Mercy Corps Earthquake Response Activity: Final Report

A beneficiary receives his hygiene kit from a Mercy Corps staff (Commune of Beaumont, April 2023) Mercy Corps Earthquake Response Activity FINAL REPORT July 28, 2023 Recipient Organization/Name Mercy Corps Donor USAID/BHA Award Number 720BHA21GR00388 Geographic Area Latin America and the Caribbean / Haïti / Nippes Department / Grande-Anse Department Budget $4,400,000 Activity Start/End Date September 3, 2021 / April 30, 2023 List of Documents Uploaded into BHA ART Annex 1: Final Evaluation Annex 2: Endline evaluation Annex 3: Humanitarian Stories and Program Photos Recipient HQ Contact Carolyn Lang, calang@mercycorps.org, +1-914-262-5682 45 SW Ankeny St Portland OR Recipient Field Contact Johan Lefebvre Chevallier, jchevallier@mercycorps.org, +509 37202 7463 20 Impasse Chanlatte, Peguy-Ville, Haïti MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 2 1.0 Overall Performance Following the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in the southern region of Haiti on August 14, 2021, Mercy Corps launched an emergency response program to support affected families in meeting their basic needs. Already facing severe socioeconomic and political challenges, the August 2021 earthquake further exacerbated an already deteriorating humanitarian situation in Haiti. The earthquake affected more than 800,000 people, sharply increasing humanitarian needs for thousands of households in the country’s southern region - many of whom were still recovering from 2016’s Hurricane Matthew. Haiti has also grappled with below-normal rainfall, tropical storms Elsa and Grace—both in 2021—and the continued fallout from COVID-19. From September 2, 2021 to April 30, 2023, this program was implemented in 10 communes of Haïti: 7 communes in the Nippes department (L’asile, Fonds-des-negres, Petite Riviere, Anse-a-veau, Arnaud, Petit-trou, Plaisance) and 3 communes in the Grand Anse department (Beaumont, Pestle, Corail). The program’s theory of change was as follows: if earthquake-affected households receive multipurpose cash assistance, WASH support, and livelihood support, then they will be able to recover from the acute emergency and begin the process of rebuilding their lives. Mercy Corps’ first actions met target communities’ food security and economic recovery needs. Mercy Corps distributed unconditional multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) to 2,645 households and cash and voucher assistance to 2,185 smallholder farmer households to procure seeds and farming tools. 1 A total of 4,830 beneficiaries received cash transfers via the LajanCash mobile money platform and have participated in training sessions on the use of wallet-to-wallet services. As part of its efforts to strengthen market systems, Mercy Corps also assisted 662 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with grants and training in business management. To address urgent needs related to access to potable water and hygiene items, Mercy Corps complemented the above interventions with the following actions: ● Rehabilitated two drinking water supply systems, providing access to drinking water for approximately 1,000 households. Eighteen (18) water points were also identified and assessed for future rehabilitation, which will be rehabilitated after the program period using private funding; ● Distributed 2,535 NFI kits to households receiving cash and voucher assistance; and ● Conducted direct hygiene promotion to 8,097 individuals and/or heads of households - indirectly reaching more than 31,000 participants. At the end of the program, Mercy Corps conducted an evaluation to measure the program's results in supporting communities to meet their basic needs. Summary results include: 1. Approximately 37% of households reported being able to meet most of their basic needs, an increase of 17% from the baseline of 20% (target of 26%) 2. Eighty percent (80%) of beneficiaries expressed that this program’s assistance was provided in a safe, accessible, responsible, and participatory manner 3. Less than half of participants claim to live in a safe and dignified shelter; in contrast, almost all participant households have adequate access to non-food WASH household items. Participants’ experiences in collecting drinking water and/or water for domestic use vary by geography - with 56% of respondents in Nippes versus 32% in Grand-Anse report using protected springs as water supply points. 