In
Creole, ‘Kouri di Vwazin’W’ means ‘tell
your neighbour’. It reflects the oral tradition that reigns
in Haiti, a country where more than 60 per cent of the population
are illiterate. It is also the perfect title for a Red Cross
project that aims to alert and sensitize vulnerable communities
to potential hazards such as hurricanes.
The project uses a combination of traditional and new technology
to achieve its ends. Already, 150 Haitian Red Cross volunteers
have been trained as ‘relais communitaire’. Their
job is to alert the population and raise awareness of what to
do if disaster strikes.
“Relais communitaire is an African concept that represents
the link between the source of information – in this case
the Red Cross – and the community,” explains Toumane
Dianka, the International Federation’s Disaster Management
Delegate in Haiti.
When hurricane Ernesto was approaching southern Haiti, Denis
Jean Colo, one of the relais communitaire, came to alert Etes
Davilma and his wife Piard Marie Anne to the threat and the
need to leave their home for safer ground.
“If Colo hadn’t told us, we wouldn’t have
known,” says Davilma, who has already lost nine relatives
including his parents to hurricanes and floods.
“We had a radio but the batteries ran out and can’t
afford to buy new ones.”
Davilma has lived for 21 years in a high risk area at a river
basin. He could see the river level rising but did not know
what to expect. “You would never think that this river,
which is no threat during the dry season, could become deadly,”
explains Colo.
Davilma and his wife stayed in the emergency shelter for eight
days before they could go back to what remained of their home.
Harnessing radio technology
‘Word of mouth’ is a useful means of communication
but it cannot reach everyone. “We have seen that where
there are no relais communitarie, some people don’t get
the news or get it too late,” says Chery Jean Benito,
one of the project coordinators in Les Cayes, in the south province.
To reach as many people as possible, therefore, another aspect
of the project is to distribute wind-up and solar powered radios.
The first of these were given out on 11 October, the international
day of risk reduction.
“These radios do not need batteries,” explains Benito.
“They are the most innovative thing I’ve ever seen
and they solve a lot of problems for these families.”
Radio remains the most widely used medium to reach and inform
the millions affected by natural disasters and complex emergencies
in developing countries. Reaching the most vulnerable people
is essential both for providing adequate protection and assistance
in an emergency and for strengthening their capacity to cope
in future crises.
Sixty-eight radios will be distributed in the south-west province
alone. As well as family radios, 12 of these will be larger
community radios. These will be given to community leaders who
will be responsible for alerting their neighbours about any
threats. Thanks to a donation from the ‘free players’
company, a total of 500 radios will be distributed in the six
provinces where the project is being implemented.
To reinforce this, partnerships with community and local radio
stations have been established and radio spots on disaster preparedness
have been distributed.
Building trust through knowledge
“Information, education and communication is what the
project is all about,” says Dianka. “What it is
innovative is that we work together with the community, building
a list of what needs to be done in an emergency. We built trust
through knowledge.”
The most difficult aspect of an emergency is when people need
to be evacuated. This is when Haitian Red Cross volunteers work
together with local authorities to persuade people to recognise
the threat. “It takes time to make them understand that
they need to leave their homes and possessions,” explains
Colo. “We have to persevere. Time is of the essence.”
For some people, the choice is clear. “When news of Ernesto
started coming through, I took my kids and left for the shelter,”
says Monette Petithomme.
“I would rather save our lives than material things”.
But for many living in vulnerable areas, losing kitchen utensils,
mattresses, a pig or their chickens can mean they might never
be able to replace them. “It is a hard choice and we understand
it,” says Colo.
The project covers six provinces but aims eventually to reach
the whole country. “If there is no hurricane, there is
no money for Haiti,” emphasizes Dianka. “But we
are very positive about this project and we are already designing
the second phase.”
The project has been supported by the American, Canadian and
Norwegian Red Cross and the Norwegian and Swiss governments.
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Children
in Camp Perrin, in the South department, near the capital
Le Cayes, suffer from the common diseases related to poverty:
malnutrition, respiratory illnesses, skin problems and
diarrhea. (p14842)
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Toumane
Dianka, Federation's Disaster Manager in Haiti explains
Davilma how to use and charge the wind up and solar powered
radio donated by the company 'free players'. (p14848)
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Relais
communitaire of the Haitian Red Cross, Denis Jean Colo
with Civil Defense volunteer Numa Mireille. The Haitian
RC coordinates with local authorities and other organizations
to increase the impact of the activities. (p14843)
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Etes
Davilma receives the the first wind up and solar powered
radio distributed by the Haitian Red Cross with the support
of the International Federation. Denis Jean Colo the relais
communitaire designated for his area, explains him how
to use it. (p14846)
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