Nine months later: How is Haiti recovering?

Robert Moreau

Research Analyst/Outreach

Rubble in Port-au-Prince on January 17, five days after the earthquake. Months later, Haiti is entering a critical period of long-term reconstruction.

Nine months after the devastating January 12, earthquake, Haiti still has a long road to recovery. According to a September 8 United Nations News Service report, “the Haitian government estimates that 1.3 million people are still uprooted…It is estimated that hundreds of thousands will still be in camps or impoverished shelters over the coming year.”

The quake, according to a July study by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, “directly or indirectly affected almost one third of the Haitian population” and was “the most significant disaster requiring a large-scale multi-sectoral international response since the Pakistan earthquake in 2005.”

Though the public eye has since moved on to other stories, the aftereffects of the quake still have a profound impact on Haiti.

So where is the country now in terms of relief and reconstruction? Are things improving? And how are NGOs such as GENESIS continuing to play a role in Haiti?

A recovery delayed

Debris removal in Haiti. Only 300 trucks are handling this enormous task, indicative of the slow pace of recovery.

The Washington Post, in a July 17 editorial, noted aid effort’s effect on Haiti’s stability and stated “Haiti has made it this far without the starvation, epidemics or civil unrest that many feared.”

However, the Post noted that, by that time, “only 28,000 of the [1.5 million] displaced have found permanent shelter” and the job of rubble removal was being handled by only 300 trucks, doing a job “[taking] at least three years with 1,000 trucks to complete, according to some estimates.”

Writing in an October 11 column for CommonDreams.org, Loyola University professor and Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti member Bill Quigley noted

“only 2 percent of the rubble has been removed and only 13,000 temporary shelters have been constructed…not a single cent of the US aid pledged for rebuilding has arrived in Haiti…[and] only 15 percent of the aid pledged by countries and organizations around the world has reached the country so far.”

On October 7, it was reported by the Associated Press that “this week the U.S. funds [1.15 billion] were prepared for release…but in part because a lack of detail it will take at least weeks and perhaps more for the funds to start being delivered on contracts such as rubble removal.”

The U.S. contribution is part of a $5.3 billion total in international donations promised to the recovering nation for 2010-2011; as of October 7, only $732 million was released.

Former President Bill Clinton, co-chair of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission with Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, was also reported as expressing frustration at the slow flow of aid money. The commission Clinton co-chairs has not been immune to the slow pace of things either; its executive director, Gabriel Verret, was finally hired in August. By that time, the New York Times noted, “about 30 crucial staff positions” still went unfilled.

Chartered on April 19, the Commission, which has an 18-month mandate, only had two board meetings as of August. All in all, this has to be considered a less than stellar start to the organization’s work.

Election-time turmoil?

Raymond Joseph, former Haitian ambassador to the United States. Joseph has accused the country's Provisional Electoral Council of corruption after his presidential bid was rejected.

Alongside the beginnings of long-term recovery and development efforts, Haiti is set to hold new elections on November 28 to have a new government in place next February; current President René Préval, who is constitutionally barred from running again, won parliamentary approval to have his term extended into May 2011 if his replacement is not chosen by February 7. Nineteen candidates are running to replace him, and according to a July 16 Newsweek piece “the country’s government has all but dissolved” in the period before the election.

The impact of the January earthquake extends to Haiti’s ability to prepare for this event; National Public Radio noted on October 7 that it “destroyed 40 percent of the polling stations in the country, killed tens of thousands of voters and displaced hundreds of thousands of others. And numerous people lost all their documents and no longer have voting cards.”

A worrisome factor regarding the elections is allegations of corruption by the administration; Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council rejected 15 potential candidates, with the two most controversial being former Ambassador to the U.S. Raymond Joseph and a candidate from former President Aristide’s Fanmi Lavalas party.

Writing in a September 9 Christian Science Monitor opinion piece, Joseph questioned the stated reason for his disqualification and remarked that the Haitian government had “failed the first fundamental test in holding credible elections-certifying candidates, and affording each due process under the law, equally and without discrimination.”

To build and maintain confidence in the reconstruction effort, a transparent and efficiently-run election is a necessity.

