O.N.E - February 2010

February 2O1O

This photograph was taken before the earthquake of 12 January 2010.

Please help the people of Haiti rebuild their homes, their communities, their lives.

HELP HAITI donation hotline 3120 5000 online donations www.oxfam.org.hk

HAITI FACTS

after the earthquake

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere

before the earthquake Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere Population

: 9 million

Population living on less than US$2 a day : 6.84 million (76%) Population not using safe drinking water

: 3.78 million (42%)

Debt

: US$890 million

Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births

: 48.8

Children underweight for age

: 22%

Probability of not surviving to age of forty : 18.5% Adult literacy rate

: 38%

Adults living with HIV-AIDS

: about 120,000

Telephone subscribers

: 15.6 out of 100 people

Internet users

: 7 out of 100 people

CO2 emission rates (metric tons per capita) : 0.2 Source: United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Development Programme

OXFAM in HAITI

Oxfam is providing Drinking water for about 400,000 people Hygiene and sanitation services in 14 urban and rural locations Latrines also provided for people with disabilities Therapeutic activities with children Emergency shelter Cash-for-work, such as for clearing rubble and constructing latrines, began on 24 January More than 60 tons of Oxfam supplies have been sent from Canada, England, Panama and Spain Information correct as of 25 January 2010

For updates, please visit Oxfam International website: http://www.oxfam.org/en/emergencies/haiti-earthquake Oxfam has been working in Haiti since 1978 on three main areas: sustainable livelihoods (such as coffee cooperatives); disaster management (not just to prepare for earthquakes, but also against floods and hurricanes) and access to education, water, health care and electricity).

OXFAM in THE PRESS Metro Hong Kong, 20 January 2010 (in Chinese): /www.metrohk.com.hk/index.php?cmd=detail&id=126453&search=1 The Standard, 22 January 2010 (in English): www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=20&art_id=93476&sid=26769760&con_type=1 A collection of reports from Oxfam and others: http://haitiquake.posterous.com/

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14 January

Two children in a makeshift shelter / Photo: Jorge Silva, Reuters, courtesy www.alertnet.org

16 January

Aid delivery on the way / Photo: Joe Raedle, courtesy of Getty Images

O.N.E February 2O1O

OXFAM STARS

OXFAM VOICES

Public figures supporting Oxfam’s response in Haiti: Bono / Coldplay / Colin Firth / Denise Ho / Djimon Hounsou / Scarlett Johansson / Annie Lennox / Chris Martin / Pearl Jam / Pet Shop Boys / Radiohead / Rosemary Vandenbroucke and more…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXgmCkuuQtU

“THE UNITED NATIONS REGULARLY CALLS ON OXFAM” Haiti's clean water supply and its drainage system have been damaged, and the risk is that diarrhoeal disease will break out. Water in the damaged drainage system will attract mosquitoes, which can cause other infectious diseases. Survivors are already weakened, and these diseases can be fatal.

I call on Hong Kong people to support Oxfam to carry out humanitarian responses in Haiti. The United Nations regularly calls on Oxfam to coordinate water-sanitation work; Oxfam's expertise in this area is held in high international regard.

Dr. Lo Wing-lok, Infectious Disease Specialist; Association Member, Oxfam Hong Kong / in a media statement on 15 January

“I CALL ON HONG KONG PEOPLE” I visited the affected areas of Sichuan Earthquake with Oxfam Hong Kong in 2008. I understand survivors of earthquake need help from others, especially in water supply, sanitary facilities and temporary housing. Oxfam’s relief work fulfill the current needs of the survivors in Haiti. The damage and scale of the Haiti Earthquake is large, and the country’s poverty heightens the survivors’ vulnerability. I call on Hong Kong people to take immediate action, supporting Oxfam’s relief efforts to help people in Haiti.

Denise Ho, singer and actress; Oxfam Ambassador, Oxfam Hong Kong / in a media statement on 15 January

“A COUNTRY OF EXTREME POVERTY” I visited Haiti with Oxfam a few years ago. It's a country of extreme poverty and brutal living conditions.

Most people in Port-au-Prince live in tin shacks. The earthquake that has struck Haiti will have turned the city into an unimaginable hell.

Chris Martin, singer of Coldplay, in a media statement on 14 January; He went to Haiti with Oxfam in 2002

“WE CAN TRANSMIT HOPE” All of us in our staff, we’re all affected as the rest of the population, losing our houses, losing our family – in my case, my mum… I buried my mother in our garden; and I know many other people have done the same…

As Oxfam staff, we can maintain hope and we can transmit hope, since we know as Oxfam we will have some resources to help people…

It’s like we are starting from zero…There is no capacity within the government, because so many were killed. Not only that, but important sections of the population are dead. We lost a lot of famous professionals and experts, who were unique in their fields. They’ve died. Some prominent figures in the feminist movement were also lost.

