Faces of Recovery: A ray of light

Jean Stenio Pierre is the UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Les Cayes, his hometown, and remembers sleeping just two hours a day in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake as he and colleagues worked to support those most in need of help.

“The first two weeks after the earthquake we were still in shock. It was heartbreaking to see children in need and pregnant women who were injured.

During the past two months, we have seen so many things and witnessed so many heartbreaking stories, but I cannot forget one thing that marked me. There was a school that hosted people whose houses were destroyed. They had nowhere else to go.

But once the school opening was announced, those people who had nothing and nowhere to go did their best to leave as soon as possible so that children could go back to their studies. Seeing them leaving the school for children was a ray of light for me. So, this is truly a story of recovery and resilience. We are on the way to becoming a more resilient community. We are learning from what we have been through”.