Envisioning A New Haiti

Hundreds of individuals have now settled in Ferrier, Haiti following the January earthquake which struck Port-au-Prince some 8 hours to the south. The World Hunger Relief - Haiti team has responded by providing temporary assistance thanks to the generous giving of many folks reading this post. We continue to feel that our assistance is best delivered through our Haitian brothers and sisters, and are seeking ways to do this most effectively.

Addressing needs in outlying areas, like Ferrier, seems to be gaining wider attention, not just as a short-term response to internally displaced Haitians, but also as a solution to a long-term, chronic problem. By the time of the earthquake, chaotic urban migration had turned Port-au-Prince from a modest-sized city to a crowded, messy habitation for over 3 million people. Experts involved in the reconstruction effort, are increasingly asking how to encourage the 1 million Haitians who have left Port-au-Prince to stay put for the long haul.

The Jan. 29 Christian Science Monitor reported “As Haitian officials and international development experts start to envision Haiti's reconstruction, 'decentralization' has become an ubiquitous rallying cry. Port-au-Prince should never again be the congested and almost anarchic city it was before Jan. 12, these experts say: Those who have left the capital should be encouraged to stay out.”

Economic development in outlying towns, like Ferrier, serves both the short and long-term best interest of the country. After hundreds of phone calls and e-mails, we are more and more convinced that our response to the earthquake should be shaped by this understanding. We intend to redouble our efforts at encouraging agricultural improvement and food production in one of the few areas of the country with under-utilized, potentially productive farmland.

To this end, WHRI Executive Director, Neil Rowe Miller, will travel to Haiti on Monday, Feb. 22 to discuss potential strategies with WHR-Haiti President, Jackson Nelson. We will likely focus on rice production since the area around Ferrier includes the third largest flood-irrigated area in the country. Rice production creates additional jobs as the crop is processed, transported, and marketed to consumers.

Meanwhile, WHR-Haiti has been asked to help in the rural town of Léogâne, an hour west of Port-au-Prince. This area, which was also devastated by the earthquake, is the focus of the relief efforts of the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee. Their water resource specialist, Jos Josse has asked for assistance in drilling four wells to provide drinking water for their traditional population as well as those displaced from the city. This need also seems in keeping with our overall approach, and we will do all we can to help Jackson and his crew respond.