Gerard Latulippe, NDI’s resident director in Haiti, has been in Washington coordinating NDI’s efforts in response to the Jan. 12 earthquake.  NDI has been supporting Initiative Committees that are mobilizing to support national and international relief efforts.  Latulippe was in Port-au-Prince when the earthquake hit and describes the harrowing circumstances as well as NDI’s ongoing efforts.

Tell us where you were, what you were doing when the earthquake hit.

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti in January brought suffering and destruction to a country that was already facing major development challenges. In the tragedy’s wake, members of a Haitian network of community action groups, or Initiative Committees (ICs), mobilized to support national and international relief efforts. Developed over more than a decade with NDI support, the ICs have operated in 179 municipalities across the country and involve 35,000 Haitians and 3,500 civic organizations, including 400 women's groups.

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