The stories no longer dominate the newspaper headlines as they did in the weeks after the earthquake, but people in the devastated areas of Haiti continue to experience extreme difficulties.

Bill Lin, Director, Corporate Contributions, Johnson & Johnson recently traveled to Léogâne, Haiti, a city located west of Port-au-Prince and at the epicenter of the January 12^th earthquake. Among other activities, Bill was working with one of our nonprofit partners, CHF International, which is helping to provide housing for displaced families in Léogâne. There, the United Nations estimates up to 90 percent of buildings were damaged in the earthquake. I asked Bill a few questions about his experience on the ground in Haiti:

It’s now been 5 months since the earthquake. What were your initial observations about the situation in Haiti? 

While it looked like life had resumed on the streets, the trip was sobering for me. So many people are displaced and are still living in tent cities. The need for housing is so tremendous. 

What are the some of the health concerns facing the people of Haiti? 

Hurricane season began on June 1^st, presenting a new threat to those who are still living in tent cities and other temporary housing. Not only are people unsafe in these living conditions but there is great concern over the spread of waterborne disease—especially with the threat of hurricanes. That is why, in Haiti, Johnson & Johnson is providing more assistance for housing than we have during previous disaster relief efforts. 

What are some of the challenges in providing more permanent housing? 

Part of the relief effort with our partner CHF is to provide prefabricated housing for those who have lost their homes. While several complicating factors hinder efforts to provide more permanent housing for residents, the small number of heavy machinery available for demolition slows down attempts to remove rubble and rebuild. But you can’t build a house or school until the debris is removed, and much of that work is being done by hand. Using only hand tools and wheelbarrows, a team of ten can take up to a week to raze and clear the rubble of what was once a two story house. 

Since March, CHF has assembled cash-for-work teams and has also used some donated heavy machinery to remove more than 46,000 cubic meters of rubble from homes, schools, businesses, and other ruined buildings in Léogâne.

What other programs is the company focusing on in Haiti? 

In addition to providing assistance for housing, Johnson & Johnson is focusing on programs that restore health facilities especially in support of pregnant women and vulnerable children in Haiti, such as Save the Children and their work to create safe spaces for children who’ve been disconnected from their families. 

You can learn more about our efforts in Haiti and the partners we work with on our corporate website. Please visit their websites to find out how you can help.