By SAMANTHA HEARN
In the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, Haitians are struggling to figure out how to recover. To help, Brentwood-based Hope Force International currently has a couple working full time in the village of Sous Savanne.
Six years after a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake killed more than 200,000 people in the country, Haiti was hit by Hurricane Matthew Tuesday. At least 55,000 residents were still living in tents and makeshift shelters, many in unstable homes with flimsy roofs, when the storm hit because of the earthquake that flattened some 300,000 buildings.
Two Hope Force workers, Marianna and Rene Lako, have been living in Haiti for the last five years in the village of Sous Savanne, focusing on a child sponsorship program for schooling, micro-enterprise and building homes.
While the eye of the storm passed to the southwest of Sous Savanne, hurricane force winds of 89 MPH, heavy rains and lightning caused much suffering in and around the village.
According to a Hope Force update, when Hurricane Matthew slammed into Sous Savanne, many living in shanties quickly realized their meager dwellings could not provide shelter from the strong winds and torrential, driving rain. Fortunately, some of them lived within close proximity to neighbors who were recipients of a HFI House of Hope.
The Houses of Hope are part of a Hope Force International project that provides sturdy, earthquake and hurricane resistant homes built almost exclusively by local labor. When Matthew reached the community, those living in a House of Hope provided a place of refuge for their vulnerable and exposed neighbors.
“While grateful that they survived the storm, many struggle to know how they will ever recover from yet another tragedy,” Rene said.
Initial assessments show a number of homes belonging to families involved in HFI’s Child Sponsorship Program have been completely destroyed.
“Most crops in the area, including mango fruit, are a total loss, and it appears that livestock took a heavy hit, as well,” Rene said. “As a result, the impact of this storm will be felt for months to come as people struggle harder than ever to feed their families.”
To help the devastation, Hope Force is seeking funding to help storm survivors in Sous Savanne. Contributions will be used to help rebuild homes and to provide relief from the loss of crops and livestock. Their team on location will identify the most vulnerable, recommend an appropriate response and oversee recovery efforts.
In addition, there is a growing concern this storm could exacerbate the cholera problem in Haiti.
Hope Force has responded to disasters all over the world, including in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Haiti after the earthquake last year and in 2010, and in Appalachia to rebuild homes.
Hope Force has been a national partner with The Salvation Army since 2005, with a focus on training and volunteer deployment. The organization also responded to the floods in Nashville, floods in the Midwest, tornadoes in the South, wildfires in the West and severe storms in the South and to the Asian Tsunami and 2011 Joplin tornadoes.
See more photos from Haiti below.
For more information, visit www.hopeforce.org. To donate, click here.
Samantha Hearn reports for Home Page Media Group. She can be reached via email at [email protected] or on Twitter @samanthahearn.
