Compassion International Reveals Progress in Haiti Recovery Efforts Five Years After Earthquake

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – January 12, 2015 – Compassion International is wrapping up its relief and recovery efforts in Haiti five years after a deadly earthquake devastated the country. But the progress made through the ministry’s Disaster Relief Fund will have a positive impact on the nation for decades to come. Compassion’s primary focus of Christian holistic child development will continue for the nearly 80,000 Haitian children and their families in the programs.

Donors from around the world gave more than $31 million toward Compassion's disaster efforts – the largest sum ever raised for a single disaster relief campaign in the organization’s history. Money generated through this fund enabled Compassion to deliver provisions immediately following the disaster, such as food, water and temporary shelter, as well as to provide long-term initiatives like trauma counseling, entrepreneurial training, microfinance loans and the construction of 30 new earthquake- and hurricane-resistant school buildings.

The low-interest loans and training offered to families of Compassion beneficiaries has created more than 450 small businesses and thousands of jobs. Construction on the new school buildings is scheduled for completion in April of 2015. Without these new schools and other recovery efforts, Compassion would have lost its ability to continue providing its holistic child development programs to more than 25,000 Haitian children and their families.

Compassion created a construction company led by Matthew Moore, Management Support Director for Haiti, and renowned Salvadoran engineer Hilda Romero de Bojorquez, to ensure the new buildings meet FEMA seismic guidelines. The disaster response team they became a part of five years ago is slated to close its doors this year. But Compassion’s will continue its focus of holistic child development in 270 church-based child development centers throughout Haiti.

"We have accomplished virtually all of the goals that we set five years ago," Moore said. "The money that so many generous sponsors and donors gave to the Haiti disaster response will be spent on exactly what we said it would be spent. Our sponsors, donors and staff can be proud of what we've achieved together."

Compassion’s work in Haiti began in 1968.