Haiti

HelpAge has worked with partners in Haiti since 2001, empowering and supporting poor and vulnerable older people. We opened our Haiti office in 2009.

Almost three years on since the earthquake of January 2010 we continue to support 200,000 older people who were affected – to improve their quality of life, promote independence and provide services and programmes that will relieve distress, poverty and disease.

Life story: Ymène, 90

We are repairing Ymène's house from damage caused by the frequent natural disasters in Haiti. (c) Bertin Méance/HelpAge International "My name is Ymène. I am 90 years old. I would be able to prove that to you if I had not lost my birth certificate when hurricane Flora hit Haiti in 1963.

"However, I remember exactly that it was Father Baley, the first Catholic priest of my parish who baptised my first child in the 1930s. I have given birth to 11 children. However, only five have survived. I now have 16 grandchildren and I take care of some of them.

"Although I can’t walk now without a cane, I am taking care of two of my grandchildren. I raise a few chickens and a pig, and I cultivate a small plot of land. I walk around every day to gather firewood to cook.

"In 2010, the earthquake caused a lot of damage to my house and last year, hurricanes Isaac and Sandy made it worse. When it rained, I was soaked in water and I feared that another hurricane would wipe my house out because I did not have the money to buy construction materials to repair it.

"It was such a relief when my house was selected for repair by HelpAge. Soon after I learned that, I mobilised a few people to gather materials, such as sand and rock to help with the repairs."

Supporting older people in Haiti

Livelihoods

• 630 older people have received cash transfers or loans to set up businesses.

Health and social care

• More than 11,000 people were provided with healthcare and nutritional education through HelpAge and our collaboration with other NGOs as well as other public and private health institutions.
• We have agreed four partnerships to ensure older people have access to healthcare and medication, including eye care treatment and psychosocial support.
  

Emergency response

• We have rebuilt 500 houses for households that are headed by older people. 
• 350 displaced older people and their families have been resettled in rented accommodation. 

What next?

• We will continue to support older people affected by the Haiti earthquake and other natural disasters.
  
• We will help older people access eye treatment and cataract surgery, as well as providing them with health and basic hygiene education.
  
• We will continue to work with older people’s associations and partners to form a network of organisations dedicated to improve later life.

See HelpAge in Haiti

Our Affiliates

Haitian Society for the Blind (SHAA)

Our partners 

13 communal older people's associations, Solidarité pour le Développement Local, Solidarité Haiti (Can), HelpAge Canada, Heifer International, International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Our donors 

Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), ECHO, British Red Cross, DFID