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Haiti Funding Report

Avaaz Members Donate over $1.3 million
for relief and recovery in Haiti


In the neighborhood of Bel Air--one of the poorest in Haiti, now in ruins from the earthquake--sits a community center.

This center was damaged by the quake... but not destroyed.

It used to be a place for children to play games and neighbors to hold meetings. In the weeks since the quake, it has become much more. Tonight, 5,000 people will sleep under its roof. By day, it's the center of a camp for survivors -- a hub to distribute food, water, and medicine, and to coordinate plans to rebuild Haiti.

The center's name is Kay Nou -- "our home." Amidst tragedy, it's a source of hope. Together, we've supported Kay Nou: it's one of the programmes receiving the $1.3 million donated, bit by bit, by nearly twenty thousand Avaaz members in 135 countries.

It's just one small part of the difference we're making -- click here to see a video, or read more below. Thanks to all who have played a role.

Ricken Patel, Executive Director, Avaaz



Haiti's earthquake killed an estimated 230,000 people, and left millions homeless -- in a country that was already one of the world's poorest, with a centuries-long legacy of injustice.

Much remains to be done. But we can be proud of what Avaaz members have helped achieve so far. Our funds have supported doctors and nurses; mobile clinics; food and water distribution; camps for survivors; protection of women and girls and much more (*a more detailed report further below).

And earlier this month, hundreds of thousands of us raised our voices to cancel Haiti's unjust multi-billion debt. Our petition, joined by partner organizations around the world, was presented to the IMF, key governments, and finally the G7 Finance ministers at a meeting on February 7th. That same day, responding at last to the global outcry, the G7 announced that it would cancel Haiti's $1 billion debt. It's a victory that will change lives. Instead of repaying loans made to dictators years ago, that money will now go to schools, roads, and clinics.

The earthquake lasted less than a minute. And in the moment of extreme need, we responded with one voice. But just as Haiti's vulnerability was centuries in the making, our solidarity must endure in the years ahead. Our efforts together have saved lives in Haiti. Bringing a measure of justice to an unequal world is a much longer road.

Grantmaking Priorities: Rescue and Recovery


In distributing funds, Avaaz's primary focus has been to strengthen local systems and capacities during the initial rescue effort and the longer-term recovery effort.

The bulk of the funds were immediately allocated to trusted local partners to scale up their work, saving lives, delivering medical care, food, water and other basic relief items, while accompanying and organising the affected communities. With donations still coming, we will be disbursing the remaining funds based on expert advice from partners to make sure the money is spent effectively in the recovery and rebuilding phase by addressing the structural factors underlying Haiti's impoverishment and its vulnerability to disasters. Funding recipients so far:


1) Zamni Lasante, Haitian sister organization to Partners in Health

  • Primary role of local medical staff (including training and hiring of local community health workers);

  • Provision of surgical and post-operative care to thousands of earthquake victims;

  • Hundreds of flights carrying equipment, medical personnel, essential medicines and other life-saving supplies;

  • Experienced mobile clinic teams treating the injured and providing basic health services in marginalized communities within Port-au-Prince (key role in tackling the risk of outbreaks of waterborne diseases as the rainy season arrives);

  • Long-term rehabilitation and care for survivors;

  • Partnerships with Haiti´s national and local government and grassroots organizations to rebuild the health system.


2) Haitian community-based development networks COZPAM, CROSE and CODAB*, with assistance from ActionAid

  • Focus on geographical areas receiving less assistance from other agencies (in particular Mariani, Philippeau and Jacmel);

  • Strong focus on working with the poorest and most marginalised: women, children, people living with disabilities, the elderly, the young, migrants, and other high risk groups;

  • Food distribution, provision of shelter, and psychosocial and medical support;

  • Protection of women and girls in camps;

  • Organizing and building capacities of marginalised communities to engage with aid agencies and government officials to claim their rights in the recovery process;

  • Promoting economic recovery and development through investments in local production, processing and savings;

  • Programme to reduce the risk of disasters in the future.


3) Programme “Honneur et Respect pour Bel Air" - supported by VivaRio

  • Kay Nou ("our home") community center immediately acting as a camp for survivors, providing shelter to over 5,000 people;

  • Appointed to manage 11 camps in Greater Bel Air and Cité Soleil, based on their outstanding work in the initial relief phase;

  • Specialized rescue operations;

  • Training and organizing local people to become active players in the relief/recovery efforts;

  • Distribution of food, water, medicines and fuel by community brigades to over 30,000 people;

  • Stress relief activities with children and youth (including psychosocial support, music and dance);

  • Long-term organisation and empowerment of grassroots communities and leaders.

* COZPAM (coalition of 12 grassroots organizations from the slums of Port-au-Prince); CROSE (La Coordination Régionale des Organisations de Sud-Est); CODAB (La Coordination des Organisations pour le Développement de l'Arrondissement de Belle-Anse)