Unexpected help

She had a foot in two worlds. And both those worlds were seriously rocked by the earthquake that struck Haiti on August 14, 2021.

Clervil Emilienne, 58-year-old mother of four, and head of her household,  was working as a housemaid for a family in the town of Camp Perrin when the earthquake changed her life forever. The house where she was collapsed, and her employer was killed.

Losing her job in the town, Clervil returned to her village at Laroche-Au-Pont, only to find her own house destroyed.

The earthquake that struck Haiti on Saturday, August 14, 2021, left more than 2,200 people dead, 12,000 injured, and more than 80,000 houses damaged. Soon after the earthquake, the same area was also devastated by tropical storms. More than 800,000 people were in need of humanitarian assistance.

Canadian Lutheran World Relief worked with partners in Haiti to provide humanitarian assistance to 4000 families, including unconditional cash grants, house construction, agricultural and livelihood support, and training on gender-based violence prevention.

Clervil and her children were living in a temporary shelter with no income when she was selected as a beneficiary for the cash grant.

“When the earthquake struck, my house was destroyed,” she says. “I thank you a lot for the help, because I did not expect to receive this money. I will buy food with it for my children.”