So, the press around the disaster in Haiti has cooled off, but that doesn’t mean that the issues faced by those affected by the earthquake are fixed or over.
I’ve talked before about how women and girls are affected by natural disasters and now, a couple of weeks after the disaster, we are starting to hear stories about real experiences of girls in Haiti.
Learn more about Marie’s experience of being a girl in a Haitian tent city:
16 year old Marie’s life is already a struggle in post-quake Haiti, but it will become even more difficult in three months when she gives birth to her first child.
The child’s father is not around. Marie lives with her and her mum, cousin and sister. The women are living in a shelter of sheets that doesn’t really keep the rain out, in the middle of a huge tent city.
They sleep on a platform of stones covered with cardboard and a few blankets and pillows. The heat in the tent is stifling. Dust from all the rubble, and fumes from nearby burning garbage, fills the air.
Food is in very short supply. “The water we fetch from a nearby pump is not safe for drinking. I am really worried what will happen once the rains start.”…Read More
As well, the just-launched PlanYouth.org features virtual village tours, where you can check out their 360 degree videos with footage from these tent cities in Haiti. I had a look at them today and its like you’re walking around on the streets of Port Au Prince – here’s one from Champs de Mars in the centre of the city. While you’re there, join the Because I am a Girl club on the site and stay tuned for updates.

Because I am a Girl on Facebook
Because I am a Girl Online Badges
Track us on Google Maps
View Our YouTube Channel
View Photos on Flickr
Thnaks for sharing, I think there is a lot to consider when it comes to war and natural disasters.
There’s a recent news story about rape in the informal camps in Haiti in the Independent this week that says:
“Several women have been subjected to violent attacks here already. The second, the Wolf camp, is much smaller, with about 400 people. An attempted rape of a 14-year-old girl on 29 January was thwarted by people who heard her screams. There is neither security nor any lights in either camp. There is no privacy even to wash.”
Use this link to read the full story:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/rape-on-the-rise-in-haitis-camps-1891514.html