Design Works: September 2010

Purpose: to provide children in Leogane, Haiti with a shelter that will embed them in a safe place and give them the opportunity to be educated.

Geography

Capital : Port- Au-Prince
coordinates: 19’00” N, 72’25” W
area: 27,750 sq km
located on the western third the Island of Hispaniola, shared with the Dominican Republic.
between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean
most of the land is rough & mountainous
“Haiti” -comes from an Indian word meaning “highground”
land use: arable land: 28.3%
permanent crops: 11.61%
other: 60.09% (2001)

Environmental Issues

extreme deforestation = no lumber for building
soil erosion = shurbs/greenery would

Demographics

French Speaking Nation
First Black led Republic
95% Black, 5% White/Mixed
Poorest country in the Americas: 2 USD a day
Population: 9,035,536
47% Live in an Urban State
64% Live in a Rural State
Age: 0-14 years: 38.1%; 15-64 years: 58.5%; 65 years and over: 3.4%

Economy Build Up

66% Farmers
9% Industry
52% Services

Infrastructure:

40% Have access to health care
50 % Illiterate
90% of Schools are Private
70-80% Do not have access to clean water
13% Have access to electricity

Climate

tropical; semiarid in some parts
lies in the center of the hurricane belt
average temperatures: highs: 80-90°F; lows: 60-70°F (stays about the same temp., warm, throughout the year.)
average rainfall: over 50” per year in some areas, while other areas get no rain at all.
usually very humid, but less in december-april

Issues facing children

0-14 years: 38.1% (male 1,735,917/female 1,704,383)
Haiti has the highest rates of infants under-five and maternal mortality in the Western hemisphere.
Approximately 1,000 children are working as messengers, spies and even soldiers for armed gangs in Port Au Prince.
As many as 2,000 children a year are trafficked to the Dominican Republic, often with their parents’ support.
19,000 children are living with HIV/Aids
15% of all children in Haiti are orphaned or abandoned
200,000 orphaned Haitian children live in institutions; the rest are fostered, live with relatives, or are street children
Most Orphanages act as a home and a school
Some Orphanages include:

Freedom House

H.O.P.E
A child’s hope foundation
Love and Grace-Petionville
Good Samaritan

Education

Haiti’s literacy rate of about 53 percent (55percent for males and 51 percent for females)
falls well below the 90 percent average literacy rate for Latin American and Caribbean countries
15,200 primary schools, of which 90% are non-public and managed by the communities, religious organizations or NGOs
The enrollment rate for primary school is 67%, of which less than 30% reach 6th grade.
Secondary Schools enroll 20% of eligible-age children
Only 11 Universities in Haiti

Cob

A building material consisting of clay, sand, straw,
water, and earth, similar to adobe. Cob is fireproof,
resistant to seismic activity, and inexpensive. It can be
used to create artistic, sculptural forms and has been
revived in recent years by the natural building and
sustainability movements.

Earth Berm
Earth is piled up against exterior walls and packed,
sloping down away from the house. The roof may,
or may not be, fully earth covered, and
windows/openings may occur on one or more
sides of the shelter

SOL Inc.’s solar lights are shining brightly all night long, expanding relief and recovery
efforts at several Port-au-Prince sites following the devastating earthquake on January 12,
2010. Solar lights donated by SOL Inc have already been installed at University Hospital,

International Airport, UN Logistics Base and Hotel Montana within days of the disaster for

quick, immediate and reliable illumination for victims and volunteers.
The first phase of SOL Inc.’s pledge to provide $300,000 in solar lights has been reached as
the company has manufactured and packaged over 130 solar light systems ready for
shipment. Although approximately 1/3 of the lights are already delivered or in transit to
the earthquake-ravaged nation, SOL Inc. is still seeking air cargo or ocean freight transportation
assistance for the remaining lights from FL to Haiti.