Monday 22 March 2010
Finding a sense of community in Haiti
Ben Spurway with Haitian girl Riline and her sisters, Calise and Eshnee.ShelterBox International Training Academy Manager and ShelterBox Response Team member, Ben Spurway, has recently returned from Port au Prince, Haiti.
Ben spent two weeks distributing ShelterBoxes to people who had been affected by January’s earthquake. It was Ben’s second deployment since qualifying as a SRT member in 2009.
The following is Ben’s account of his time spent in Haiti:
‘We’d been warned that security in the area may be a problem as the area was adjacent to the notorious United Nations Red Zone - Cite Soleil – an area that had been declared too hostile in which to distribute aid. So on arrival we were obviously fairly cautious, but our concerns were quickly dismissed as we found the inhabitants really warm and engaging.
‘When we arrived, our partners in the French Red Cross (FRC) had commenced working with the community to erect the tents and three were already up. We quickly got stuck in, motivated by the enthusiasm and energy displayed by the locals. The site comprised of two main open areas separated by a school building and surrounded on three sides by buildings or walls, all of which were visibly unstable and liable to collapse.
‘The FRC had identified community leaders and supported them to create a list of inhabitants and allocate the aid to the most vulnerable. This community empowerment ensured that the aid was going to those who needed it most like Riline and her sisters Calise, Eshnee.
‘Joseph Emmanuel, one of community's leaders, explained that many had lost family members, or were waiting for loved ones to join them which would bring additional problems for the site, as it was already overcrowded. Mr Emmanuel was waiting for his pregnant wife to join him and his parents, with her uncle and cousin; all made homeless after the quake.
‘Everyone seemed to be getting involved in the distribution, young and old, male and female, and it was a vibrant atmosphere. It felt like a real community. I didn't detect any animosity. At one point I was working with a couple of teenagers. We were laughing and joking, although I didn’t speak a word of French and they no English. I feel we made a real difference, changing that camp overnight. I think it really raised their standard of living.
‘The tents, once erected, were placed upon a foundation of concrete blocks, as an attempt to raise them off the floor. Tom Henderson, ShelterBox Founder and CEO , was able to speak to Mr Laurole, who explained that with the forthcoming rains the water would come up to their knees. He and his eight relatives were really looking forward to moving into a ShelterBox tent, after living under nothing more than a sheet.
‘People were clearly excited to get tents. There was no moaning or groaning. I just found people really positive. It felt like the first step on the road to recovery.
‘This was just one of the many positive stories I witnessed during my deployment in Haiti. Yet the enormity and complexity of the problem goes way beyond the need for shelter. As I left it became apparent that the Haitian government was announcing forced evictions from temporary camps and there was a feeling of frustration amongst the humanitarian community we spoke to.
‘The need in Haiti remains huge. All the SRT members working in Haiti have done, and are doing, an incredible job. The feedback we’ve had from the other agencies we’ve been working with has been extremely positive and encouraging. More importantly, the impact ShelterBox is having on the lives of Haitian people is huge.’
Below are photographs from Ben's deployment in Haiti:
