Hurricane Matthew Relief in Haiti

Before Hurricane Matthew hit Roseaux, it resembled a postcard scene – beautiful coastline and breath-taking mountain views. After the dreadful storms, it looks more like a battleground. Fitanise, a mother of four, was at home with her family when the hurricane struck.

“The storm ripped the thatched roof from my house which was terrifying for us all. After a long period of drought I had managed to plant corn in my field – I will never harvest this corn because of the storm. This was our only source of income. The hurricane was the last straw for my family.

A week after the storm, I had to make the heart-wrenching decision to leave my children and go to Jérémie to find work so I could support them. The hurricane left us with nothing – my hands were the only thing I had. I went to Jérémie to do laundry for people in exchange for money. As soon as I earned a few Gourdes I bought food and sent it to my family. This work is hard and I was worried about my children. When I heard that ActionAid were distributing seeds back in my community, I returned home to see if they could help me too.”

Fitanise is one of 742 women who benefited from ActionAid’s rapid response cash for agriculture programme. She received a grant to cover her family’s urgent needs, vegetable seeds, potato seedlings and seven pots of beans to rebuild her farming activities.

“I am so happy to have the beans and vegetables to plant. I hope to harvest from my field in the next three months which will bring some income. I don’t want to continue washing clothes in Jérémie and being away from my children. I am so thankful to ActionAid because I don’t know where I would have found the money to buy seeds to plant or repair my house.”

Links:

• https://www.actionaidusa.org/