Water and Sanitation (WASH)
The campsites set up in areas affected by the earthquake were built on pavements, football pitches, dried out river beds, any piece of land vacant and available. Sanitation facilities did not exist, and water was not easily accessible.
Haven set about providing sanitation through the construction of pit latrines, and became the second largest provider of latrines in campsites in Port au Prince. 1,360 latrines, and 308 shower blocks, were built in 57 campsites, having a direct impact on 88,000 people. In each of these camps Haven’s Community Development Workers and Hygiene Promotion Team gave workshops on hygiene standards, explaining key messages such as the importance of hand washing and wearing shoes when using latrines. Hygiene kits, containing basic cleaning materials were also distributed in these camps. Our team of Hygiene Promotion Workers also trained 86 Community Mobilisers responsible for motivating the community within the camp to maintain facilities provided. These WASH programmes were supported by Irish Aid, Gorta and Vodafone Foundation Ireland.