4. Food security results also differ between Nippes and Grand Anse. The Acceptable Food Consumption Score is higher in the intervention communities of Nippes (77%) than in Grand- 1 Of note, Mercy Corps targeted interventions at the household level. Where indicated, the total for individuals was estimated by multiplying the average household size in target population (~5) by the number of households reached. MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 3 Anse (44%). Of important note, none of the Grand Anse beneficiaries received unconditional cash, but farmers there received vouchers to buy seeds and farming tools. 5. 97.6% of SME managers declared a net income from their activities. 2.0 Changes and Amendments The Earthquake Response Activity program was implemented for 20 months, from September 2021 to April 2023. Mercy Corps initially requested $2,000,000 from BHA to assist affected households for six months, across two intervention sectors - MPCA (three months of unconditional cash transfers) and WASH (hygiene promotion and distribution of NFI kits). However, based on emerging information about needs in coordination clusters, and to support long term recovery, Mercy Corps reviewed its original proposal to shift towards rehabilitation of community-based water systems, and expand upon emergency cash assistance to emphasize rural livelihood recovery while contributing to overall market resilience. In September 2021, Mercy Corps was granted a $2,400,000 cost extension for seven additional months, totalling $4,400,000. The Water Systems sub-sector was added to the WASH sector, and the Economic Recovery and Market System (ERMS) sector was added to the program. Driven by contextual challenges and realities, Mercy Corps experienced delays in implementing this program, which resulted in Mercy Corps requesting approval for two program no cost extensions (NCEs) - the first to January 2, 2023; and the second and final extension to April 30, 2023. The deteriorating security situation in the country (see section 5.0) greatly impacted the ability to access target implementation areas and complete some program activities and was the primary motive behind the first NCE request, and the second request was driven by the re-emergence of cholera in Haiti in October 2022. New cholera response activities were added to the program, and the indicator matrix was revised based on a cholera emergency response plan developed by Mercy Corps in November 2022. This extension enabled Mercy Corps to assist households dually impacted by the earthquake and the cholera outbreak, and to complement other (private) funding secured for cholera response activities to compound out response impact. 3.0 Measuring Results This section summarizes the main achievements by sector against indicators targets, and describes the activities carried out per subsector. 3.1 Multipurpose Cash Assistance Sector 1 Multipurpose CASH Assistance Objective 1 Haitian households receive multipurpose cash assistance to meet their immediate needs Dollar Amount Requested $1,627,957 Number of People Targeted 2,000 households (10,000 individuals) Number of People Reached 2,645 households (13,225 individuals 2 ) Geographic Area Targeted Fond-des-Nègres, Asile, Anse-à-Veau, Petite Rivière des Nippes, Petit-Trou- de-Nippes, Arnaud, Plaisance-du-Sud 2 Purpose 1 activities were targeted at the household level. This estimated individual reach was calculated by multiplying the average household size (approximately 5) by the number of households reached. MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 4 Keywords Cash Sub Sector 1.1 Multipurpose Cash Indicator Baseline Target Achieved Semi- Annual (April 2022) Achieved Annual (October 2022) Achieved Life of Award (LOA) % achieved LOA versus target Outcome Indicator Percent of households who report being able to meet the basic needs of their households (all/most/some/none), according to their priorities All and Most: 20.2% 26.3% All and most: 25.3% All and most: 35.4% All and most: 37% 140.7% 1.1 Total number of households assisted through multipurpose cash activities 0 2,000 2,209 total Female: 1,490 Male: 719 436 total Female: 287 Male: 149 2,645 total Female: 1,777 Male: 868 132% 1.2 Percent of beneficiaries reporting that humanitarian assistance is delivered in a safe, accessible, accountable, and participatory manner 0% 90% 89% 78.6% 80% 89% 1.3 Percent of households living in safe and dignified shelters 17.9% 80% 24.51% 45.7% 41% 51.25% 1.4 Percent of households reporting adequate