It’s been 7 months since a 7.2 earthquake struck southwestern Haiti, and many of you gave generously to help CCH respond. You may remember that CCH’s Clinic Coordinator, Lourdemie Eugene, was (un)luckily on vacation in Les Cayes – the epicenter of the earthquake – when disaster struck. Fortunately, Lourdemie remained safe, and she was right there at ground zero to begin helping. Through connections she made last August, as well as other CCH partnerships throughout Haiti, we’ve been able to assist several clinics around Les Cayes in their recovery efforts.

Last month (February 2022), CCH Clinic Coordinator, Lourdemie Eugene, returned to southwestern Haiti yet again to deliver supplies and spend time with CCH partner Consuela Alzamora (photo below) at the Physical Therapy Clinic that Consuela runs in Les Cayes. She took a truckload of rehab materials and patient supplies for the clinic, much of which was collected and sent to Haiti by Confluent Health and PT United, two US-based partners of CCH. Lourdemie was also able to tour Consuela’s current operations and spend time in conversation with her and her staff, learning more about their current needs and ongoing challenges.

Cracks in these support columns show the earthquake damage
Lourdemie (left) and Consuela (right) restock the PT clinic in Les Cayes

In the immediate aftermath of the August quake, CCH put your earthquake relief donations to use by sending medical personnel and supplies to southwestern Haiti. In the months that have followed, we’ve been working with other partners in the Haiti Response Coalition to provide families with direct cash transfers to rebuild their lives and provide medical clinics with supplies to restock their pharmacies. Looking even further ahead, our goal is to contribute lessons learned from these and other experiences so that we can help improve the coordinated responses of NGOs, government agencies, and local communities in future disasters.

The PT Clinic in Les Cayes is unable to use their damaged building, and operating out of a large tent in the yard.
Patients wait outside the tent to be seen by a Physical Therapist

CCH still has a small balance remaining of donations earmarked for earthquake relief. We’re in conversations with our partners in the Southwest, so that they can give us insight on how to best use those funds. One option might be to help the Physical Therapy clinic in Les Cayes fix their clinic building. The structure was badly damaged and is not safe for use. For the past 7 months, this clinic has been operating out of a large tent set up next to their old building. If they can get back inside, they’ll double their total clinic space by continuing to use the outdoor tent space, which is sorely needed due to high demand and overcrowding.

Over the past 7 months, HRC partners have:

  • Distributed tarps and other immediate supplies to earthquake survivors;
  • Completed participatory needs assessments of multiple hard-to-reach communities that had not received any aid;
  • Supported permanent and mobile clinics in rural communities with much-needed supplies and funding;
  • Helped build temporary classrooms at schools that were destroyed in the quake; and
  • Provided direct cash transfers to nearly 700 families, giving them the means and decision-making power to rebuild their lives. 

When you give to CCH, you help support an entire network of partners on the ground, working every day to transform lives in Haiti.   Thank You!  

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