GENESIS’ work and other promising NGO initiatives

GENESIS Founder and Executive Director Adam Swartzbaugh with families in Haiti.

The GENESIS Network has been active in the Haitian relief effort, providing direct support in areas most devastated by the quake. Now, we are looking for new ways to help as the focus turns towards reconstruction.

Projects GENESIS has undertaken in Haiti are.

A joint effort with AquaSafe of Australia to provide water filtration where infrastructure has been damaged.
Providing tents to Haitians left homeless in and around in the epicenter of the earthquake, in collaboration with Sumitomo’s Olyset Net of Japan and with the support of International Action and the Lafana Institute of Hope.
Donating medical, food and clothing supplies to children orphaned by the disaster with US-based companies and organizations including Red Skies Publishing, Notre Dame d’Haiti Churches and the Haitian communities of Miami.

As well as this, we are seeking new prospects for a project similar to Kid Launch in Thailand that will focus on sustainable development through education and vocational training, creating long-term solutions in an environment where short-sidedness continues to plague relief efforts.

Other NGOs are stepping up to the plate in providing new ideas and rebuilding Haiti for the future. Examples include:

The Cooperative Farm Initiative for Haiti was founded by Haitian-Americans Patrick Belizaire and Jean Velarus, alongside others. Working in the country’s Artibonite Region, it introduces modern farming equipment and better methods to Haitian farmers. Because of the massive decline in Haiti’s rural economy over the past two decades, leading to an 80 percent unemployment rate, the restoration of a sustainable and productive agricultural sector is critical.
Zafen is an interest-free microloan program established in 2010 “with the objective of having a positive impact on Haiti’s economic, social, and physical environment by providing micro, small, and medium sized enterprises with enhanced access to capital.” It was created with “the collective expertise of the worldwide Vincentian Family.” Partners in Zafen include Fonkonze, DePaul University, and the Haitian Hometown Associations Resource Group. A list of projects Zafen is currently working on is available here.

Building on its own initiatives and working in concert with other NGOs helping Haitians on the ground level, GENESIS hopes to find new ways to make an impact as the picture moves towards long-term rebuilding of Haiti.

Questions for discussion: Where do you see Haiti headed in the future? And moving forward, how can GENESIS play a role in continuing to stay engaged with Haiti during its ongoing recovery? Answers to these, as well as other comments and questions are greatly appreciated.

Robert Moreau is Research Analyst/Outreach for the GENESIS Network. A 2008 Master’s graduate of the University of Massachusetts Lowell in Regional Economic and Social Development, Moreau has been working for GENESIS since July 2009. His work has included freelance newspaper pieces and a newsletter published for a Lowell-area social services agency in 2008.

How is nonprofit accountability evaluated in Haiti?

Robert Moreau

Research Analyst/Outreach

Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti Foundation has been dogged by controversy

The eyes of the world media have largely moved on to other issues, but ongoing relief in Haiti continues. As noted by the Brookings Institution, “the publicly disseminated Action Plan for Reconstruction and National Development of Haiti…has assessed Haiti’s reconstruction needs over the next three years at $11.5 billion.” At a UN conference in late March-early April, international donors pledged $9.9 billion in reconstruction aid.

As noted, Haiti has an abundance of nonprofit organizations in the country, and most education and healthcare has historically been provided by NGOs. Even in the pre-earthquake period, transparency was a concern-a trend continuing into the relief efforts.

On February 24, CBS News published an article delving into the practices of Feed the Children, where it refuted a statement the charity ran a camp “providing medical relief for 12,000 people,” among other claims.

Even before then, Wyclef Jean’s Yele nonprofit came under scrutiny. Investigations by the Associated Press and The Smoking Gun found that the charity was closely linked to Jean’s business interests and filed three years of tax returns on the same date, among other highlights.

The question must be asked: how can the public know what is being done with its money and who is it really going to help? Transparency, therefore, is an issue that must be addressed.