access to household non-food items 71.5% 80% 77.2 % 99.2% 97% 121.25% 1.5 Percent of households with poor, borderline, and acceptable Food Consumption Score (FCS) 40.9 Accepta ble 85% Acceptab le N/A N/A 61% Acceptable 72% 1.6 Total USD value of cash transferred to beneficiaries 0 $450,000 $401,019 $283,756 $684,775 152% 1.7 Percent of households who report being able to meet the basic needs of their households (all/most/some/none), according to their priorities 17.4% 22.6% All and most: 25.34% All and most: 35.5% All and most: 37% 164% Sub-sector 1: Multipurpose Cash From October 4, 2021 to December 16, 2022, Mercy Corps assisted a total of 2,645 households (of which 1,777 were headed by women) across seven communes of Nippes department. There were three cohorts of beneficiary households, depending on the time of selection: 891 households (71% female-led) in the first cohort, 1,318 households (65% female-led) in the second, and 436 households (66% female-led) in the third. MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 5 Needs assessment and planning: Following the earthquake, Mercy Corps deployed an emergency team to Nippes to conduct a rapid needs assessment, which determined that the informal market and the public market were functional, and there were no physical barriers to markets that would prevent vulnerable populations from accessing them or cash-out points - both critical enabling factors for a cash response. Mercy Corps then immediately began organizing meetings with target communities, local authorities, and community-based organizations (CBOs) in the seven communes of Nippes department, to socialize program objectives and methodology, promote participatory decision-making related program implementation, and conduct eligibility surveys to potential participants. Beneficiary selection and enrollment: Mercy Corps selected a household-level vulnerability scoring methodology, comparable to the SIMAST’s multidimensional and complex vulnerability analysis. To identify the most-affected households by the earthquake, surveys were applied in areas with IPC3+ levels of food insecurity and used weighted scoring criteria weighting food insecurity and other factors of vulnerability: Selection Criteria Group Weight Individual Weights 1 Level of damage to household 25% 12.5% 2 Members of household mildly injured, severely injured or killed during the earthquake 12.5% 3 Household with pregnant women 35% 5.0% 4 Household with nursing women 5.0% 5 Dependency ratio 5.0% 6 Households with people with disabilities and/or elderly over 65 years 5.0% 7 Female head of household 5.0% 8 Household size 5.0% 9 Household water collection method 5.0% 10 Food consumption score (FCS) 40% 13.33% 11 Expenditure/capita/day: Calculated as the total monthly expenditure divided by the number of people in the HH, divided by 30 days 13.33% 12 Reduced Coping Strategy Index (rCSI) 13.33% Rapid needs and damage assessment (Commune of l’asile, August 16, 2021) MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 6 Once the beneficiary identification and selection process were completed, Mercy Corps held sessions with selected beneficiaries to socialize program activities, explain how to access the mobile money payment mechanism, and share Mercy Corps’ community accountability reporting mechanism (CARM) to be able to report questions, comments, or feedback. Selected and trained beneficiaries signed a consent form to receive cash assistance. Mercy Corps provided multipurpose cash assistance through Lajan Cash, the mobile money platform of HaitiPay. HaitiPay, as a financial services provider, has recruited authorized agents as mobile money cash out points in conjunction with Mercy Corps. Participants were able to access cash on their own schedule. This experience was largely positive both for Mercy Corps and for the community, and has informed Mercy Corps’ future practice of using mobile money in rural cash transfer programs. It also increased participants' financial inclusion via digital means by giving them access to a mobile money account. Distribution and Post-Distribution Monitoring (PDM): During MPCA distributions, Mercy Corps staff conducted random spot checks and interviews with a sample of beneficiaries at the exit of cash out points to understand their satisfaction with the modality (more than 90% expressed satisfaction), the overall program, and how they would use their assistance. To supplement this participant experience data, Mercy Corps routinely