Five years after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, the Canadian Red Cross continues to help earthquake survivors rebuild and recover. Efforts have shifted from immediate life-saving assistance to long-term recovery to ensure communities can build a stronger and healthier future.
Pierre Louis Jeanrigaud is a nurse at a health centre in Seguin. This centre is one of three that has been expanded and rehabilitated by the Canadian Red Cross to provide health care to rural communities in Haiti.
"There’s been a great, great change," says Pierre Louis. "First of all, there are services that we can now provide that we didn’t have before. The number of patients has increased a lot as well."
Pierre Louis estimates that the clinic reaches 40-50 people on Thursdays, one of the busiest days of the week at the facility. Families visit the clinic for numerous services, such as diagnosing and treating tuberculosis, support with family planning, education around hygiene and disease prevention, and receiving vaccinations. The clinic also has areas specifically for emergency care and expecting mothers.
"A big thanks from the whole community because the community appreciates this a great deal," he adds. "It is something they never thought they would see, this transformation, they never dreamed of it."
Thanks to the generosity of individual Canadians, corporations, provincial and all levels of government, the Canadian Red Cross has received over $210 million to support relief efforts in Haiti.
Learn more Haiti: Five Years On