An inside look at Haiti's 2021 earthquake by Buchman Laguerre

Two major events were happening in Haiti on August 14, 2021; the Notre Dame festival and the Gelee Beach festival, located near Les Cayes. These festivals welcome thousands of people from all over Haiti and from the different neighborhoods of Les Cayes. People come to play soccer, swim in the ocean and enjoy entertainment from many Haitian artists during this time of celebration.

On this particular Saturday, at 7 a.m., Haiti was hit with a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. The epicenter was located about 125 km west of the capital city of Port-au-Prince, at a depth of about 10 kilometers. I was at the Lakou campus with my other Haitian staff members when the earthquake hit. We immediately began to worry about the devastation the earthquake would cause since we knew the reality of the poor construction in the area. Our team was able to evacuate the campus safely but we noticed that the sky had become white with dust from the destruction of a great many buildings and houses. We could hardly see anything but we could hear crying and screams coming from near and far. 

Boss Nono was in the Lakou shop and he took off on his motorcycle to make sure everyone in his family was safe. After getting his family to a secure place, he went back to the Lakou campus to gather tools to help others within the community. Our operations coordinator, Coby,  contacted Mr. Randy, who was in the U.S. at the time, and received permission to form a rescue team that included me, Coby and Boss Nono.

We took a truck and some equipment that could cut concrete and rebar. Not far from our campus was a guesthouse where some doctors lived. The house had collapsed from the earthquake and this was where we were first able to help. With our construction equipment, we partnered with community members to help save two of the doctors. One doctor was in a room with another resident, but, although we were able to rescue the doctor, his roommate was in a place too difficult to reach without larger equipment. Sadly, he stopped breathing during our attempt to save him. 

We were grateful to help save a life, but we knew this was just the beginning. We went into the city and were overwhelmed to see the bodies of children, youth and adults who had died. Those who had survived were severely injured. By this time we were joined by other Lakou participants and we took all the equipment we had to save more lives. We worked day and night in collaboration with the fire department, the police and the civil protection department. 

The earthquake that hit Haiti on August 14 caused damage, devastation, and destruction in the southwestern parts of the country. It was a sad and unforgettable day for me and for all Haitians, but this experience reinforces my belief in the vision of Lakou. Following the earthquake, we noticed that all the structures that Lakou participants had built remained firm without any cracks.  Also, with the Lakou equipment, and the construction skills of our participants, we were able to save many lives that would otherwise have been lost. 

I firmly believe that the Haitian people can build a stronger and more durable Haiti when they receive good training on the right methods of building. This is the mission of Lakou, and this is my hope of a better future for Haiti.

Written By: Buchman Laguerre, Communications Coordinator for Lakou and citizen of Les Cayes, Haiti