Adolescence

COUNTRY: HaitiBuilding back better together with young peopleStanley carries his 2-year-oldcousin, Marie Love, neartheir family’s makeshifttent shelter in the PisteAviation neighbourhoodof Port-au-Prince, Haiti.“A notableaspect ofthe rebuildingprocess so farhas been thesignificant roleplayed by youngpeople.”On 12 January 2010, the central region of Haiti wasdevastated by the strongest earthquake the countryhad experienced in more than 200 years. Over 220,000people were killed, 300,000 were injured and 1.6million were displaced and forced to seek shelter inspontaneous settlements. Children, who make upnearly half the country’s total population, have sufferedacutely in the earthquake’s aftermath. UNICEFestimates that half of those displaced are children, and500,000 children are considered extremely vulnerableand require child protection services.Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of Haiti’s population isbetween the ages of 10 and 19, and their situation wasextremely difficult even before the earthquake. As thepoorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti laggedwell behind the rest of Latin America and the Caribbeanin many indicators, and even behind other least developedcountries throughout the world. For example, netsecondary school attendance in 2005–2009 stood atjust 20 per cent (18 per cent for boys and 21 per centfor girls), compared to around 70 per cent for the regionas a whole and roughly 28 per cent for the world’s leastdeveloped countries. Adolescent marriage and pregnancyrates are substantially higher than in other countriesin the region. Among 20- to 24-year-old womensurveyed in 2005–2006, nearly one third had marriedby age 18 and 48 per cent by age 20; 30 per cent gavebirth for the first time before the age of 20.These poor education, health and protection outcomesare a direct result of lack of access to services andbasic necessities such as water and food due to poverty,political instability, violence and gender-baseddiscrimination. Natural disasters have been a recurringchallenge, but the recent earthquake destroyed infrastructureand lives on an unprecedented scale.The Government has developed an Action Plan forNational Recovery and Development of Haiti, withthe goal of addressing both short-term and long-termneeds. Working with international partners, whopledged US$5.3 billion in the first 18 months followingthe earthquake and nearly $10 billion over the nextthree years, the Government is committed to rebuildingthe country to be better than its pre-earthquake state.The plan focuses on all aspects of redevelopment,from physical infrastructure and institution-building tocultural preservation, education and food and watersecurity. It prioritizes the needs of pregnant women aswell as children’s education and health.A particularly notable aspect of the rebuilding processso far has been the significant role played by youngpeople. Youth groups were critical as responders insearch and rescue, first aid and essential goods transportimmediately following the earthquake. Since then,they have been important community-based helpers,imparting health information and building infrastructure.The Ecoclubes group, with chapters in the DominicanRepublic and Haiti, has been using Pan AmericanHealth Organization/World Health Organization materialsto provide information on malaria prevention to lowliteracycommunities. The Water and Youth Movementinitiated a campaign to raise $65,000 to train and equipsix poor communities with water pumps.In addition, UNICEF, Plan International and their partnersfacilitated the voices of 1,000 children in the PostDisaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) process. Childfriendlyfocus group discussions were held throughoutnine of the country’s departments. Adolescents andyouth who took part raised issues of gender, disability,vulnerability, access to services, disaster risk reduction,and participation in decision-making and accountabilitymechanisms for the PDNA.Through partnerships that include young people,programmes have been initiated to vaccinate children,facilitate their return to school, raise awareness ofHIV and AIDS, encourage holistic community developmentand promote sanitation. However, these andfuture efforts will require continued financial andmoral commitment to overcome the host of challengesstill to be tackled. One of these is meeting the pressingneeds of the most disadvantaged, such as thosewho lost limbs in the earthquake.Going forward, it will be critical to listen and respondto the voices of Haiti’s young people of all ages, in orderto meet their needs, enable them to make the transitionto adulthood in such turbulent times – regardless oftheir poverty status, urban or rural location, gender orability – and rebuild a stronger, more equitable Haiti.See References, page 78.the emerging generation5