In spite of this, I think it can be a moment to see our need to work, to change direction and the direction of others… It can be an opportunity and can be shared.

Yolette Etienne, on 18 January, Oxfam Great Britain Country Director, Haiti

O.N.E February 2O1O

17 January

An open air Catholic mass / Photo: Jorge Silva, Reuters, courtesy www.alertnet.org

18 January

Installing an Oxfam water tank to hold 10,000 litres / Photo: Caroline Gluck, Oxfam

O.N.E February 2O1O

OTHER VOICES

“THE WHOLE CITY WAS SINGING” In my thirteen years of working in Haiti, not once before have I seen such massive destruction as we are experiencing now. Nor have I seen such motivation, determination, compassion, and solidarity among people… the city had fallen and was continuing to fall as a result of continuous aftershocks. The streets were full of people sitting together. Everyone was sitting in the middle of the roads for fear that the houses would continue to fall on them. They were singing. The whole city was singing. They were singing songs of solidarity. They were singing songs of thanks and praise that they were still able to sing and to be together. These people have lost everything. The city is now a city of refugees. But they are putting their voices together to be thankful.

Amber Munger, on 15 January 2010, a community worker with the Haiti group, Konpay

“IN HAITI, NOBODY EVER REALLY DIES” Today is a good day to remember that in Haiti, nobody ever really dies. The many thousands who've had the breath crushed out of their bodies in the earthquake, and the thousands more who will not physically survive the aftermath, will undergo instead a translation of state, according to the precepts of Haitian Vodou, some form of which is practiced by much of the population. Spirits of the Haitian dead — sa nou pa we yo, those we don’t see — do not depart as in other religions but remain extremely close to the living, invisible but tangible, inhabiting a parallel universe on the other side of any mirror, beneath the surface of all water, just behind the veil that divides us from our dreams.

Madison Smartt Bell, author of a trilogy on Haiti, in The New York Times, 17 January 2010

“WE ARE UGLY, BUT WE ARE HERE” There is a Haitian saying which might upset the aesthetic images of most women. Nou led, Nou la, it says.

We are ugly, but we are here. Like the modesty that is somewhat common in Haitian culture, this saying makes a deeper claim for poor Haitian women than maintaining beauty, be it skin deep or otherwise. For most of us, what is worth celebrating is the fact that we are here, that we against all the odds exist. To the women who might greet each other with this saying when they meet along the countryside, the very essence of life lies in survival. It is always worth reminding our sisters that we have lived yet another day to answer the roll call of an often painful and very difficult life.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Edwidge Danticat, Haitian-born author, in The Caribbean Writer, Volume 10, 1996

1 / Donate

Telephone hotline : (852) 3120 5000 Online donations : www.oxfam.org.hk

2 / Learn about Haiti

Go to HELP HAITI: http://www.oxfam.org.hk/public/

3 / Take action to cancel Haiti’s debt

www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/campaign/actions/haiti_drop_the_debt.html

4 / Fundraise for Haiti

Collect donations among friends, relatives, and colleagues and send to Oxfam

5 / JOIN EVENTS FOR HAITI

3 Feb / Hong Kong for Haiti – A Relief Benefit for the People of Haiti / www.hongkongforhaiti.com /

11 Feb / Project C:CHANGE – 6 people from Hong Kong will climb Mt. Kilimanjaro / http://twitter.com/projectcchange

12-28 Feb / Exhibition at Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong / www.fcchk.org /

HONG KONG TO HAITI: The Hong Kong public has donated over HK$25 million to the effort, and counting...

As of 29 January, the Hong Kong SAR Government Disaster Relief Fund has contributed HK$8 million (US$1.03 million)

O.N.E February 2O1O

18 January

19 January

“All of us in our staff, we’re all affected as the rest of the population, losing our houses, losing our family – in my case, my mum… I buried her in our garden…

As Oxfam staff, we only can maintain hope and we can transmit hope, since we know as Oxfam we will have some resources to help people.”

- Yolette Etienne, Oxfam Country Director / Photo: Caroline Gluck, Oxfam

30 tons of Oxfam water and sanitation equipment leaving East Midlands Airport, England / Photos: Doug Marke, Page One Photography

O.N.E February 2O1O

Listening, Talking:

Key factors in rebuilding Haiti

By Roger Ricafort

November 2009 / Survivors of two typhoons in the northern Philippines discuss their needs with Oxfam Hong Kong.

Nori De Dios (second from right), a humanitarian worker with Oxfam Hong Kong, is currently based in the country, coordinating various rehabilitation efforts.

