Haiti Quake Updates

Katty Rebecca Matin, 13, spends several hours each day studying the school books she brought with her in a pillowcase. Photo: Coco McCabe / Oxfam America

For kids not affected by the devastating earthquake that rocked Haiti in January, schools re-opened the first of this month. But few students in the North-West and South departments have shown up--not a promising sign for the government's intention to open the rest of the country's schools by March 1.

Around Port-au-Prince, the temblor reduced many of them to rubble, making it hard for kids to shake the nightmarish possibility of what that could have meant for them had the quake hit earlier in the afternoon when they were seated at their desks.

It struck just before 5 p.m. Kids had left for the day. Thankfully.

I heard that whisper of relief voiced over and over again on the dusty streets of the capital as we drove past schools with pancaked floors and collapsed walls. Countless lives saved by chance. Thankfully.

But what's been interrupted now is the certainty, order, and measure of opportunity that the school day brought to the lives of Haitian kids who had managed to secure themselves a place in a classroom--even if that classroom lacked both amenities and rigor.

Many in Haiti don't get the chance to have much schooling. According to one report, only two-thirds of Haitian children complete primary school. And the learning they get is hardly uniform, given that almost 80 percent of primary teachers are not certified. The report, compiled for the Partnership for Educational Revitalization in the Americas, pointed out that most students in Haiti--about 80 percent of those enrolled--attend private schools, but that three-quarters of those schools have neither certification nor license from the ministry of education.

The government wants to see all schools reopened in less than three weeks. But where? With what resources? A recent story in the New York Times described an orphanage that promised to educate the children within its walls, but a reporter who visited saw no signs of books, papers, or pencils anywhere.

Last week, three experts testified before a subcommittee of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on how to help Haiti recover from the incredible destruction left by the quake, and each one of them emphasized the importance a sound educational system will play in rebuilding the country.
And perhaps, no one wants that as much as some of the kids who've lost every semblance of comfort and security they ever knew--including their schools.

In a spontaneous camp of tarps and bed sheets at Delmas 62, Katty Rebecca Matin, 13, sat bouncing a neighbor's baby on her lap. She's good with kids, but where her heart really lies is with her books. And it was that love that prompted her to drag her school books--a pillow case stuffed with them--from her family's damaged home to the camp where they sit carefully stacked, and easily accessible, with a few other salvaged household belongings.

"I love school," said Katty, digging into the pillow case and pulling out a workbook. "Side by Side," it was called, a language book for those studying English. She flipped it open to chapter six--a section on families--and with hordes of them teeming around her, she ticked off the words for sister and brother, aunt and uncle, mother and father in near perfect English.

"I like doing homework," added Katty.

That's a challenge in a camp where there's not a quiet corner to be had or hardly a comfortable place to sit. But Katty has found a way to carve out some mental space for herself. Together with two friends, she has formed a study group and for two or three hours each day they focus on their school work. To give the sessions some structure, Katty's mother asked an older student in the camp to help tutor the younger ones as they plow through lessons in math, social science, English, and Spanish.

The informal sessions help pass the time at Delmas 62. But what Katty said she would really like is for school to start again--so her dream of attending university and studying science can come true.

The Haitian people have begun tackling the hard work of recovery. Many are eager to contribute, looking for opportunities to earn money, to meet peoples basic needs—opportunities like assembling family kits.

Join the call to action http://bit.ly/cancelhaitidebt

Media Contacts Wendy Christian (W) 203-221-3767 (C) 203-241-9722 Kate Conradt (W) 202-640-6631 (C) 202-294-9700 Tanya Weinberg (W) 202-640-6647 (C) 202-247-6610 Eileen Burke (W) 203-221-4233 (C) 203-216-0718 Save the Children to Distribute Food Rations to 200,000 Children and Families in Haiti in Partnership with World Food Program PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Jan. 29, 2010) — Save the Children will partner with the World Food Program (WFP) to distribute critically needed food supplies to about 200,000 children and families in Haiti affected by the catastrophic earthquake over two weeks ago.    Beginning this Sunday, Save the Children will provide family food rations – enough to feed a family for two weeks – to about 33,000 families (equivalent to 200,000 people) with special attention to women.   Food distribution in Haiti. Photo credit: Colin Crowley.  "Two weeks after the disaster, many families are still without a stable food supply," warned Annie Foster, Save the Children's emergency team leader in Haiti. "Rapid food distribution must begin immediately to save the most vulnerable, especially children." "Children are the first ones to suffer," said Foster. "While some local markets have reopened, there are only small supplies of food and the prices have risen dramatically." Save the Children is one of several aid agencies who will assist in a two-week WFP distribution program in and around the city of Port-au-Prince. U.S. Military to Provide Security During Food Distribution, World Food Program to Transport Food to Sites The US military will provide security during the food distribution and ensure the boundaries of site areas are properly arranged prior to distribution. WFP is responsible for the secure transportation of the food to the distribution site areas. "Haitian people keep hearing that food is coming," said Foster. "But many of them have not seen any. They are becoming increasingly impatient. One of the measures Save the Children took to prevent possible incidents is to get the community involved in the process, so they understand how this distribution will take place." Several Additional Partners to Help Manage Distribution Sites Save the Children is working closely with World Vision, Catholic Relief Services and Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) to manage the multiple WFP distribution sites. Since the earthquake, Save the Children's health teams have reached more than 85,000 people with medical treatment.  The aid agency is also distributing hygiene and household supplies such as soap, towels, cans to hold water, and plastic sheeting for shelter.  Save the Children has worked in Haiti since 1978 and currently has about 250 staff in the country. Learn more about our emergency response to the earthquake in Haiti. Please Help Us Respond to the Haiti Emergency by Donating Now Donate any amount at www.savethechildren.org or by calling 1-800-728-3843 or 1-203-221-4030. OR DONATE $10 BY TEXTING "SAVE" to 20222 (U.S. Only). Standard message rates apply. Save the Children is the leading, independent organization that creates lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. Save the Children USA is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, a global network of 29 independent Save the Children organizations working to ensure the well-being and protection of children in more than 120 countries. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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