Nonprofits Emphasizing Transparency

The stories of Feed the Children and Yele are shocking and do much to discourage confidence in relief efforts, but other agencies have emphasized transparency in their work. Two of these are:

Doctors without Borders/Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF): Founded in 1971 and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999, MSF builds on its public credibility through emphasizing transparency. Its main Haiti page details activity reports from 2001-2008, and news articles on current post-earthquake efforts are easily searchable. Updates include work in different areas of the country and detailed figures such as medical kits, etc. provided. MSF has shown honesty in its needs. In February, it asked donors to give to its Emergency Relief Fund as it had enough money for its current activities in Haiti.
The World Food Programme (WFP): Founded in 1962 and part of the United Nations system, WFP is currently handling a caseload of two million people in initiatives projected to run until December 2010. Its Haiti Crisis page includes an updated situation report, maps of sites and beneficiaries targeted, as well as an updated plan of its efforts including budget costs and justification for increase in spending.

NGO transparency. It's of critical importance but what is the best solution to achieve it?

However, overall “charities aren’t accompanying their appeals with the information we’d need to have a sense of their “room for more funding,” noted GiveWell.org in a February 4 posting where it gave a list of four questions it believes charities should be asked.

“1. How much are you trying to raise?
2. Roughly speaking, what activities are you seeking to fund?
3. How much have you raised so far?
4. If you raise more than your target, what will you do with the remaining funds?”

GiveWell scoured the web to see if 17 major charities involved in the effort answered these questions, and found that apart from MSF, all of them did not. Also, finding relevant information often required an exhausting search through many web pages.

Some websites have worked to provide some monitoring, with the largest being ReliefOversight.org, which makes background information on organizations and verified “activity reports” available. However, some observers worry about inaccurate whistle blowing reaching third-party sources, or that aid workers will not come forward unless they can be guaranteed anonymity.

While third-party monitoring, whether it be from journalists or independent websites, can play a role in keeping NGOs honest, aid agencies themselves must take the lead in making information detailed, honest, regularly updated, and easily accessible. However, given the potential for bias by reports from upper brass without dispute by voices “on the ground” is there an ideal mix of internal and third-party monitoring that would be ideal?

Through its interactive model, the GENESIS Network continues to develop and implement comprehensive measures of transparency in Haiti and elsewhere. A piece will follow with detail about GENESIS’ response to accountability.

Ideas for discussion: What ways (activity/financial reports, news, photos, etc.) do you think charities can effectively show transparency in their projects? Which methods of doing so might be overrated? What are the advantages and pitfalls of self-monitoring and third-party independent monitoring, and how could they ideally complement one another? Any and all questions and comments about these or other points are appreciated.

Five Days in Haiti: A Relief Effort

Just this past month, members of the GENESIS Network and I traveled from the Boston area to Haiti to deliver hundreds of water filtration systems, medical supplies, and emergency relief support to communities in Port au Prince, Carrefore and Leogane, Haiti. The trip was made possibly by AquaSafe of Australia and Olyset Net of Japan. These two communities and the Haitian community of Miami, FL donated supplies that the team and I delivered to Haiti.

To help document my thoughts and emotions, I kept a journal during the five days in Haiti to share upon my return. Here are some notes from my journal:

Day 1:
Bumping along the crippled roads outside Port au Prince, my eyes drifted from one sea of dilapidated refugee tents to another. But beneath the rubble of crumbled homes lay Haiti’s true disaster. It is not one caused by an earthquake, nor by any other natural occurrence.

Day 2:
How could such a country, swarming with NGOs long before the recent earthquake, have fallen into such a state of distress? There are more international organizations per capita in Haiti than in any other country. But what have they accomplished? The Haitian people remain repressed under a regime of corruption, left adrift in the pocket-lining clientelism of a squandered leadership supported by an aloof international community.

Day 3:
“We are slaves to our government,” our local liaison, and former government official, stated as we sat around dinner reflecting on our own relief work. “The cycle of corruption among our leaders cannot be stopped without drastic change or without a true representative of the people…someone who cares for the people.” The majority of aid programs presently in Haiti may just as well be making direct deposits into the accounts of those now in power.

Day 4:
Today I realize that, absent of any earthquake, Haiti would still be in dire need of relief – specifically, from the political disaster its leaders have brought upon their people.

