Ravine Pintade: Building Back “Better” in Haiti (video)

Ravine Pintade: Building Back “Better” in Haiti
Claudia Marcelus, a resident of Ravine Pintade in Port-au-Prince, describes life before and after her neighborhood was destroyed by the 2010 earthquake. Haphazard construction, inadequate water and sanitation facilities, no street lighting, reoccurring flooding, sewage problems and fear of fires, characterized life in Ravine Pintade before the earthquake. Through the Katye project funded by USAID, CHF International, PCI and the residents of Ravine Pintade were able to build back better. Katye, which means “neighborhood” in Creole, was based on a comprehensive and integrated planning process that involved experts, like architects and engineers, but also relied heavily on the participation of residents in the planning and decision-making required to rebuild the entire community.

Now not only are the residents of Ravine Pintade living in better, more secure houses. Many of the problems they faced with inadequate water and sanitation have been addressed. Through cash-for-work initiatives, residents were given short-term employment removing rubble and assisting with reconstruction. This much-needed income has helped residents get back on their feet, rebuild their homes and restart small businesses that were destroyed by the earthquake. Most critically though, through Katye, residents now feel pride in their neighborhood and their accomplishments. As Claudia Marcelus describes CHF’s role in the rebuilding process,”They didn’t do it FOR us. They did it WITH us.”