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20 million women are disabled as a consequence of pregnancy and childbirth every year (UN)
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Haiti - five years on

: A teacher works with a student at the Pazapa school for children with disabilities in Jacmel, Haiti. Pazapa means "step by step" in Haitian Creole, and offers three levels of education, a programme for deaf children and medical assistance including orthopaedic surgery, rehabilitation, physical therapy and occupational therapy. ©CBM/Shelley

12 January 2015 marks the 5th anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, which devastated the country in 2010, killing more than 200,000 people*, rendering a further 2.3 million homeless and displacing over 1.5 million.

In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, after more than 30 years of support to its partners in the country, CBM participated in the emergency and reconstruction phase in the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps by focusing on respect for rights and the basic needs of people with disabilities. CBM assumed a critical leadership role during this phase, and as the co-chair for the Injury, Rehabilitation & Disability UN Cluster Working Group, the CBM Haiti team improved service coordination, promoted sustainability, and developed local capacity during the response and reconstruction phases.

An overview of our activities in Haiti

: This photo, taken in Port au Prince in Haiti in October 2012, shows Perceval, a blind person that benefits fron CBM CBR programme in Croix des Missions. Together with his friend Jules (on the left) he sells cans in the neighboorhood.

Emergency response

Five years have passed since Haiti was struck by a 7.0 earthquake. As of December 2014, the International Organization for Migration estimates there are still 85,000 people displaced.

In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, CBM focused on strengthening capacities of our local partners on the ground.

Food, water, shelter and medical care was provided to the local populations and Child Day Care Centres were also set up as safety hubs for children.

Long term strategy

Once the emergency phase was over, CBM’s long-term strategy was put into place which focused its programs on five core areas:

Health care (physiotherapy and psychosocial support) - CBM and its partner, Handicap International, had more than 20 physiotherapists working in local hospitals and nine community based health care centres called “Antenna Handicap” throughout Port-au-Prince

Inclusive education and child protection – CBM is working more and more with the Ministry of Education in order to adapt tools and practices to the Haitian context. We are also working with a community school to provide a successful, low-cost model in Inclusive Education in Haiti.

Advocacy and accessibility: Advocacy for persons with disabilities was an essential part of our work, which made possible accessible and inclusive reconstruction of Haiti. For example, French urban planner and CBM expert Benjamin Dard helped in the development of a bill for barrier-free building standards and advised CBM partners in the construction of accessible housing for earthquake victims.

Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR)

Disaster preparedness - For example, when the cholera outbreak occurred in Haiti, in October 2010, CBM was quick to mobilise resources and to distribute hygiene kits to our partners. The team from CBM worked hard to collaborate with actors in the health sector to ensure that public health information on preventing and treating cholera was accessible and reaching persons with disabilities.

Achievements

CBM has worked to advocate the rights of persons with disabilities and have seen changes in terms of overall progress in social inclusion for persons with disabilities. We have worked to strengthen DPOs, allowing them to organise and self-advocate for their rights. Additionally, we have been a part of activities that have led to increased access to employment, improved accessibility in the built environment, and strengthened services for inclusive education and rehabilitation.