01.26.2010 - Chaos, desolation and sadness in Haiti – an earthquake devastated the whole country on 12 January 2010. The courtyard at the pre-school and training centre in Port-au-Prince, backed financially by Enfants du Monde, has become a reception area for numerous homeless persons. Below is an account by Elifaite Saint-Pierre, coordinator of SAJ Veye Yo, Enfants du Monde’s partner organisation in Haiti:

“Fortunately, there were no victims within the school premises because classes always end at 1 p.m. But several children died in their homes. Today, three-quarters of the members of SAJ Veye Yo are homeless. The pre-school and training centre has been destroyed and must be rebuilt.

Currently, approximately 100 people sleep, eat and are cared for in the school’s courtyard. We have made available our food stock, intended for the kids’ lunch meals, and we prepare hot meals for the victims. These are neighbours, students and their parents and young people from the training programme – the same who put on the show, “The drift of the king” in Switzerland in September 2009 within the framework of an intercultural exchange organised by Enfants du Monde.

The first days following the earthquake, people were happy to be alive. Now, they are beginning to assess the seriousness of the catastrophe and its negative impacts with many cases of destitution and orphans, risks of epidemics and housing problems.”

Support our project in Haiti – make a donation!