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The following is an English translation of a summary of an external evaluation of Lambi Fund’s post-Sandy assistance to organizations in the South, conducted by the Centre de Documentation de Formation Continue en Développement (INFODEV). Thanks to Michaela Luckett for the translation. 

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Evaluation Summary 

 

For four months, December 2012-April 2013, Lambi’s project, “Emergency Project for the South” enabled 13 organizations to revitalize what was impacted during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Within those 13 organizations were 648 members who were a part of the restoration process. The project aimed to help families who were victims of Sandy because their fields were destroyed and many of their animals died, since crops and animals are fundamental to rural Haiti’s livelihoods. Specific objectives allowed quick recovery of farmers’ fields, so that people didn’t fall into a famine situation. There are 3 main steps to natural disaster management: 

 

1. Prevention 

2. Immediate emergency response 

3. Socioeconomic rehabilitation 

 

Prevention and mitigation prepares the population, families, and communities to protect themselves in case a natural disaster occurs. The Lambi Fund of Haiti helps the youth, community, and other local organizations with prevention training, so that they know what to do and are prepared. It is also important to protect the environment in an effort to reduce the risks (i.e., avoid building infrastructures in “targetable” areas). Training, organizational reinforcement, and civil protection committees all fall under this step. 
The immediate emergency response occurs 1-3 months post-disaster. The purpose here is to prevent more people from dying and being victimized from the disaster. There needs to be rapid assessment so that endangered families can be evacuated and temporary housing accommodations can be made. Collected supplies such as food products, clothing, and hygiene kits are distributed, as well as healthcare for anyone in need. 

 

Socioeconomic rehabilitation reconstruction takes place 3-9 months post-disaster. The goal is to enable families to find ways to return to their lives before the disaster occurred. Reconstruction includes: finding jobs for people so they can earn a livelihood, helping destroyed businesses and entrepreneurs, build/repair damaged infrastructure (roads, markets, houses, schools, irrigation canals), and sustaining the farms, plants and animals. 

 

After conferring with Port-au-Prince office staff, workshops with all organizational representatives, and our work in the effected zones, the results of Lambi’s efforts consisted of an increase in the availability of produce, production of food for families, an increase in income, additional seed supply, and local people paid their school debts. Emergency relief grants went to several grassroots organizations in southern Haiti, crops were quickly restored, animals replaced, and food storage efforts were strengthened. 

 

Project Results: 

 

The project provided many results when we consider the amount of funding Lambi Fund had for the project. The money was small, both for the organizations and for the members. Lambi Fund could not consider all the organizations. However, the project allowed for other projects that helped revitalize families and regenerate fields. 

 

General results:

 

• All projects that received damage have now continued to provide services normally. 

• 100% of members who received some help in the project resumed their work in the fields.

• 100% member organizations noted an increase product availability (food) in families 3 months after launching the project, and water 5-6 months in the dry areas. 

• In the irrigated areas, where water passes, with the members that received 3,000 goud, their income climbed and reached 15,000 goud, in addition to the food produced for the families.

• In the dry areas, the profit was about 10,000 goud.

• 100% of the beneficiaries were able to save some of the seeds for the next harvesting season. 

• 100% organizations operating the plow project recognize these projects made a lot of money. There was a lot of profit.

• The 10 orgs responsible for the rural (planters’/farmers’) credit, the process of reimbursement that was slow, has started again. Around 70-80% member s have already been refunded. 

• The organizations are getting bigger because the members are becoming more experienced in project management and have become more successful. They are sharing information among each other. 

• Organizations have become more active; thus, the reputation is growing amongst the communities. 

 

Specific results:

 

• After evaluation of the soil and the land, involving particular organizations, these are the specific results.

• Other nonmembers found seeds of corn, pistachios and beans in the work area of MFM. Their project had a success rate of 97%.

• After the evaluation of the activities, MFM sent samples of roasted peanuts, corn, pistachios and beans to our offices.

• We couldn’t have been happier about their results.

• 32 members of TK Bedo repaid some of the school debts. Their rice and corn fields/gardens allowed them to do this. 

• Goats found more food and land for grazing around OFJ organization. 

• Members of OFJ had a good number of products to sell in the markets. 

• There was an availability of corn and millet from ODRO mill projects. 

• In the black bean fields, members of KMP planted 2 cans of beans and got 4-5 in return.

• Beans and peanuts increased in MPL.

• Other successful crops included black beans, corn, peppers and peanuts. Merchants could continue their trading activities. There are more products in the local market to sell (Saint John South).

 

Results vs. Initial Expectations

 

While there was some initial concern and many had believed that farmers’ fields couldn’t be rapidly recovered, they were and are still harvestable today. Thus, many of the expectations have been met, especially in food availability for the families, seed supply and repaying the schools. Lambi received many thank-you letters, which served as clear evidence of people’s satisfaction. Many residents’ and organizations’ expectations have been met, and the project offered many opportunities for other organizations. 

 

The “Emergency Project of the South” was a good collaboration between The Lambi Fund of Haiti and partner organizations. The project represents a model partnership for natural disaster management. Though there could always be improvements made, the project was overall a success.  
 

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