Some may feel that it is too soon

involves a lot of talking and listening

will contribute a lot to ensuring

to talk about rebuilding Haiti when

among various agencies – government,

targeted and effective relief services.

massive rescue and relief work is still

non-governmental organisations,

An important element of people’s

underway. But to recover from such

and business. Without such efforts,

participation is that they see access to

a catastrophic disaster takes some

major areas of needs can be so easily

quality relief resources as a right, and

serious strategic thinking, based on a

overlooked. For example, when the

not simply a matter of charity.

robust understanding of the Haitian

Philippines was hit by a series of deadly

It is impor tant for suppor t

contex t – and this takes a lot of

typhoons in September and October

agencies to adhere to internationally-

listening and talking.

last year, the media coverage and

agreed relief standards, called SPHERE

So how do you rebuild a country

images predominantly focused on

standards, which lay out the guidelines

like Haiti? Long before it was battered

the dire situation in the capital Manila

and benchmarks for quality relief

by the worst earthquake in 200 years,

whereas the predicament faced by the

services – such as water requirements,

it was already a human disaster zone

less-developed northern part of the

food and medical entitlements, etc.

- being one of the poorest countries in

country was largely neglected.

But talking and listening alone have

the world. We should not forget the

Participation by those who are

never put a roof over people’s heads

images of Haitians scrambling for food

adversely affected by disasters in

or food on the table. Coordination,

and making do with mud-cakes during

the discussions and decision-making

consultation, talking and listening

the height of the food crisis less than

processes is likewise impor tant .

need to lead into effective planning

two years ago.

Support agencies need to actively

and swift action.

Coordination is extremely

listen to those whose lives have been

Effective planning and swift action

important in an emergency situation

turned upside down as they are best

in emergencies, as well as for longer-

and this requires the willingness

placed to know what they need. It is

term reconstruction, begin much

to share assessment and response

about doing aid with people rather

earlier, with disaster preparedness.

information, among others. This

than to people. Such participation

This involves preparing communities to deal with disasters – in terms of di s a s te r aware n e s s , di s a s te r mobilisation plans, etc. For longerterm reconstruction, fundamental decisions need to be taken early on as to what life is going to be like for communities - not just individuals. It is no good, as happened in Aceh after the 2005 tsunami, to say that everyone will have a house, if you don’t also think about building the roads and infrastructure that make a town.

Effective coordination is dependent upon good national and sub-national disaster preparedness and response policies and mechanisms.

Strong leadership of any aid effort is likewise important. An agency, preferably the national government - but if not, then the UN, should be in charge of the plan and assign tasks.

It should be strong enough to say ‘no’ to efforts that are not in the best interest of the people affected. During the drought in southern Africa in the

In Carrefour, one of the hardest-hit areas in the Haiti earthquake, people set up their own tents for their first emergency shelter.

early 2000s, governments did refuse genetically modified (GM ) maize

Photo: Louis Belanger / Oxfam

O.N.E February 2O1O

seed as food aid. They insisted that the seeds must be milled into flour so as not to contaminate the nations’ maize crop.

Disasters will be with us, and increasingly so, on account of climate c ha n g e im p a c t s . O ve r th e p a s t decade, the world has witnessed

Haiti

– Land of High Mountains

an upsurge of large-scale disasters.

Prehistory to 1500s

Civil Conflict 2001-2004

According to the Centre for Research

Ta no and other Amerindian peoples inhabit the

A r m e d a t t a ck s , a t te m p t s to ove r throw

on the Epidemiology of Disasters,

Caribbean, including what is now called Haiti,

government, National Palace seized, UN forces

the frequency of natural disasters

which derives from the Ta no name, Land of High

are sent in to help stabilise Haiti

grew by an average of 8.5 per cent in

Mountains; by 1550, many of the Taíno people

the period 2000 to 2007. The world’s poorest countries and communities are

had been decimated

Natural Disasters 2004 -2005 Floods in 2004 and Hurricane Dennis in 2005 kill

increasingly under threat.

In light of this, the readiness to

Spain and the 1490s

respond to emergencies is of utmost

Christopher Columbus lands and Spain colonises

importance. Each response in an acute

the island, now called Haiti (the mountainous

emergency is a matter of life and death; our ability to respond immediately saves more lives. Oxfam Hong Kong is

western part) and the Dominican Republic (the eastern part)

Democracy 2006 Rene Preval wins the first elections since Aristide was overthrown, (Feb); a democratically-elected

thus strongly considering setting up an

government headed by Prime Minister Jacques-

emergency relief fund to strengthen

1697

our capacity to make timely decisions

Haiti is ceded by Spain to France

Edouard Alexis takes office (June)

and to contribute significantly to humanitarian response.

thousands of people

Food Crisis 2008 1800s

Severe hunger leads to food riots (April);

efforts to help Haitians. Inevitably the

Haiti becomes independent and abolishes

Government cuts price of rice; World Bank and

focus is on the short-term relief effort;

slavery (1804); the former slave-turned-emperor

USA announce extra food aid (US$30m)

but Haiti’s long-term future is at stake.

