THE SITUATION:
During the months of April and May 2010, One Life sought diligently to understand the evolving landscape in Haiti. This process identified the need to shift from Stabilization of Survival to a combined need for stabilization of humanitarian needs and a focused effort to assist Haitians to restart their economic lives and to regain permanent housing, in other words “to get out of the Camps”.
In response to this new landscape and no other organizations available to fill the need, One Life became registered as the Camp Management Agency (CMA)responsible for three Camps along with UN IOM (International Organization for Migration) which is coordinating the recovery phase. As of May 2010, these three Camps represent 744 families and approximately 3,400 human beings. The choice by One Life to accept this responsibility was not taken lightly. One Life provided catastrophic mobile triage in the immediate aftermath of the Quake to two of the three camps and has been serving them since. The third Camp was discovered in May 2010 while visiting the others. A team member encountered several children who led him to the camp, with no management agency and or aid/water for over 3 weeks. There they found many children suffering from dehydration sickness and dysentery.
THE STRATEGY:
Feeling a clear Call to serve these three Camps, One Life developed a Four Month Plan, in accordance with the UN/Government of Haiti Safe Shelter Strategy. One Life’s Plan had four strategic objectives:
1) Stabilization of Humanitarian Needs;
2) Established Communication with the Camp
Committees Heads which “manage” the camps as participants.
3) Developed and implemented customized economic re-start strategies (including micro-lending) based on family by family interviews conducted by One Life’s Haitian staff.
4) Implementation of ‘family by family’ housing strategies in accordance with Safe Shelter focusing rebuilding or repairing existing/prior housing or relocation to other parts of Haiti.
If you are interested in supporting this on-going effort and require more detailed information, please send an email to inquiries@olmf.us.