conditions, he seems full of faith and optimistic and does not at all complain. He seems a man of God, worth working with and supporting somehow."

Next, the Lakos attended a dedication for a new church/school building: the Corps de Christ de Calvaire, also located in Sous Savanne next to the school and across from the orphanage. About 50 - 60 kids attend and the service lasts about two hours. Christianville Ministries has been involved with this church and orphanage and has funded the rebuilding of the church. "The speaker and his wife have a real heart for the people," Lako said.

Christianville Ministries currently runs a primary school and supports other local schools, orphanages, and churches in nearby Gressier. They have regular teams which work on campus projects in the morning and mostly in local orphanages in the afternoons. "Since we work in the same area there would be possibilities for collaboration and we have a very positive impression of this mission," Lako said.

On the other side of Sous Savanne, Isra-Aid is building a community center along the main road. While visiting, Lako was also introduced to Jean, a Haitian who gave him a tour. Village women make tourist items, like dolls in traditional dress and earrings made of bottle caps. These items are sold to visiting expatriates and in the US. The staff also does some small business education/training.

Hope Force is forming teams of Reservists and volunteers to help provide assistance to the people of Sous Savanne in the coming months.  Click here for deployment details.

The Lakos also helped distribute packages for the monthly food distribution in Sous Savanne. This month exercise books, pens, and pencils were included so that each school-age child received supplies. Currently 81 children are sponsored through Hope Force. "It is small, but hopefully it will help as families get ready for the new school year."

Rene and Marianne also met with Robenson Desir and other members from World Relief to discuss the possibility of building more Maxima houses. Robenson prepares email contracts/paperwork needed for families, as well as a detailed budget, and paperwork needed for local labor. Cost for a total Maxima house including foundation is approximately $4,000 to $5,000. To be eligible for a Maxima house, factors include family vulnerability, priority for single mothers, priority for those with destroyed homes, other organization help, and beneficiaries must first be identified. Post-earthquake surveys revealed that nearly 90% of the homes in Sous Savanne were either destroyed or damaged in the January 2010 disaster.

Hope Force plans to register with the Leogane city hall, which oversees building activities in the region, and the UN Shelter Cluster for inter-NGO coordination. Future Maxima houses may include paint, gutters, and water collection. Hope Force may also partner with World Relief or the Spanish Red Cross in order to provide families with latrines along with their houses. Another field partner, Medical Teams International (MTI) has agreed to provide one of their team houses for the use of HFI's future Reservist deployments. Finding appropriate accommodation in Haiti is very difficult and the Lakos had to visit seven different locations before finding the right one. The house is located in Leogane ? right in the middle of the earthquake epicenter zone and only seven miles from Sous Savanne.

As the assessment stage of this process comes to a close and Hope Force prepares for the next steps of a permanent presence in Haiti, Jack Minton summarizes, "Rene and Marianne Lako have been amazing; faithful, tenacious, and consistent. Their diligence and care is obvious and we're blessed to have them on the team. The information provided through this assessment period is wonderful information and could not have been achieved without them being on the ground. May the Lord bless, refresh, renew and strengthen them for all that lies ahead as Hope Force continues to pursue God's purposes in Haiti."