Project profile — MCCC: Haut Damien Housing and Livelihoods Revitalization Project

Results achieved as of the end of the project (December 2013) include: 100 earthquake-affected families (65 female-headed households and 35 male-headed) are now living in permanent disaster-resistant shelters with access to clean water and sanitation facilities, giving these families an increased sense of safety and security. The sanitation facilities and supplementary hygiene workshops have mitigated the risk of water-borne disease and the water harvesting systems have reduced the number of hours people spend collecting clean water every day (from four hours on average to less than one). Families also have access to new community infrastructure, including an access road, a community playground, a community centre to enhance community cohesion and a roadside market to bolster local livelihoods. The project also established 200 kitchen gardens and formed an agricultural cooperative consisting of 204 members (150 women and 54 men). In addition, 125 women and 48 men attended four training seminars on agro-ecological practices and 173 youth received training in artisanal production. These results have contributed to improving the standard of living of 100 earthquake-affected families by increasing the safety of their shelters and their access to clean water and adequate sanitation, improving the sense of community, and increasing local livelihoods.