_Cabaret, Léogâne, HaitiCommunity-Driven Reconstruction of 210 Earthquake-

and Hurricane-Resistant Permanent HousesWe help people.

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BackgroundCaritas Switzerland has been involved in Haiti, both in providing emergency aid and in development cooperation, for over 30 years and thus has extensive knowledge of the local context. After the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010, Caritas Switzerland took part in the immediate emergency response, distributing tents, kitchen kits and tools to 8,700 families in the hilly area of Gressier. Additionally, Caritas Switzerland or-ganized a preparedness campaign to mitigate the cholera out-break in October 2010.Following the relief phase, Caritas Switzerland started work on permanent reconstruction, focusing on two major com-ponents: the reconstruction of private houses and the recon-struction of schools.100 permanent houses have already been completed in remote hamlets in Petit Boucan, in the district of Gressier. At present, Caritas Switzerland is reconstructing 210 permanent houses in the severely hit village of Cabaret in the district of Léogâne.

ApproachA key feature of the project is the participation of the com-munity as a whole, including local leaders, community-based organizations and beneficiaries, throughout the entire imple-mentation process.

Based on the lessons learned from the first housing recon-struction project in Petit Boucan, architects and engineers de-veloped a house type that respects local and cultural building traditions and meets international standards of quality and earthquake safety.

PartnersCaritas Switzerland works with the support of Caritas Luxem-bourg, Caritas Spain, Caritas Portugal and Swiss Solidarity and in cooperation with the diocese of Port-au-Prince, Caritas Port-au-Prince, the parish of Darbonne, the local authorities, the chapel of Cabaret and other important community-based organizations. The project is being implemented under the overall national coordination of Caritas Haiti.

Area profileIn Cabaret, which was close to the earthquake’s epicenter, some 75 per cent of all houses were damaged. The great ma-jority of the population still lives in improvised temporary shel-ters. Although Cabaret lies in a severely affected area, the re-construction needs have not yet been addressed by any other aid organization.

Community-driven Reconstruction in Rural HaitiThe earthquake of January 12, 2010 left a tremendous destruction in its wake. Rebuilding the homes and infrastructure of the population in the affected areas of Haiti is the most urgent need. Caritas Switzerland is helping the most vulnerable families in a holistic and sustainable manner.

The geographic distribution of households in Cabaret (left) and the situation of Cabaret in Haiti (below).

ObjectivesThe reconstruction of 210 permanent earthquake- and hurri-cane-resistant houses with rainwater catchment systems and latrines will make a vital contribution to providing safe and healthy living conditions for the beneficiary families. Local ma-sons, trained by Caritas Switzerland in sustainable and ad-equate building practices, will benefit from new employment opportunities in the construction sector, improving the eco-nomic prospects of themselves and their families.Caritas Switzerland is also reconstructing the primary school of Ste Thérèse in Darbonne, Léogâne, where many of the chil-dren from Cabaret will go to school. The permanent houses and the new school will ultimately help these families to lead a dignified life and become independent and productive mem-bers of Haitian society.

Community and beneficiary participation Participation and considerable effort from the beneficiaries themselves is crucial for the success of any reconstruction project. Only a meaningful contribution on the part of the ben-eficiaries ensures ownership and satisfaction with the process and the final product. In Cabaret, the participation of the com-munity and beneficiaries happens on different levels:Members of the community formed an integral part of the ini-tial village survey team. Its findings were presented in a village assembly meeting and served as the basis for the project planning.

An important aspect is the selection of beneficiaries, guided by grassroots democratic principles and in accordance with jointly identified vulnerability criteria. Voluntary labor: Beneficiaries provide locally available con-struction materials, such as gravel and rocks, as well as the water necessary for construction. They also excavate the trenches for the foundation of the house, as well as the pit for the latrine. The beneficiary family decides on the direction in which their new house will face, the position, number and colour of doors and windows, as well as the colour of the roof. Moreover, at the end of the construction process, the ben-e ficiaries decorate and personalize their houses individually.Caritas Switzerland is the most important employer of skilled construction workers and other laborers in the village and thus contributes considerably to the economic development of the community. Furthermore, the community-driven ap-proach promotes local governance and social cohesion.

Realization and outlookIn a first phase, Caritas Switzerland is building 210 houses in Cabaret. Based on the experiences during this pilot phase, a follow-up project will support the remaining households in the community.A number of houses have already been built and the owners show great satisfaction with their new home, thereby nour-ishing the aspirations of new potential beneficiaries and the hope of the community for a better future and the rehabilita-tion of the entire village.