The nation’s leaders have driven their country to shambles by using its people as a personal expense account while the good intentions of local and international efforts run around picking up the pieces, all the while creating and deepening dependencies on foreign aid. Haiti does not need any more quick-pitch answers but, rather, real solutions to what are now systemic issues of neglect. Every effort must be made to improve education, professional training, and lending and investment capital opportunities.

Day 5:
Back from Haiti. The Haitian people have been abandoned by their government, yet they remain united. As NGOs and foreign aid agencies move toward longer term programs that can educate, train and empower the nation back to power, this is a significant variable that bodes well for future prospects.

It’s been a few weeks since the team and I have returned from the trip. I must say that the experience was truly emotionally and personally rewarding. I’m eager to hear reader feedback about Haiti relief. How can we continue to help the Haitians? How would you like to be involved?

Please share your comments.

Adam Swartzbaugh
Founder
The GENESIS Network

How can GENESIS and other NGOs help sustainable development in Haiti?

Operation Hydrate Haiti project photo

Robert Moreau

Research Analyst/Outreach

Currently, the GENESIS Network has started a relief and development program in Western Haiti. Partnered with Aqua Safe Straw, Operation Hydrate Haiti is working to bring filtration systems to nearly 1,000 people in need of clean drinking water. The project, with 85 percent of funding completed, has thus far provided

Hundreds of filtration systems, with nearly 120,000 gallons of drinking water provided.
Hundreds of pounds of first aid supplies and medical equipment
Clothing and tents

Locations visited by GENESIS in a recent trip were a nunnery in Port-au-Prince, a school in Carrefour, and a group of orphanages in Leogane.

The project, as noted, is a short-term aid measure, providing water until more sustainable development solutions are implemented. And as the focus turns from immediate relief to building for the future, aid groups can play a strong role.

Long-term development in Haiti: Relief strategies and the role of NGOs

Before the earthquake, Haiti boasted 4,000 to 10,000 NGOs active in the country, one of the highest per capita ratios in the world. The international relief effort has added to that number, with 318 groups being registered on the United Nations’ database.

The March 10 Miami Herald piece that noted these figures also revealed a culture of sometimes intense competition among aid groups, including disputes between workers of who does what.

“On a charter flight to Miami, competing doctors get into a shouting match before takeoff…at a search-and-rescue operation, one international team claiming ownership of the effort asks another to leave-although the departing group has the equipment to do the job.”

The incredible international aid relief campaign has donated over $2 billion, almost all of it to NGOs. But with disorganization, can aid groups make a meaningful impact? Indeed, there have been calls to have aid groups reigned in favor of more focus on the Haitian government.

One criticism of the aid effort has been misdirected resources. Another has been that short-term aid creates temporary jobs for Haitians, but little in terms of long-term development. Nathan Hodge, in a February 12 piece for Wired, describes the concern

“The rapid influx of NGOs and international organizations creates a unique mini-economy, with a demand for drivers, fixers, translators, security and other services. In the short-term, that’s not a bad thing. It provides well-paying jobs for those with the right skills. But it often draws desperately needed talent away from critical sectors of the economy…and it’s a poor imitation of trickle-down economics.”

In the effort to rebuild Haiti, there is no shortage of organizations that can potentially make an impact. But disorganization, accountability concerns and competition are barriers to a structured effort, and initiatives should focus on helping Haitians create long-term self sufficiency.

coffee co-op farmer, nothern Haiti

One possible major project is a revival of the country’s coffee industry, a potential strong export. During the 18^th Century Haitian coffee thrived, but since independence the industry had long been plagued by disaster; during the military dictatorship and U.S. boycott during the 1990s, Haitian farmers burned coffee trees for charcoal.

However, coffee remained the country’s chief agricultural export through the 1980s. The industry would enter a brief period of resurgence in the 1990s when a USAID program organized small farmers into a cooperative producing Haitian Bleu, a new fair trade-certified bean that had a very strong initial run in North America and Europe before consistency issues and corruption-plagued export processes took their toll. In recent years, most of this crop was destroyed by hurricanes.

