Haiti Reconstruction Waste Flushed Out

Port-au-Prince, March 8 - Waste.

Millions spent by the international community to empty over 11,000 "port-a-potties" has now dried up, leaving a half-million internally displaced people with no place to "go,"literally.

Online, it looks like two US-based charities are making good on their promise to build 10,000 homes, and the money flows in… but not to build 10,000 houses – journalists could only find a few dozen.

Earthquake refugees dump the ecological free toilets supplied by an Irish aid agency and instead dig to install familiar flush toilets which are now polluting one of the capital’s main water supplies.

These are just a few of the investigative reports produced this month by young Haitian journalists, with support from the new Fund For Investigative Journalism in Haiti.

Chosen by a jury made up of media directors from Groupe Medialternatif, the National Association of Haitian Media (ANMH) and the Association of Independent Haitian Media (AMIH), a dozen young men and women scoured the streets and hillsides of Haiti's earthquake zone for two months, discovering a lack of coordination, buck-passing, waste and corruption.

Read:

Temporary Toilets Threaten Permanent Damage on Haiti Grassroots Watch or Inter Press Service [abridged version]

and

Money for Cleaning Toilets Down the Drain? on Haiti Grassroots Watch or Inter Press Service

Watch: 


Grace Village, a camp without Grace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fMdOJOHX24

Learn more about the Fund for Investigative Journalism in Haiti

Next week, watch for two housing stories:

Building Back isn’t Better in Villa Rosa

and

Shelters Don’t Shelter the Needy

Audio: We will send out the links to the audio versions later this month.

Fund for Investigative Journalism in Haiti

WHAT IS FIJH:
A fund set up specifically to help journalists who, individually or as a group of two or three, might otherwise not have the financial means or technological resources, skills or experience to complete an investigation (written, radio or television). 


This initiative is sponsored by two international organizations that support investigative journalism and the improvement of media and journalists worldwide: the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and International Media Support (IMS).

The FIJH is planning to hold several rounds of grant-making for investigations to be held in 2012. Check back soon to learn about the next call for proposals.










WHY FIJH?
• To instill a culture of investigative reporting.
• To improve the quality of reporting in Haiti.
• To help jumpstart a public demand for accountability.




WHAT WILL FIJH PROVIDE FOR JOURNALIST RECIPIENTS? 
• Partial salary for the length of the investigation, as well as funding for expenses (travel, phone cards, copies, cyber café, etc.)
• A coach to work one-on-one with an FIJH journalist recipient.
• Translation of material and legal support, if necessary.

LATEST NEWS  

On January 3, 2012, the FIJH awarded seven journalists and journalist teams funding for reports to be completed in early 2012. 

HOW DO I APPLY? Check back soon to learn about the next opportunity.


GUIDELINES
The FIJH follows the "hypothesis-based investigation" method. To learn more, please see the UNESCO manual. The Forum for African Investigative Reporters also has good resources, although most of them are in English only. 
   
Go to the French site.


           
   

Download one page information sheet.