RedR hygiene promotion training making a difference in Haiti

With over a million people left homeless and currently living in temporary settlements, one of the most urgent interventions in the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake, has been ensuring the provision of safe water and sanitation. Equally important is the prevention of the outbreak of communicable diseases, such as cholera and acute diarrhoea, in the densely populated camps and devastated communities through effective hygiene promotion and education.

Magdala Jean Baptiste is a Haitian teacher currently working for Save the Children as an Education Coordinator. Magdala’s team is based in Jacamel – close to the epicentre of the quake - where an estimated 60 percent of buildings and infrastructure were severely damaged or destroyed. Her work involves liaising closely with educational representatives, children and communities on areas such as reopening schools and reinstating classes, safeguarding children and distributing materials.
 

Importantly, the team also educates teachers and students about appropriate behaviour in case of another natural disaster and, where needed, provide them with psychological support to recover from the trauma of the experience. Working in direct collaboration with schools, Magdala and her colleagues are passionate about improving getting children back to school: “They [students and teachers] really believe in us! We work hard so that they can receive a good quality education. It is important that they learn about how to live with natural disasters and how best to protect themselves when something like an earthquake occurs. … It is so vital that schools reopen as they are at the heart of a community – they bring it to life!”
 

Teaching the importance of good hygiene to students and communities

Because of her close work with schools and local community groups Magdala and her team are ideally placed to provide information about the importance good hygiene practices to prevent deadly disease outbreaks. Magdala recently took part in RedR’s hygiene promotion training, which covered essential areas, such as PHAST (Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation) – a community participatory approach to hygiene and sanitation – water and public health and disease transmission and control.

Speaking of that training course Magdala comments: “I really learnt a lot from this training! I realised that simple everyday acts can play an important part in saving – or claiming - lives when it comes to hygiene and disease prevention. The entire community has a big responsibility in managing their environment and the cleanliness communities and camp sites. I have also learnt how to eliminate pathogenic agents [germs] and lack of hygiene in the community.”

Importantly, Magdala has been passing on what she learnt, ensuring that knowledge of good hygiene practice are widely disseminated in camps and local communities: “I’ve replicated what I learnt on the RedR training course to our community mobilisation teams who then in turn have run hygiene education in schools; for the school heads, teachers, students and parental committees. In total we have educated 1,228 people who will each teach 30 people in their community about the importance of good hygiene practices to help prevent disease outbreaks. That will make 36,840 Haitians who have been reached on the basis of this one important training.”

“The night of 12 January was the worst night of my life”

The earthquake has had an immense impact on the entire island’s population and is one of the most devastating disasters in recent times. The Government of Haiti has confirmed that at least 230,000 lives have been lost, and the UN estimates that approximately 3 million people are directly affected and in need to humanitarian assistance. For the people who were in the areas when the earthquake struck, it has been a hugely traumatic experience; many have lost family members and friends, as well as their homes and possessions.

Magdala was in her house when the earthquake happened. She quickly ran outside where it seemed the whole world was moving: “All the houses were shaking and moving in every direction and everything around me was turning white from dust. In the streets, everyone was crying and screaming – calling for help. I live close to the ocean which was pulling away from the shore and people were yelling that there was going to be a tsunami.”

For Magdala the most important thing was getting to a safer place fast. Whilst making her way to higher ground, she passed her old work place and saw that a telephone pole had fallen on the spot where she had been sitting less than an hour earlier. Along with the rest of her family, Magdala spent three days on the bare ground, out in the open, with no shelter or protection: “The nigh of 12 January as the worst night of my life. I didn’t get a moment’s sleep.” she recalls.

After the first three days the family moved to a more secure area and she found work with Save the Children; something which has given her life a new purpose: “The worst thing was that the need for help was so great that you didn’t know where to make a start. It was overwhelming. Working with Save the Children makes me feel good because it allows me to forget the earthquake and gives me the opportunity to help those who need it. … I hope that our work will continue because there is still so much to do – we have only just started.”
 

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