Haiti
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Photo: Miguel Samper for Mercy Corps
Our strategy
Transition from emergency assistance to long-term support that helps rural communities, entrepreneurs and youth to build a stronger, more self-sufficient country.
The context
The January 2010 earthquake dealt a tragic blow to a country where 55 percent of the population already lived below a poverty line of $1 a day. Still struggling to rebuild, many families have no means to support themselves. Harmful environmental practices have also harmed the country's vital agricultural land, decreasing production and leading to increased food insecurity.
Our work
- Emergency response: Reached more than 1 million people with emergency supplies, clean water, cholera prevention and temporary jobs immediately after the January 2010 earthquake
- Economic opportunity: Helping women start small businesses to support their families — and protecting them from future disasters with affordable microinsurance
- Agriculture & Food: Boosting farmers' harvests and helping rural communities organize for improved production
- Environment: Promoting sustainable land use practices and establishing alternative fuel sources that provide jobs
- Children & Youth: Using soccer to teach leadership, gender awareness, conflict resolution skills and HIV/AIDS prevention education
All stories about Haiti
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Haiti: Drawing up plans February 10, 2010
After working on interviews and gathering stories about our Comfort for Kids program, I learned that some of our team was headed out to see our new office and some of the neighborhoods around it, all of which were greatly damaged in the quake.
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Haiti: Supporting Haiti's children February 9, 2010
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Haiti: It’s Devin’s birthday….but Haiti gets the presents February 9, 2010
Devin Greene is just 7 years old, but the first-grader at Ainsworth Elementary School in Portland, Oregon, knew exactly what he wanted for his birthday: lots of presents — for Haiti.
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Haiti: Making the most of what we can get February 9, 2010
We're fortunate to have access to lots of low-end electronic equipment here in Haiti. Buildings aren't widely equipped with network cables, so wireless is key to making things work.
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Haiti: Meeting with Haiti's First Lady February 8, 2010
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Haiti: Watching Jet Li in Haiti February 7, 2010
The small town of Mirebalais has been overrun by 16,000 people who fled Port-au-Prince, one hour to the south, after the January 12 earthquake. This out-migration has more than doubled the size of Mirebalais, further straining the resources of an already dirt-poor town.
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Haiti: Displaced and uncertain February 7, 2010
One million people are displaced by the earthquake. There are tent encampments throughout the city. In fact, now every open space is now filled with tents — most often just plastic or sheets on poles.
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Haiti: In Haiti, organization is everything February 6, 2010
I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve always been a community mobilization skeptic.
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Haiti: What the Haitian people still have February 6, 2010
It has meant a lot to me to be back here in Haiti. I had spent some time here 15 years ago and just fell in love with the culture, people, and their artistic and spiritual life.
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Haiti: Find Mercy Corps in Haiti on Google Maps February 5, 2010
Google updated their maps on Haiti shortly after the earthquake struck. You can see the destruction and camps all over the city.