A local mason and his team are constructing a house with two rooms according to international standards of quality and earthquake safety.

A newly finished house with two rooms (above). Regular community meetings are fostering beneficiary ownership and local resource mobilization (below).

Customized house design and constructionThe house consists of an earthquake- and hurricane-proof core unit, a veranda, as well as a rainwater catchment tank and a latrine. The size of the house varies according to the size of the family, consisting of one, two or three rooms, with an additional veranda. The core unit is built in reinforced con-crete ring beams and columns while the walls consist of hol-low cement bricks. Confined masonry links the columns with the brick wall, rendering the construction more earthquake- resistant. This system has been elaborated by the Haitian gov-ernment in cooperation with international experts after the earthquake. The veranda, built in a lighter wooden structure, can be upgraded by the beneficiaries. They can build simple walls out of materials readily available in their environment to gain more living space in the future. The house is flexible, as the beneficiaries can choose the position of doors and win-dows according to their needs, in order to ensure an appro-priate solution in each and every case.The houses in Cabaret are being built by local masons who are paid for their labor: They are trained by Caritas Switzer-land in earthquake-resistant building techniques. Only locally available building materials are used to ensure the sustaina-bility of the training and the continuation of safe standards by the trained masons in the future.

Technical Features

Water and sanitationAnother salient feature of Caritas Switzerland’s reconstruction project is the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) compo-nent. Water-related diseases, including cholera, are posing a strong risk for the health of the community. These diseases can be prevented to a large extent by the WASH component which includes:• Provision of rainwater catchment from the roof and a

water tank for each household to store the water• Construction of a latrine for each household • Instruction of the house owners in the use of their new

facilities• Promotion of behavioral change regarding safe drinking

water, personal hygiene, waste disposal, water treatment, food preparation, etc.

Pit latrines are essential to improve the health situation of the population, especially in Cabaret where 75% of the households had no access to sanitary facilities.

The rainwater catchment system with a water tank of 500 gallons (1892.7 liters) capacity makes everyday life easier.

Community-wide hygiene promotion at regular intervals is a vital contribution to safe and healthy living conditions for the entire population in Cabaret.

Key features of phase I

Number of houses, in situ reconstruction in rural area 210Built up house area / including veranda, Type A (one room) 16 m2 / 26 m2 Built up house area / including veranda, Type B (two rooms) 25 m2 / 41 m2

Built up house area / including veranda, Type C (three rooms) 41 m2 / 67 m2 Construction period October 2011– March 2013

Unit costs in CHF and materials

Cost of house with veranda, Type A 6 000Cost of house with veranda, Type B 7 600Cost of house with veranda, Type C 10 700Cost of latrine 440Cost of rainwater harvesting structure* 280Walls, confined masonry reinforced concrete columns / cement blocksRoof of house unit steel beams / corrugated iron sheetsRoof of veranda wooden beams / corrugated iron sheets

*150 water tanks were donated by IFRC

Roof construction is being completed for a house with three rooms. A two room house ready for being handed over to the beneficiary family.

Type A Type B Type C

We help people.

For more information please contact:

Caritas Switzerland27, rue Mangonès, BerthéHT-6140 PétionvillePhone: +509 2945 4000E-mail: haiti@caritas.ch

Financed by:

In cooperation with:

Caritas SwitzerlandField Office Petit Goâve52A, Ruelle GalbaudHT-6220 Petit GoâvePhone: +509 4772 6060

Caritas SwitzerlandLöwenstrasse 3, Post BoxCH-6002 LucernePhone: +41 41 419 22 22Fax: +41 41 419 24 24E-mail: info@caritas.chWebsite: www.caritas.ch

Fighting poverty through strong partnerships Caritas Switzerland is an association with its head office in Lucerne. The aid agency helps people in need in Switzerland and worldwide in more than 40 countries. Caritas provides practical help where people in wealthy Switzerland are af-fected by poverty: Families, single parents, the unemployed, the working poor. Caritas organizes volunteer support and

looks after asylum seekers and refugees. Globally, Caritas pro-vides emergency relief in disasters and helps with reconstruc-tion. Development cooperation helps people to help them-selves in such areas as food security, water, environment, human rights and education for children and adults. Caritas Switzerland is a member of the international Caritas network, which consists of 165 organizations in more than 200 countries.

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