Six months on: we find Haitii quake miracle tot Winnie

11/07/2010

The beaming smile that shows there is hope for Haiti

By Emma Barrow in Haiti, 11/07/2010, News of the World

AMID the rubble of the Haiti earthquake, miracle toddler Winnie Tilin's face cracks into a cheeky grin.

And for a second the sparkle in her eyes melts away the desolation and pain that lingers in the air around her. A symbol of hope in a shattered land.

For Winnie is the orphan baby who was found buried alive THREE DAYS after the 35-second quake that wiped out 270,000 lives in January.

She was pulled out from under her dead father Wilner who flung his body across her to protect her as their house collapsed, killing her mother Rose as well.

Now, six months on, aid workers are battling to pull Winnie's country back to some kind of normality - and to help the cause News of the World doctor Hilary Jones travelled to Haiti with GMTV presenter Ben Shephard.

Their mission - organised by UK charity tour operator Charity Challenge and aid organisation Plan - was to highlight the problems and heartache still faced by the quake survivors in a moving TV documentary.

And they want to encourage British charity tourists to head to Haiti and help with reconstruction, education and health projects.

Tragedy

Dr Hilary met smiling Winnie - now two - at her new home, a white tent she shares with her uncle Frantz who is now her foster dad too.

Like thousands of other survivors, Frantz did not escape the disaster without tragedy. He lost his 25-year-old pregnant wife Mara.

Now Winnie replaces the baby he longed for. "I thought I was going to have my own child. Now I treat Winnie as my own. She is all that keeps me going," he says.

Dr Hilary listened intently as Frantz recalled the events of that fateful day - and the miracle of Winnie's rescue. He and Mara shared a large four-storey house near the capital Port-au-Prince with his brother Wilner and Winnie's mum Rose as well as seven other family members.

"I left the house that day just 15 minutes before the earthquake," says Frantz, 31. "My wife offered me something to eat but I said no. My car was being fixed and I went to check it. That car saved my life." Plumber Frantz was walking through an alleyway when the quake struck and was shielded from the falling debris. He ran back home to find his street gone.

"Buildings were collapsed everywhere. It was dark, everybody was scared and the ground was still moving," he says. "I tried to phone my wife but I couldn't get her."

The next day he found what was left of his home - and heard the faint calls of his sister Marjorie and niece Nehemie, six, under the rubble.

After calling for help, Frantz watched as rescuers pulled the pair out. Marjorie had an injured foot, but they were otherwise unharmed. Frantz says: "I could see some of my stuff in the wreckage, my bed, my clothes, but I didn't want to go in and get them and find my wife's body."

Instead Frantz clung to the hope that she might be alive and spent the next couple of nights sleeping out in the open near his house

Two days later he returned to the house to find an excited Australian film crew outside. Frantz says: "They were looking for somebody because they had heard the voice of a kid under the rubble. Then they pulled Winnie out. I was so shocked I was barely able to say I was her uncle.

"We went to get her checked out by a doctor. They gave her water and something to eat and that was it, she was OK. It was incredible." She had been trapped under her dad's body .

Astounded by the heartbreaking story, Dr Hilary says: "This particular house was so devastated that eight family members died in there. It is incredible that such a frail, tiny child was plucked unharmed from it after so many hours. Maybe it's because she was so tiny that she survived in the gap between the rubble and her father's body." According to Frantz's niece Nehemie, Wilner's final words before the roof fell in were: "It's the end of the world."

But for Frantz and Winnie, it was the beginning of a bewildering new life. Homeless and grieving, they moved to Frantz's godmother's small home where they sleep in their white tent next to the house.

Winnie, who celebrated her second birthday a fortnight ago, spends her days playing with pals without a care in the world - unaware of what has happened to her.

But for thousands of older children, the agony goes on. At the Plan-funded Maison Arc en Ciel orphanage - high in the hills - Dr Hilary met Kika, ten, and her little brother Ken who lost their mum Ellen. With their father already dead, they were left with no-one. Tearful Kika says: "I was playing with with my dolls. My mother was cooking. Then everything started to shake, and the house collapsed. I was under the rubble with my mother. They pulled us both out, but she died. I miss her."

