no country for amateurs: januar 2011

Haiti is in the spotlight again - it is the commemoration of the earthquake one year ago on the 12th January. The media is back, looking for some great stories and maybe some scandals. They won't have to look far. The scandal is that 12 months later a million people are still living under horrible conditions, lacking food, water, proper sanitation and possibilities to return to a normal home, look for work and get an education. The academics talk about two school of thoughts while analysing the blame game that is going on. Those that blame the weak...some call it criminal, government for not stepping up to the occasion, and those blaming the thousands of NGOs doing their own little things and ignoring the government procedures. The prime minister's standpoint is that they are being infantilized by the donors and the NGOs who refuse to spend money if it goes via the government. The 'blame-circle' is complete..meanwhile reconstruction moves at the pace of a turtle. Tomorrow all schools will be closed as one expects demonstrations and anger to rise on this day of rememberance. Most Haitians I speak with say the same, that they see no development, no reconstruction, no 'build back better!' We have recently seen small, one room, wooden houses popping up these days with logos of big NGOs painted outside. The one room look small for families, and actually not much better than a tent. We wonder how much they cost to set up and reflect upon the curious fact that they have somehow mysteriously showed up at a time when the media is back in town?

For Project Haiti this has been a 'crazy hectic' year as we now reflect upon it. We feel proud that we were able to help more than 100 families in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, and that we set up and run a clean camp for five months. More so we feel proud that we were able to relocate all our families by the month of June. We built some houses, ( two bedroom, kitchen and toilet), and rented long term housing for the rest of the families.

Tomorrow Project Haiti's leader, Mirlande Augustin, will talk at the Nobels Peace Centre, together with amongst others the Norwegian Minister of Environment and Development, Erik Solheim, to remember the earthquake and its victims. We are sure Mirlande will do a great job!

Erik Solheim visited Petit Troll last week and it was a very positive meeting!
Back home in Norway Project Haiti's Tromsø group is organizing a benefit concert to remember the earthquake victims on Friday the 14th. Great local artists are supporting the concert!

Here in Port au Prince the International media has arrived, as we go about our normal activities.
We hope tomorrow will be calm, at the same time we understand people's frustrations and their need to express them. Lets hope it will be done in a decent and dignified way!

Ragnhild and Sara with students at Petit Troll

Inga Akeren, nurse, and Shirin Kordasti, medical doctor, both from the University Hospital North Norway, and Moise. Visiting a patient who is 100 years old, living in a camp

Edwin Ceide, in charge of Project Haiti's camp.

The 'Petit Troll' camp's baby, born in the camp on 20th January 2010.

Destruction

Spending the whole night helping a woman giving birth at the camp, we were lucky to have Mariah, an experienced midwife, with us and on top of things.