collected PDM data from households that received any type of assistance: across the life of the program, the MEL team carried out nine PDMs for the MPCA sector for the three cohorts, and two PDMs for the ERMS sector with farmers and SMEs. As for the positive impact of the assistance on households, a PDM conducted in January 2023 showed that 62.6% felt that the cash transfer received has had a positive impact on their family. We have seen an improvement in the satisfaction of basic household needs: 51% of households are able to satisfy most of their basic needs, and 8% can satisfy all their basic needs. On the other hand, despite this improvement in indicators of household living conditions, almost 53% have a poor FCS, which means that households eat inadequate quantities and quality of food, and their diet is unbalanced. Market Price Monitoring: In addition to monitoring participant behavior trends, Mercy Corps tracked macroeconomic trends with the potential to impact the program. Haiti’s Consumer Price Index published regularly by the Institute of Statistics and Informatics, and information about the Haitian Food Basket published by the National Council of Food Security illustrated that inflation reached 48.3% in March 2023 (one month before the end of the program), compared with 13.1% in the month of program start. 3.2 WASH Sector 2 Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Objective 2 Haitian households receive emergency WASH assistance and have access to improved hygiene inputs Beneficiary cashing out the mobile money under the observation of a Mercy Corps staff MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 7 Dollar Amount Requested: $1,426,059 Number of People Targeted: 7,660 households (38,300 individuals) Number of People Reached: 5,801 households (31,301 individuals 3 ) Geographic Area(s): Fond-des-Nègres, Asile, Anse-à-Veau, Petite Rivière des Nippes, Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, Arnaud, Plaisance-du-Sud Keyword(s): N/A Sub-Sector 2.1: WASH Non food Items Indicator Baseline Target Achieved Semi- Annual (April 2022) Achieved Annual (October 2022) Achieved Life of Award (LOA) Total % achieved LOA versus target 2.1.1 Percent of households reporting satisfaction with the contents of the WASH NFIs received through direct distribution (i.e. kits) N/A 80% N/A N/A 99% 124% 2.1.2 Percent of households reporting satisfaction with the quantity of WASH NFIs received through direct distribution (i.e. kits), vouchers, or cash N/A 80% N/A N/A 97% 121.25% 2.1.3 Total number of individuals receiving WASH NFIs assistance through all modalities (without double-counting) 0 2,400 N/A N/A 2,535 4 105% Sub-Sector 2.2: Hygiene Promotion 3 WASH interventions were complementary activities to the MPCA and ERMS interventions, so were targeted at the household level. This estimated individual reach was calculated by multiplying the average household size (approximately 5) by the number of households reached. 4 Per Mercy Corps’ updated ITT submitted as part of its NCE request in November 2023, this figure is estimated by multiplying the number of households reached (2,535) by the average household size (5 people) - therefore, this intervention indirectly benefited approximately 12,675. MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 8 Indicator Baseline Target Achieved Semi- Annual (April 2022) Achieved Annual (October 2022) Achieved Life of Award (LOA) Total % achieved LOA versus target 2.2.1 Percent of individuals targeted by the hygiene promotion activity who know at least three (3) of the five (5) critical times to wash hands 31.9% 80% N/A N/A 47% 58.75% 2.2.2 Number of individuals receiving direct hygiene promotion (excluding mass media campaigns and without double- counting) 0 40,000 0 2,296 8,097 5 20% direct 2.2.3 Percent of households targeted by the hygiene promotion activity who store their drinking water safely in clean containers 55.1% 80% N/A N/A 73% 91.25% Sub-Sector 2.3: Water Supply Indicator Baseline Target Achieved Semi- Annual (April 2022) Achieved Annual (October 2022) Achieved Life of Award (LOA) Total % achieved LOA versus target 2.3.1 Number of people directly utilizing improved water services provided with BHA funding 0 3,750 N/A N/A 4,680 124.8% 2.3.2 Number of people gaining access to basic drinking water services as a result of BHA assistance 0 3,750 N/A N/A 4,680 124.8% 2.3.3 Percent of households targeted by WASH program that are collecting all water for drinking, cooking and