The Forgotten Crises: Mozambique
Since 2017, over 800,000 people have been displaced in Mozambique – but there is very little coverage on this crisis. Read more about the situation and how ShelterBox is working to help.
Your 2021 Impact
See the difference you made possible this past year!
2021 at a glance
This year you've...
provided 140,000 people with emergency shelter
supported families in 9 different countries around the world
helped protect families from coronavirus after surviving hurricanes, earthquakes, conflicts, and flooding
YOUR AID IN ACTION
Shewit's Story
The ongoing conflict in Tigray forced Shewit her to flee her home in Ethiopia. Together with her young children, Shewit had to walk 80km to find a safe place to shelter and protect her little ones.
Eventually, the family managed to settle at a camp for internally displaced people.
“With the new shelter provided by IOM and ShelterBox, our living conditions have improved a lot. We do not have to sit outside and fear for our safety anymore.”
Thanks to your continued support, ShelterBox has been able to help families like Shewit’s that are facing sever food shortages, threatening conflict, and coronavirus in Ethiopia.
Response Hightlight: Haiti
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake decimated Haiti in 2021
61,000 families had their homes destroyed (and 77,000 damaged)
2,000 shelter kits were distributed to families in need of shelter
Deploying to Haiti
When Haiti was struck by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in August, the country had little time to recover before Tropical Storm Grace hit just days later. As the storm approached, the nation was still experiencing aftershocks and search and rescue
teams were still searching for survivors in the rubble.
With so many homes already damaged or destroyed, people had nowhere safe to turn. People faced an impossible choice: stay outside, exposed to the elements, or seek
shelter in damaged, dangerous homes
– Alice Jefferson, Head of Emergency Response.
Challenges to Overcome
We knew that a response in Haiti would be challenging. The country is still recovering from 2010’s catastrophic earthquake, as well as Hurricane Matthew in 2016. A quarter of Haiti’s population live in extreme poverty, and the President’s assassination in July made an already fragile security situation more volatile.
We’d worked in similar rural areas in Haiti following Hurricane Matthew and learned that communities were keen to leave group shelters and rebuild, but often lacked
the materials because of the remoteness of the area – and underlying poverty.
This was the first time we were able to send a team to a response since the pandemic limited international travel. But a local partnership was still essential to the success of our response. The combination of an in-person response, and working with Habitat for Humanity Haiti who have been in the country since 1984, meant teams could share skills in person whilst hearing communities’ needs and reaching vulnerable families in a timely manner.
‘When you’re working in-country, that response gets all your focus. Local conversations happen more quickly, withoutthe hurdles of time zones and waiting for emails’
– Dave Ray, Technical Lead – Shelter, who responded in Haiti.
This meant within weeks of the earthquake, families who were choosing to sleep outside, could begin rebuilding their homes. This was all made possible by your support. Every response has different challenges and it is thanks to your support, generosity, and determination, that ShelterBox is able to overcome these challenges.
Other Responses You Made Possible in 2021
Monitoring Impact in Burkina Faso
At ShelterBox, we constantly strive to improve our aid by talking to families who have received it. Recently, in-country teams returned to families to find out how the aid you provided impacted their recovery.
Stronger Together: How we worked with partners to respond in Honduras after Hurricanes Eta and Iota
Read how we worked with Rotary and Habitat for Humanity to support families in Honduras after Hurricanes Eta and Iota.
Rotary Spotlight
Partnership in action! This year ...
133 Rotary Clubs became Rotary Heros
67 Rotarians were Club Champions, helping advance our mission
7 Rotary Clubs went above and beyond to provide funding for shelter
Thank you to the Rotarians and Rotary Clubs who support ShelterBox all year long
Rotary Clubs across Canada have supported families in need of shelter by donating, hosting fundraisers, raising awareness, and much more! This summer District 7070 took part in a district wide camp out for ShelterBox. Presidents from across the district slept in ShelterBox tents to raise awareness in their communities and raise money to for vulnerable families in need of shelter. This is just one of the many creative ways that Rotary Clubs ensure that no family is without shelter.
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Although Coronavirus interrupted many Rotary events and plans, clubs across the country did what they could to inspire others to support families in need of shelter. The Rotary Club of Burlington Central, alongside MODE hospitality organized a Stock the Box fundraiser at a Drummond Farms in Waterdown. With a ShelterBox tent and other aid on display, the fundraiser not only raised vital dollars to support families in need of shelter, but also helped raise awareness and brought new people into the ShelterBox community. Thank you to all the clubs who set up fundraisers and to all the ambassadors, like Nancy Penney who led this event. Your support continues to make a huge impact to ShelterBox and to the families who have survived disaster.
More Stories of Shelter
Your impact in action
Rebuilding in Haiti after the Earthquake
Marcel's Story
Read how Marcel’s life was interrupted by the Haiti earthquake and how ShelterBox supported him.
Running Away from Boko Haram
Esther's Story
Esther was forced to flee several times because of Boko Haram violence, before reaching Minawao camp. Read her story of survival.
Rebuilding After the Flood
Phuleswari's Story
When heavy flooding washed away her home, ShelterBox aid helped Phuleswari rebuild.