What Haiti needs now: safety, schooling and jobs

A year has passed since the devastating earthquake hit Haiti on 12 January 2010 – killing more than 200,000 and displacing 1,300,000 people. The nation now finds itself at a crossroads– but only strong and swift decisions by the government will take it down the road to a fair and sustainable future. CEO of Plan International, Nigel Chapman said: “In the face of the almost overwhelming need and hardship in Haiti, progress is being made. But it is complex, demanding and at times, frustrating. What is needed right now is decisive and committed leadership to get things moving."

Vital work

Plan’s emergency response has included:

• providing 39,000 people with tents and aid in the direct aftermath of the earthquake
• helping 30,000 children return to school by rebuilding schools and providing material and teacher  training
• vaccinating over 31,000 children for measles, diphtheria and tetanus
• providing work for 28,000 people through cash-for-work schemes
• reaching 100,000 people through cholera prevention and awareness campaigns.

Listen to young people’s voices for the future

Director of Plan in Haiti, Jim Emerson added: “We believe that children and young people’s voices must be heard in this time for Haiti to truly ‘build back better.’ In our national survey of some 1,000 young people their key desire was clear – education, education, education. Plan’s work has always prioritized learning and we must strengthen this ."

In October 2010 we commissioned photojournalist Natasha Fillion to train and work with 22 teenagers to document their own lives in their homes, their neighbourhoods and their schools. At work, at rest, at play, in mourning and in contemplation, these candid photographs taken over the space of only two weeks reveal aspects of Haiti, both urban and rural, rarely seen. Show the slideshow on the BBC website

Based on priorities identified by children and youths in nationwide consultations, Plan is urging the Government supported by the international community to:

• Adopt a national building code and approved designs for permanent schools which addresses the needs of people living with disability and ensures quality and safety (earthquake & hurricane proof)
• Ensure the needs and voices of young people are heard in the rebuilding of Haiti.  This means making sure that children and youth can participate with the Interim Commission for the Reconstruction of Haiti (CIRH) and the Government to ensure their contribution in all phases of the reconstruction process.

The crucial need for a birth registration system

An effective system will ensure better access to education, health and other social services; will give free birth certificates to those who lost them during the earthquake and also clarify the land ownership. Registering children will also prevent child trafficking and other child right abuses.

Find out more

• Read Plan’s ‘Haiti earthquake: One year on’ report, which documents our progress over the last year, the challenges we face and how we will continue to help communities to rebuild their lives.
• Learn more about Plan’s Haiti recovery work
• Support the Haiti appeal

See how Plan has been helping children and families to rebuild their lives over the last 12 months.