hygiene from improved water sources N/A 80% N/A N/A 45% 56.25% 5 This figure reflects the total individuals (including 2,296 direct beneficiaries and 5,801 heads of households) who were directly reached. To estimate the total number of individuals that benefitted from this intervention, the 5,801 heads of household were multiplied by the average household size of 5, and then added to the 2,296 direct beneficiaries - resulting in a total of approximately 31,301 individuals. MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 9 After more than three years with no reported cases of cholera in Haïti, on October 2, 2022, the national authorities reported two confirmed cases of Vibrio cholerae O1 in the greater Port-au-Prince area. More than 33,661 suspect cases had been reported by the Ministry of Public Health (MSPP), with 2,439 confirmed cases and 594 deaths. 6 In October 2022, the reappearance of cholera cases in target communes forced Mercy Corps, in collaboration with BHA, to once again adapt its WASH programming priorities to meet the emergent response needs of those affected by both the earthquake and cholera outbreaks. Sub-Sector 2.1: WASH NFIs Mercy Corps began its WASH needs assessments in Nippes on August 14, 2021. Given the significant needs in the affected areas, Mercy Corps requested funding from BHA for a focused response on household WASH NFI kits to meet urgent needs for water filters, soap, water storage containers and mosquito nets. Mercy Corps proceeded with the purchase of the items, but the blockage of Route Nationale #2 and complications in the Haitian market prevented the distribution of WASH kits in 2022. To inform the composition of the kits, in March 2022 Mercy Corps conducted focus group discussions with recipients of previous NFI kit distributions (funded by other donors), with the goal of identifying and documenting lessons learned about participant preferences. These evaluations illustrated key insights, such as the fact that participants would rather receive jerrycans to store water and soap, and that sanitary pads and children’s toothbrushes were highly desired items. Initially, only beneficiaries who received cash transfers would receive WASH kits, but in response to the cholera outbreak and focus group data from farmers, the need became clear to increase the number of kits to be distributed. From February 13 to April 28, 2023, Mercy Corps distributed WASH NFI items to beneficiaries across all sectors of this program. The kits were transported mainly by sea from Port-au- Prince to Miragoane, with logistical support from the World Food Programme from December 2022 to January 2023. 2,535 households received 16 items, listed below: No Item Description Unit / kit 1 Bath soap Bar (75g) 5 2 Washing soap (laundry) Soap bars / family (200g) 5 3 Toothbrush Toothbrush - children 2 4 Toothbrush - adult 3 5 Water treatment products Liquid chlorine - 1 small bottle (16 oz) 1 6 Toothpaste Adult - tube (125-150 ml) 2 7 Children - tube 97.5 ml 1 8 Toilet Paper Rolls/family 4 9 Hygiene pads Packets of 8 heavy flow pads 4 10 Bucket with tap Bucket with tap and lid (for handwashing) 1 11 Jerrycan 20L can for water storage 1 12 Aquatabs Pack of 10 tablets 1 13 Water filter Water treatment item 1 14 Disposable face mask Box of 50 pcs 1 6 Haiti | Earthquake and Cholera Outbreak - Emergency Appeal № MDRHT018 - Operation update #5 - Haiti | ReliefWeb Beneficiary receiving hygiene kit MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 10 15 Plastic Clothes Pins With Springs Pack of 12 pcs 1 16 Empty women's toiletry bag 1 In the final program evaluation, most beneficiary households declared that they had adequate access to non-food household items. These items also complemented the hygiene awareness sessions organized during the program. Sub-sector 2.2: Hygiene Promotion In December 2021, Mercy Corps launched an engagement process to collect feedback from the community to design hygiene promotion communication materials, focusing on behaviors that prevent the spread of disease including COVID-19 and later cholera. Mercy Corps community mobilizers met with a total of 977 households and developed guidance around the following safe hygiene behaviors: Safe hygiene behaviors Specific activities the behaviors address Handwashing Washing both hands with soap and water after using latrines, cleaning/ handling children feces, before handling or eating food or water Safe water collection, transport, storage and retrieval Using appropriate