The international organization "Habitat for Humanity" is helping families in Haiti for 27 years. Working with the community and the government, the organization also helps to builds capacity in construction skills, disaster mitigation and financial literacy. Shortly after the earthquake of January 2010 "Habitat for Humanity" set a goal of serving 50,000 families over five years, helping them move toward safe, secure and permanent places to call home. After the first year, under the sign of the urgency, Habitat has achieved :

More than 24,500 emergency shelter kits are in the hands of people who needed them most. The kits included tools — hammers, pliers, chisels, work gloves, rope and tarps. These tools have allowed Haitians to clean up debris, complete basic repairs and create emergency shelter.

More than 3,000 families have received transitional or upgradable shelters, with many more shelters to be constructed in the coming weeks and months. Habitat's upgradable shelter features a timber-frame skeleton with pressure-treated plywood walls, a tin roof and permanent concrete perimeter foundation. The structure is built so that concrete blocks can be added later, as the family's finances improve...

More than 14,000 housing damage assessments have been conducted. Assessments help determine which structures can be made safe and which need to be torn down.

More than 3,000 Haitians have been trained by "Habitat for Humanity" in construction or construction business practices with another 1,200 trained in financial literacy.

Finally, more than 700 Haitians have found job opportunities through Habitat Haiti's main office and Habitat Resource Centers. In a nation with an unemployment rate of 60 percent, job opportunities are a crucial part of rebuilding.

For the second year, "Habitat for Humanity," with the help of volunteerslaunches a project of permanent housing in the community of Léogâne. The project will provide a base unit [permanent house] to 500 families who do not have one, thus helping some 2,500 people.

S/ HaitiLibre