File:Group shot with international and community volunteers on the completed drain.jpg

English: On 12th January, 2010 a 7.0 earthquake rocked Haiti, killing more than 250,000 and leaving more than 1.3 million residents homeless. EDV responded to the Haiti earthquake in early June 2010, and we are working with Hands Together to Defend the Children Orphanage. The orphanage houses, feeds and cares for 47 children.

The earthquake destroyed the building where the orphanage was previously located, forcing the group to move to a property which flooded. As there is very little working sanitation in the area, the mud also contained human faeces. Many of the children do not have shoes, so the risk of contracting a waste borne illness was very high. The standing water also provided a haven for mosquitoes which carry malaria and dengue.

Working with our partner organisation, GrassRoots United, we involved community members and international volunteers to dig a large drain which has stopped the flooding and relieved the health problems that had been afflicting the kids.

While we’re happy to have helped protect the health of the children, flooding is only one of the challenges they face. Many of the kids also lack basic items like shoes and appropriate clothing and the orphanage is very overcrowded. We see this drainage project as the first step in a larger initiative which will provide longer-term solutions for these vulnerable children.

To learn more about this project or donate, please visit www.EDVolunteers.org.

You can also read more about our partner organisation here in Haiti on their website - www.grassrootsunited.org