Stories from the field
Haiti: "I wanted to help inform camp residents how to prepare for hurricanes, how to protect their families"
January 25, 2011
Pierre Redens Fritz has lived in camp Maïs Gaté 8 in Port-au-Prince since January 27, after his home in Cité Casino was destroyed in the earthquake. “We were all at home when the earthquake happened, but we didn’t know what it was.,” recalls Pierre. “It sounded like a loud truck passing by. When we realized the house was shaking, we ran outside with the two children.”
Before the earthquake, Pierre was a teacher at a private primary school. However, after the school was completely destroyed and he found himself unemployed, Pierre has been volunteering as part of his camp’s komité vijilans (vigilance committee).
“I joined the komité because I wanted to help inform the camp residents how to prepare for hurricanes, how to protect their families,” he says. “But then I realized that it’s so much more.”
The vigilance committee is a group of volunteers who have been identified within camps or settlements. These groups are trained by the Red Cross in disaster risk reduction, vulnerability and capacity assessment methods and basic first aid. They are also provided with equipment to assist in conducting rapid evaluations on sites affected by or vulnerable to a disaster. These committees are an essential part of the community-based early warning system.
Dozens of vigilance committees have been formed in camps across Port-au-Prince with hundreds of volunteers trained in risk reduction.
Hurricane Tomas
In early November, Hurricane Tomas threatened to make a direct hit on Haiti. Across Port-au-Prince, the committees swung into action.
“When we heard Hurricane Tomas was coming, we used a loud speaker to inform residents right away that it might be a threat for us,” explains Pierre. “People listened attentively and we all got ready together.”
Pierre, along with nine other members of the committee, mobilized their neighbours to clear the camp’s canals to allow water to drain off easily. Some of the volunteers helped residents secure their emergency shelters, whilst others reminded residents to protect important documents in the plastic pouches provided by the Red Cross.
Thankfully, Hurricane Tomas veered west of Haiti, and caused no major damage in Port-au-Prince. But for Pierre, the urgency of those days should not be lost.
“Some people live today for today. They aren’t concerned about tomorrow because they have no resources to do anything. It’s hard to get through to these people and encourage them to plan ahead when they don’t know if they will have something to eat today.”
