Rebuilding Neighborhoods

The massive earthquake delivered the final blow to what a series of back-to-back hurricanes started in Cayes-Jacmel in 2008: It ruined the community’s drinking water system, dramatically reducing the amount of clean water for 5,000 people. With a desperate situation at hand, community leaders asked PADF for help.

With financial support from the Taiwanese government, PADF rebuilt the critical water distribution system in this community in the Southeast province. It also refurbished a separate water distribution system that supports 600 families. Both projects also provided much-needed employment for residents.

Meanwhile, in the impoverished slum of Cité Soleil, a Caterpillar Foundation-funded project cleared rubble and debris that were choking more than 18 kilometers of the community’s open-air drainage system. The clean-up activity provided 1,200 people with short-term work, while providing continuous benefits to more than 150,000 people around the canals.

“We are confident that this ambitious project will lay the groundwork for future infrastructure rebuilding projects and improve the overall living conditions for Haitians in and around the poorest areas of Port-au-Prince,” said Jim Parker, Caterpillar vice president with responsibility for Americas Distribution.

Rebuilding neighborhoods is a collaborative effort with the Haitian government and community groups to implement their vision of a new Haiti, including paved streets, clean alleys, proper sewage, and other infrastructure.

In the hard-hit neighborhood of Delmas 32 near Port-au-Prince, engineers and craftsmen trained by PADF are repairing damaged homes and moving people from the camps—the first step in the massive rebuilding process. Next is the planning of schools, parks, and other attributes so people can have productive and safe lives. The final step is the implementation of those plans.

These are the efforts that are making neighborhoods livable again.