Out of the Rubble, Hope for the Future
Renande Pierre-Louis remembers the afternoon as if it was yesterday. That day changed everything for her, her family and country. Just before 5 p.m. on January 12, 2010, Pierre-Louis, along with millions of other Haitians in Port-au-Prince, ran for their lives. As homes, schools and hotels crumbled before their very eyes, all people could do was struggle to survive. “Our home was completely destroyed by the earthquake, it was unlivable,” said Pierre-Louis.
A reason to hope
There is a long road ahead in restoring this devastated nation. Yet through the promise of Lions and LCIF to rebuild lives and communities in Haiti, Pierre-Louis and her family now have hope moving forward. They were able to move into a newly-constructed home, part of a project that is providing provisional houses for 600 families currently residing in Lions’ tent cities.
This is the first major project using resources from LCIF’s Haiti Earthquake fund that totals more than US$6.1 million in donations from Lions worldwide. To provide the homes, LCIF is working with HELP, a German organization with a 30-year history of providing humanitarian assistance.
Not forgotten
Lions are dedicated to providing hope and relief to victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake for years to come and will be constructing homes and hospitals, redeveloping the eye care delivery system and providing help for the disabled. New projects are underway, such as the rebuilding of the National Nurses School of Port-au-Prince and partnering with HumiTerra International to construct a medical center to bring together medical expertise, training and medical supplies to the people of Haiti. LCIF remains committed to rebuilding Haiti and helping people like Pierre-Louis and her family meet their most basic needs so they can have a better future.