In spite of the difficulties the coffee-making industry has faced, Haitian coffee remains a favorite among many. Revival proposals have included bringing back Haitian Bleu as well as nurturing other taste profiles, emphasizing the need for training and equipment for Haitian farmers and noting the success of the SPREAD Project in Rwanda.

As noted by the Earth Institute at Columbia University, the Haitian economy “will have a simple structure in the coming years” and rebuilding agricultural areas along with re-establishing a manufacturing sector are necessary for Haiti’s recovery moving forward. One approach that could make an impact here is the use of micro-financing loans to promote small business.

Moving forward

Operation Hydrate Haiti has done a successful job providing filtration and other supplies to those in need. However, as noted, it is a short-term relief initiative, and promoting ongoing development in the devastated country is of critical importance moving forward. GENESIS, along with other organizations, looks forward to a role in helping Haiti build for the future.

Reader questions: What are your thoughts on the role of NGOs in Haiti moving forward? In what ways are they a help or hindrance, and how should efforts be coordinated? What roles could GENESIS have in promoting sustainable development in Haiti? All comments and questions are welcomed.

EVENT TOMORROW: GENESIS director talks US foreign aid innovations

Robert Moreau

Research Assistant

On January 27 at Park Plaza in Boston, GENESIS director Adam Swartzbaugh is giving a timely p resentatio n on “how US dollars are being spent on foreign aid programs.”

The United States leads the world in giving abroad, with $122.8 billion total foreign aid donations in 2005. With the current relief efforts in Haiti, the topic of how funds are used to aid people “on the ground” is a focus of interest. Swartzbaugh’s talk will focus on how programs “are being shaped to accommodate a widening array of developmental environments” and how people can become actively involved in these efforts.

Joining Swartzbaugh is Todd McCormack, co-founder of Partners in Health. Started in 1987, PIH organizes “comprehensive and community-based” projects to combat disease and poverty in the developing world. Its work has expanded to seven countries, as well as supporting projects in Guatemala and Mexico. McCormack will be focusing on disaster relief programs providing aid in Haiti.

The presentation is sponsored by the Boston Rotary Club, and will be held at 6pm at Park Plaza in Boston. For more information, email Adam at info@gnetwork.org , or contact the Boston Rotary club at (617) 426-7133 and info@BostonRotary.org.

We hope you can join us tomorrow for this event.

How can you avoid Haiti fundraising scams?

Robert Moreau

Research Analyst

In the aftermath of the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti, people all over America have mobilized to help its victims. Total donations, as of January 21, have exceeded $305 million. Methods of raising money have included newer methods such as online donations and an American Red Cross special text message program.

Disgracefully, scammers “were out in full force within a couple of hours” after the quake, as noted by internet watchdog ScamBusters. Just two days after the earthquake, Symantec Corp. tracked three spam emails, including one claiming to be from the British Red Cross Society, down to using the organization’s real address. BRCS press officer Mark South noted it was “an unfortunately well-put-together fraud.”

With relief money still desperately needed and many wanting to find out how they can best help, the question becomes how potential donors can make sure their money is going to the right place. The Christian Science Monitor, in a January 15 piece, gives these five tips to “avoid scams and make sure your donations can make a difference.”

“Stick to well-known, reputable charities.
Be cautious when donating online
Donate to organizations, not individuals
Check the charity out
Give money, not food, clothing, or equipment.”

In addition, ScamBusters has a four-step list of steps you can take:

“1. Always use common sense.
2. Never respond to an email request for a donation.
3. Check to make sure any charity is legitimate before contributing.
4. Do not open [email] attachments-they likely contain viruses or other malware.”

CNN has a list of reputable charities involved with Haitian relief, and it is a good resource to use. Lastly, rather than open up an email, even if it looks to be from a reputable group, go directly to that organization’s website.

Overall, the best way to avoid scams is to use caution. Send aid through organizations you are comfortable with, and do research on different charities that claim to be working there.

We at GENESIS urge everyone to get involved in donating to relief efforts for the people of Haiti, and to make sure your money is going where it’s promised.