Jean-Jacques Dessalines is assassinated, and

Our immediate response should make

Haiti is divided into a black-controlled north

We are one with the world in

it possible for Haiti to take initial steps to address problems that underlie poverty and vulnerability to disasters.

Haiti is already mired with USD 890

and a mulatto-ruled south (1806); Pierre Boyer unifies Haiti, but excludes blacks from power (1818-1843)

Four Tropical Storms 2008 A series of tropical storms and hurricanes hit Haiti (August and September) - Oxfam assists tens of thousands of people

million foreign debt and should not be further burdened. Today’s aid-lifeline

USA 1910s to 40s

should not end up being tomorrow’s

USA invades Haiti (1915), withdraws troops

debt noose.

It is striking to see people in Port-

(1934), maintains fiscal control until 1947

themselves in what may look like

Duvaliers 1950s – 1980s

chaotic collection centres and rickety

Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier seizes power in

tarpaulin centres. But these are acts of

military coup (1956) and is succeeded by his son,

We just need to talk and listen to them to understand. They are taking

World Bank and International Monetary Fund cancel US$1.2bn of Haiti's debt (July) yet about US$890 million remains

au-Prince having already organised

active citizens and not passive victims.

Debt Relief 2009

Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” (1971) who flees Haiti among public discontent (1986)

Earthquake 2010 The country’s worst earthquake in over 200 years hits Haiti on 12 January - Oxfam is assisting more than 400,000 people

control of their lives and not just sitting down twiddling their thumbs

Aristide 1990s and 2000s

awaiting international agencies’ aid

Jean-Bertrand Aristide elected president (1990),

efforts to get into gear. There would

ousted in coup (1991), returns to power (1994),

be far fewer survivors if they did.

Roger Ricafort is the Director of the International Programmes Unit of Oxfam Hong Kong. Oxfam Hong Kong has programmes in China, South Asia, The Mekong, Archipelagic Southeast Asia and Southern Africa. This article was published in The Standard on 22 January 2010.

Source: Oxfam http://news.bbc.co.uk/ http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/

loses power (1995), elected again (2000), and then forced into exile (Feb 2004)

O.N.E February 2O1O

7

Every day, Oxfam Hong Kong work s along side hundred s of groups around the world, from

N e w PartnerOrganisations

Oxfam Books

EARTH, AIR, FIRE, WATER

small NGOs to international bodies,

OX-Tales is a series of four paperback originals that highlight Oxfam’s

from government departments of

work for the world: Earth (from land rights to farming), Air (campaigning to

developing countries to community

climate change), Fire (supporting survivors of conflict) and Water (safe water

groups based in Hong Kong. Here

in emergencies).

are 7 ‘partner organisations’ that

OX-Tales features 38 authors – including Hanif Kureishi, Ian Rankin and

we are supporting for the first

Jeanette Winterson – who have donated their writing to Oxfam. In Hong

time.

Kong, the books are available at selected Dymocks, Metrobooks and Page One bookshops.

MAINLAND CHINA Gansu

•

Hui County Poverty Alleviation and Development Office, Gansu

Yunnan

• • •

Maternal and Child Health Center, Tengchong County Yongde County Civil Affairs Bureau Yongde County People's Government

PHILIPPINES

• •

Center for Emergency Aid and Rehabilitation Cordillera Disaster Response and Development Services

HONG KONG

•

Hong Kong Institute of Education / Department of Social Sciences In this edition of O.N.E, we highlight the Hong Kong Institute of Education,

the largest provider of teacher education in Hong Kong. Oxfam Hong Kong has commissioned the Institute to conduct research on how primary and secondary school students use the Internet as part of their schooling.

It is common knowledge in Hong Kong that the Internet is an important channel for learning, both at the primary and secondary school level. Access to the Internet can be seen as a basic need, and a basic right, for students. However, many low-income families do not have the resources to provide a computer with Internet access for their children, who therefore struggle to complete their schoolwork. This lack of access has the potential to widen the digital divide.

HKIED, as it is colloquially known, has a wide network with primary and secondary schools. Experienced in participatory research, HKIED actively cooperates with schools during the research process, as is the case in this commissioned research. The research will be completed by March 2010. The findings will be used to advocate for measures to ensure that the needs of children from low-income families are addressed.

For more information, visit: www.oxfam.org.uk/books

MOKUNG

ONE

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O.N.E (Oxfam News E-magazine) is published monthly by Oxfam Hong Kong, 17th Floor, China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point, Hong Kong. The publisher does not necessarily endorse views expressed by contributors. For permission to reprint articles, please contact us; normally, we grant permission provided the source is clearly acknowledged. O.N.E is available free to all, in both an HTML and

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O.N.E is also on-line: www.oxfam.org.hk/one Editor: Madeleine Marie Slavick (emagazine@oxfam.org.hk)