Now all the youngsters have left to cling to is a single grainy photograph of the mum they lost.

Manager Evelyn does her best to create a happy atmosphere at the orphanage - but the memory of the earthquake still haunts the children.

The mere mention of the word is enough for ten-year-old Davis to burst into tears. The little lad lost his mother, aunt and cousin in the disaster. He was outside playing marbles when the quake hit, and could only watch as his home collapsed.

Then there is 15-year-old Felix who was having a beach picnic with friends that day. On feeling the enormous tremor they walked back to their homes to find them flattened. Felix recalls: "My house had collapsed to one side. The neighbours told me my parents were dead. They didn't want me to see their bodies.

"I was leading a decent life. Every time I think about my parents I cry. I hope one day I'll be happy again."

Battling to help make that happen is London-based Charity Challenge which already has fundraising projects in more than 25 countries and is helping to rebuild badly needed schools in Haiti. They hope more Britons will sign up for challenges around the world to raise funds, like trekking, mountain climbing, cycling and sky diving or volunteer work.

Boss Simon Albert said: "Many children are studying in tents where temperatures can reach 40 degrees plus. From 2011 we want to take people there to help build new schools. No experience is required and it's a fantastic chance to make a difference."

Safe

GMTV presenter Ben travelled to the city of Jacmel where one such school is being built with the help of charity Plan which has been working in Haiti for over 30 years helping more than 47,000 children.

On seeing the progress made Ben said: "What's being done is brilliant - the children are getting a safe environment in which to learn."

Plan International spokesman Leigh Daynes told us: "A million and a half children were affected by the earthquake, half of them under six. With the help of your readers Plan will continue to support projects to care for quake-orphaned children.

"In our experience children recover well when they stay in their own communities. Like Winnie they have every chance of a brighter future."

HAITI, Six Months On, will be shown this week from Monday to Thursday in GMTV on ITV1. For volunteering and fundraising opportunities go to www.charitychallenge.com

VOLUNTEER TO BUILD MUCH NEEDED NEW SCHOOLS IN HAITI

On Tuesday January 12, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti and devastated the lives of millions people across the country. The disaster left 222,570 people dead, more than 300,000 injured and 1.5 million people displaced. Its epicentre lay just 10 miles to the west of the country's capital, Port au Prince. Already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti's plight was further exacerbated by the widespread destruction caused by the earthquake. Almost 5,000 schools were destroyed or seriously damaged leaving close to three million children without a safe place to attend school and learn. 87% of schools in Port-au-Prince and 96% of schools in Leogane (the epicentre of the earthquake) been damaged or destroyed. With over 80% of the country living below the poverty line, the Haitians are in dire need of both immediate and long term aid.

The need for help is very real. More than 1 in 9 children die before reaching the age of five. Nearly 20% of children suffer from stunted growth due to poor nutrition. Nearly half of children do not go to primary school. 60% of rural communities suffer from chronic food insecurity and two thirds of the population does not have has access to adequate sanitation facilities.

On the recent GMTV trip to Haiti, Charity Challenge joined forces with the leading international children's charity PLAN to help build a new school in Jacmel replacing one damaged by the earthquake. Ben Shephard got involved hammering some of the wall frames together and erecting the structure during his visit. Over the next year, PLAN aims to build transitional classrooms for at least 50 schools in quake affected areas in Haiti.

Charity Challenge are looking for volunteers to put their heart and 'sweat' into what they believe will be one of the most rewarding experiences they can offer - helping to ensure that the most vulnerable children from earthquake-affected communities can return to a safe school environment as soon as possible. You'll be working with and raising funds for local NGOs who are building schools in Haiti. The children need a place to escape the routine of the IDP camps, to be children again, and of course to get an education. With over 50% of the population under 18, education is a major factor in the future of Haiti.

It is a physical and emotional experience, and volunteers often come away knowing a great deal more about themselves than they did beforehand. All you need to take part in a community challenge build is enthusiasm, motivation and a desire to help make a difference. No other skills are required, as there will be local trades people on hand to show you what to do. If you would like to get involved, please visit www.charitychallenge.com for more information, or email your contact details to info@charitychallenge.com to register your interest.