Walking through Leogane, Haiti February 2010
Leogane was only a few miles from the Haitian earthquake of January 12th. Hence, it was the most destroyed of Haitian cities, over 80%. Here is what I saw.
The corners of this building were reinforced to keep it standing but the walls just fell and the cement roof collapsed.
The neighbor's place, a pile of rubble that used to be something much bigger.
Like an avalanche of cement rubble, but actually a home or a business destroyed by the 50 seconds violent shaking.
A primary school no longer teaching.
Some of the better temporary shelters we saw.
I can't tell how many levels this used to be.
Only the gate and a corner left.
Some children were crushed and killed in this school at an afterschool program.
This car was parked outside the 1st floor front door. Now it's next to the 2nd floor door.
Front porches were not designed to carry such loads in an earthquake.
This is actually the 2nd floor of this house. The first floor was turned into dust. I don't know if anyone was in there during the quake.
Even if the front wall looked fine, behind them was nothing but destruction.
It almost looks like a cinder block store, but these used to be parts of walls.
In the more rural area of L'acul we visited a pastor who lived next door to a voodoo priest's house. This wall showing his religious occupation survived but two other walls collapsed and killed him.
There were many more churches, but they suffered as well. This one only had its back wall standing.
Some houses look like they stood strong and unscathed, but most people don't trust their homes anymore. They are living outside in their yards or in fields, forming impromptu displacement camps. All they have for shelter are sticks and blankets. This one formed the week I was there across the street from us. When the rainy season starts in March, these shelters will be useless.
We formed a bucket brigade one evening as some of the little trash fires they set were caught by the wind and started blowing toward these highly flammable structures. By the grace of God, it was stopped before it started the encampment aflame which would have destroyed everything and certainly have killed some people. They posted this sign at the entrance to their camp. "SOS. We need help."
Fault line cracks in the road.
There are children that need to be cared for. They are exploitable and exploited in Haiti both since and before the quake. Keeping them in school is one way to help. Mission E4 is committed to caring for 800 children. So far, 300 are sponsored. Can you help out? For $30 a month, less than my bare bones cell phone bill, kids can be fed and taught and looked after medically in this area of Haiti. Please go to Mission E4 to sponsor a child. You might help some of these kids in Fauche.
Or you might help these kids in Leogane.
You can't help all of them. But can you help at least one of them?
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| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
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| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
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| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
The corners of this building were reinforced to keep it standing but the walls just fell and the cement roof collapsed.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
The neighbor's place, a pile of rubble that used to be something much bigger.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
Like an avalanche of cement rubble, but actually a home or a business destroyed by the 50 seconds violent shaking.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
A primary school no longer teaching.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
Some of the better temporary shelters we saw.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
I can't tell how many levels this used to be.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
Only the gate and a corner left.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
Some children were crushed and killed in this school at an afterschool program.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
This car was parked outside the 1st floor front door. Now it's next to the 2nd floor door.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
Front porches were not designed to carry such loads in an earthquake.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
This is actually the 2nd floor of this house. The first floor was turned into dust. I don't know if anyone was in there during the quake.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
Even if the front wall looked fine, behind them was nothing but destruction.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
It almost looks like a cinder block store, but these used to be parts of walls.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
In the more rural area of L'acul we visited a pastor who lived next door to a voodoo priest's house. This wall showing his religious occupation survived but two other walls collapsed and killed him.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
There were many more churches, but they suffered as well. This one only had its back wall standing.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
Some houses look like they stood strong and unscathed, but most people don't trust their homes anymore. They are living outside in their yards or in fields, forming impromptu displacement camps. All they have for shelter are sticks and blankets. This one formed the week I was there across the street from us. When the rainy season starts in March, these shelters will be useless.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
We formed a bucket brigade one evening as some of the little trash fires they set were caught by the wind and started blowing toward these highly flammable structures. By the grace of God, it was stopped before it started the encampment aflame which would have destroyed everything and certainly have killed some people. They posted this sign at the entrance to their camp. "SOS. We need help."
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
Fault line cracks in the road.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
There are children that need to be cared for. They are exploitable and exploited in Haiti both since and before the quake. Keeping them in school is one way to help. Mission E4 is committed to caring for 800 children. So far, 300 are sponsored. Can you help out? For $30 a month, less than my bare bones cell phone bill, kids can be fed and taught and looked after medically in this area of Haiti. Please go to Mission E4 to sponsor a child. You might help some of these kids in Fauche.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
Or you might help these kids in Leogane.
 |
| From Haiti trip Feb 2010 |
You can't help all of them. But can you help at least one of them?
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