The damage done has been enormous. Almost all the inhabitants of the seaside have been rehoused in a camp in the courtyard of the Saint Joseph church. Pestel, a commune in Grand'Anse located 81 kilometers from the town of Les Cayes, with an area of 261 square kilometers and a population of 90,000 inhabitants, according to data provided by the commune's town hall, was devastated by the earthquake of August 14th, 2021.
The earthquake hit everyone in Pestel. Wadlet Merant is secretary of the U-Report club in Pestel. When the earth started shaking, he was not at home. It was total panic, he says. "It was a terrible thing. It was like the end of the world. It was the worst time I've had in Pestel in my life," he said.
Merant's house was damaged. However, as a community leader, he did not allow himself to be discouraged. He came to the rescue of the people in his commune. "Immediately after the earthquake, I went into my house to get one thing: my U-Report t-shirt. I took it and went out to help the people. I was accompanied by the president, Charnel Bernard, and other members of the U-Report club. In fact, we were together on the ground to pull people out of the rubble," explains the 24-year-old man.
After their first action, in order to continue helping the population, they took other initiatives. Indeed, they carried out a fundraising campaign via social networks, including Facebook, in order to find money for the acquisition of water boxes to distribute to the victims of the disaster. They went as far as Miragoâne in the Nippes department to get water to help their fellow citizens. The transport was done by sea. All this was done with the support of civil protection, NGOs, and members of the private business sector.
The young people store the water boxes in a warehouse by the sea. On the day of the UNICEF delegation's visit, the U-Reporters conducted two water distribution sessions. One in the morning, in the localities of Grand Chemin, 1st section and Lucière, 2nd section; and the other during the afternoon, in the city center of the courtyard of Saint Joseph's church.
24 hours after the earthquake, Pestel's U-Reporters conducted research to count the number of people who died in the earthquake.
Also, the earthquake did not only damage the houses of the members of the U-Report club in Pestel. One of them was badly hit in the earthquake. Carlande Bernard almost died if it wasn't for the diligence of these dedicated young people and her immediate family. She is one of the secretaries of the group. "She had gone to buy for her mother. When the earth shook, the wall where she was fell on her. She came out with two broken legs. A few days later, her situation got really bad. We had done everything to save her life," says Merant. Her family arranged to take her to the hospital. Currently, Carlande Bernad is receiving the necessary treatment at the Adventist hospital in Diquini, Carrefour in the western department.
Almost 8 days after the earthquake, the population had not yet received any help from the state. Only UNICEF has managed to install a water bladder at the town hall in Pestel. Faced with this situation, the president of the U-Report club of Pestel cries out for help. "The people of Pestel need your help urgently. We don't have food, we don't have enough water and tents. The state is powerless in Pestel. The situation is really serious because people have nothing," said the president of U-Report, Chanel Bernard, who says he has used all his economic means to help the population.
It should be recalled that the U-Report club of Pestel was born after an activity of the artist Jean Jean Roosevelt in the area last June. The club is only two months old in the community. This youth group is a model to follow. Madelène Velny is vice-president of the U-Report club in Pestel. She invites young people to join together to work for the well-being of their communities. "I would like to invite young people to get together to think about the need for their communities. We need to get together to help the weakest," she says.
Developed by UNICEF international, U-Report is a free and anonymous digital tool. It encourages and engages young people in civic participation through surveys sent to their phones, via SMS on the shortcode 8090, on Messenger on the U-Report Haiti Facebook page, or on WhatsApp. U-Report engages young people in social and political dialogue through surveys on their daily lives, their problems, and their expectations. As committed citizens, U-Reporters defend their rights and make their voices heard by the general public, the media, and political decision-makers. As of August 24th, more than 34,700 young people have registered with U-Report in Haiti.
Text and Photo Credits: UNICEF Haiti, U-Report Haiti
English Translation: Lauréana Thevenet, U-Report Global Volunteer
