GONAÏVES, Haiti (October 6, 2008) - Cleanup begins today in schools that are still swamped with mud and debris more than a month after floods devastated this city in northwestern Haiti. CARE is launching the effort in partnership with the humanitarian agency CHF International, as part of a larger emergency response program.
By paying residents for cleanup work, the project will inject much-needed cash into the local economy. The work begins with 10 schools in the most vulnerable areas of Gonaives, emphasizing national schools, and will gradually increase. The floods affected 185 schools in Gonaïves, preventing classes from resuming as scheduled Sept. 8 for some 40,000 students.
School cleanup is doubly important, explains Sophie Perez, CARE Haiti country director.
"First of all, it's critical for young people to resume their education. They need a reassuring, structured environment. The children have been psychologically affected by disaster – it's left them completely disoriented.
"The resumption of classes is also crucial for parents with dependent children," Perez continues. "If children are not in school, parents have to tend to them instead of devoting their time and energy to restoring homes and finding work." School is a safe place where children's needs are met and psychosocial support can be offered, Perez adds.
Reopening schools is a first step, but it's not enough: children need materials like books, pens and paper, and school furniture. Parents and teachers also need special guidance to help them and the children face a very different back-to-school season. CARE hopes to raise about US$500,000 for supplies and psychosocial support activities, Perez says. She explains that CARE seeks donations of cash rather than goods, since most supplies can be purchased within Haiti, saving shipping costs and further supporting the local economy.
The cleanup is part of a larger initiative to help increase incomes of city residents, by employing nearly 5,000 people for six months. The targeted schools are being selected in consultation with local authorities and communities to decrease the risk of duplication and to make sure inhabitants take ownership of the project.
Approximately 41,000 cubic meters (1.45 million cubic feet) of debris will be cleaned up. Workers will receive training about hygiene and health hazards to reduce the risks of exposure to remains and contaminated water.
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