…that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, millions of displaced people are living in impossible conditions.

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With the vast majority of quake survivors still struggling to secure humane living conditions and their basic human rights, the necessary grieving process for the 300,000 people that perished compounded by the loss of homes and livelihoods, has been interrupted by the sheer need of survival. The post-earthquake devastation in Haiti is an unnatural disaster created through the legacy of colonialism, political turmoil, and U.S. occupations—which has exacerbated poverty, environmental degradation, and poor infra-structure in the country for decades. While relief efforts dwindle, the millions of dollars pledged in relief aid are a fleeting promise as Haitian people continue to struggle. This struggle includes not only the immense task of re-building Haiti by and for Haitian people, but also dealing with the long-term effects of this devastation on mental health and and spiritual well-being.

Ayiti Resurrect and Ayiti Cherie Healing Project have a shared vision to facilitate psycho-social healing for Haiti’s quake-survivors based on principles of solidarity, creativity, and collective resilience. Recognizing mental heath as a human right, we are organizing to travel to Haiti as a grassroots delegation of visionary artists, community builders, mental health specialists, and holistic healers with bloodlines in the Caribbean and African Diaspora. In collaboration with local organizations and individuals, Ayiti Resurrect and Ayiti Cherie delegates will converge in an area decimated by the quake and work within a community, using salvaged materials to transform the site into an outdoor public space that evokes healing, witness, and imagination. The achievement will be a gathering place for trauma recovery through cultural activities and creative expression, grassroots organizing and community building, skill-sharing and trainings, and mental wellness and stress relief workshops.