Giving young people a voice in Haiti’s reconstruction

“I am confident that we will have a new, better Haiti. With the participation of the youth, with the participation of children, Haiti will be a very beautiful country.”-- Johanne Cahisien, 20.

The first month after the massive January 12 earthquake in Haiti was characterised by a massive relief effort by the international community and the Haitian government. It is now  time to start planning reconstruction.

The Haitian government, with support from the United Nations, the European Commission, the World Bank and other international actors. is poised to launch a post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA), an exercise that facilitates an effective and timely transition from relief to development. The assessment will result in a framework that establishes the broad overarching vision for the recovery of Haiti.

Plan believes that it is of utmost importance that this process reflects the voices, needs and perceptions of children and youth. Half of Haiti’s population is below18. The development of the country is impossible without a positive transformation in the lives and the future of Haiti’s children. It is crucial for the success of the strategy to engage youth.

Up to now, young people rarely had a chance to be heard in Haiti.

”Before, the government completely excluded young people in this country. Now we need a new strategy,” says Jean Kency Vixama, 22. “I want another Haiti where young people like us have the chance to work with the government, where we can get involved with all activities of the country.”

Plan will work together with children and youth groups to ensure that the government and the international community listen to their concerns this time. Supported by Plan facilitators, trained youth journalists will talk to children in different parts of Haiti, produce radio programmes, videos and blogs. The information they collect will be fed back to the PDNA team.

Many young earthquake survivors have a very clear vision of what a new Haiti should look like. “ I want that the rights of children are respected and that all children know what their rights are, “ says 15 year-old Daphmika. “ I also want that everyone has access to education.” Johanne, 20, thinks it is important to take care of vulnerable children. “We have to think especially about those who work as domestic servants and those who have been sold to other countries like a commodity”.

Other youths talk about the need of improving Haiti’s infrastructure, particularly roads, and of the importance of technological development and industrial progress. Decentralization is another major concern. ”It is important that the reconstruction process in Haiti not only concentrates on Port-au-Prince. Otherwise people from other towns will keep on coming here and there will be more and more slums,” says 19-year old Meite. “Schools, universities and industries should be built in the provinces so that people in other towns can find work or go to school there and can stay in their native places.”