CHF has a long history of close cooperation with USAID-funded partners in Petit-Goave and Grand Goave, including IOM and IDEJEN. Following the 12 January earthquake, CHF has been working closely with a newly-arrived USAID contractor working in the region, Samaritan's Purse. With a sub-office in Grand Goave, Samaritan's Purse has been undertaking earthquake response activity similar to CHF in terms of cash-for-work rubble removal. CHF and Samaritan's purse have already been actively involved in implementation in Petit-Goave and Grand Goave, and have been procuring the necessary authorizations to begin recovery work in Leogane.

Since February, CHF and Samaritan's Purse have been collaborating closely in Early Recovery cluster meetings and leading cash-for-work activities in both Petit-Goave and Grand Goave. While CHF employs about three times as many workers as Samaritan's Purse, the latter has a fleet of heavy machinery that has been extremely useful in complementing recovery work in the region.

Locals salvage materials from the just-demolished Post Office in Petit-Goave.

For example, on 3 March, Samaritan's Purse used one of its bulldozers to arrange a trash dump site run by CHF in Petit-Goave - the site now has the capacity to serve Petit-Goave for years. On 12 March, Samaritan's Purse brought a number of excavators and dumptrucks to Petit-Goave to support CHF demolition activities in downtown. Additionally, they brought a bulldozer to Petite Guinee to arrange a dump site that will be able to accommodate rubble from the worst-affected areas of town where excavation is most urgently needed.

As Samaritan's Purse uses their heavy machines to rip down damaged buildings, CHF's cash-for-work teams move in to begin rubble removal. Likewise, community members are quick to arrive at demolition sites to salvage as much material as possible from the wrecked buildings, especially bricks and pieces of wood, which they are recycling for use in newly-constructed shelters.With heavy machines supporting CHF's already-extensive team of laborers, the task of removing rubble from downtown Petit-Goave is moving quickly and the team is setting the stage for locals to return to their property and reconstruct their homes.

 

With heavy machines supporting CHF's already-extensive team of laborers, the task of removing rubble from downtown Petit-Goave is moving quickly and the team is setting the stage for locals to return to their property and reconstruct their homes.