Faces of Recovery: Stronger together

Mother of two Jacqueline lives in Maniche in the Sud department of Haiti, where the 14 August earthquake caused huge destruction to property

There is an expression in Creole which says Nou konnen tout moun mouye men n ap plis ede moun ki tranpe yo which means that when it rains, everyone and everything could get wet, but those in the street will get wettest. For me it means that there are always people who are more vulnerable than others.

In the very first hours after the earthquake, it was the most vulnerable people, like myself and my family who received the first food distributions. My house was destroyed but I was very grateful to be among the first with my two children to receive rice, beans, and oil from the World Food Programme in Maniche.

I decide to cook not just for my family but also for other families who were affected by the earthquake. These people joined us, and we ate together. We all have the same problem, so it’s important that we stick together.