30 July 2010: It’s been 6 months since the goudou goudou hit Haiti. Before 12 January, there was no word for “earthquake” in Haitian Creole; there is now.

I had hoped to jot down my thoughts earlier but it is only now that I have a brief moment to breathe and put to paper the thoughts, ideas and memories that have been rolling around in my mind.

In the frenzy, we chose to forget – at least certain things. But there are constant reminders at every corner, and the thought is just below the surface that maybe, just maybe, it will happen again. 

Frightening memories

I met a friend for lunch. She was in town for a few days – her first days in the city since 12 January, this time with her newborn baby girl. As we sat down, people started to scream and stampede towards the door. Chairs went flying, drinks and food splattered on the floor. It was not a tremor but rather a large truck rumbling by.  We ate our lunch in the car in a supermarket parking lot.

I think we have an obligation to remember, not only to honour those who were taken from us but also to make sure that, to whatever extent possible, we are more prepared for “next time”.  

At the same time we have an obligation and responsibility not to let the memories paralyse us. We need to heal emotionally as well as physically, deal with the distress and move on with our lives.

Finding a balance

Children taking part in Plan's early childhood care and development activities at one of the camps for displaced people

The earthquake forced us to take stock – to think about what we had, what we have lost, what we still have. It forced us to think about priorities and what really matters in life; that life is short and that we need to make the most of it.

Yet at the same time, it is precisely because of this earthquake that people are working long and hard days to make a dent in the face of so much need. It’s balance that we all so desperately seek – a balance all the more important since 12 January.

Making a difference

It’s not easy to convey the real and everyday challenges here. They were numerous before the quake and have only expanded exponentially since. However, amid such challenges we have made progress. 

Plan has been a crucial partner to the Ministry of Education in getting more than 15,000 school kids back in school by providing temporary and now semi-permanent classrooms.  

We have protected more than 26,000 children against major health risks like typhoid, diphtheria, and tetanus. In partnership with the Ministry of Health we have facilitated access to quality healthcare for thousands of people, many of them pregnant women. 

Emotional support

We are one of the leading organisations focusing on emotional and social “reconstruction” needs – creating 30 child-friendly spaces for at least 4,500 children, and training 975 education professionals and 100 youth volunteers in psychosocial support.

I could go on. The point is that Plan is making a difference here and will continue to make a difference despite of and in spite of the delays and challenges – past, present and future.  

Watch a slideshow of Plan’s work in Haiti 

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