and clean containers with lids to collect, transport, and consume drinking and cooking water Safe use and maintenance of: ● Household water treatments, technologies, and products ● Communal water infrastructures (alongside management committees) Body hygiene Importance and advantages of body hygiene (body, nails, teeth, hair) Safe food handling and preservation Washing food and dishes, cooking with safe water, eating fresh food, and covering dishes and left-overs to avoid flies Vector control Prevention, protection from mosquitoes, flies, rodents, fleas, etc. Safe laundry Using appropriate and clean containers and soap Safe dishwashing Washing dishes, covering dishes and left-overs to avoid flies Slide describing critical times to wash hands MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 11 In February 2022, Mercy Corps developed a safe hygiene behavior training slide to promote behaviors such as hand-washing and actions to reduce the risk of water-borne disease. This training module targets all program participants, particularly women and men over 18, children (boys and girls aged 6 to 10) and community leaders. In March 2022, Mercy Corps then selected 35 schools in target areas to be part of hygiene promotion sessions, and in April Mercy Corps organized a training session for 10 trainers. School outreach took place in May 2022, during which a total of 2,296 students were reached, including 1,113 girls. The graph below shows the number of students reached by commune and gender. Feedback and observations from this school outreach and training modules were used to improve training modules for future community awareness activities. In response to the cholera outbreak and building upon its hygiene promotion activities described above, Mercy Corps recruited and trained a total of 103 Community Hygiene Promoters (CHP) to conduct a hygiene awareness campaign. From November 2022 to February 2023, CHP conducted awareness sessions on key general hygiene messages and on the fight against cholera in their respective localities. The core hygiene promotion approach included: demonstration of proper hand washing; participatory focus groups discussions); and door to door awareness sessions. To carry out these outreach sessions in different communities, the CHPs used picture boxes and other tools provided by Mercy Corps Community Mobilisers. A total of 5,801 heads of households participated in hygiene promotion (including 3,634 women and 2,167 men). To estimate the total number of individuals reached via these heads of households, Mercy Corps multiplied the total number of heads of households by the average household size (5 individuals) for an estimated reach of 29,005 participants. When added to the 2,296 students reached in 2022, Mercy Corps indirectly reached a total of 31,301 individuals through this intervention. Sub-sector 2.3: Water Systems In coordination with the Direction Nationale de l'Eau Potable et de l'Assainissement (DINEPA), Mercy Corps identified two water supply systems in the commune of Fonds-des-Negres that required repair, and submitted a Bill of Quantity (BOQ) to BHA for approval - the Pascal water system (1st communal section, Bouzi) and the Nappe water point (4th communal section, Duverger). Mercy Corps then conducted evaluations with other humanitarian organizations, technical staff from DINEPA, and Mayors Number of students reached by commune and gender Workshop with community hygiene promoters (CHP) MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 12 and committee leaders of the water systems in target communes around local infrastructure, repair specifications, and long-term management plans. Mercy Corps also organized community meetings with the population living near the springs, in order to fully understand their needs. These consultations - such as a survey of farmers in the ERMS sector in Nippes and Grand Anse - underscored the critical nature of these interventions: 85.2% of households use rainwater for their needs, only 14.8% have access to a private or community pipe, and 61.8% of households do not have access to latrines or toilets. Mercy Corps carried out a detailed technical study of the two drinking water supply systems by collecting GPS coordinates of catchments, storage tanks, taps, gully crossings and pipe alignments, in order to calculate water flow rates. The rehabilitation work involved repairing and replacing pipes, rehabilitating catchments, and rehabilitating water tanks. In both areas, Mercy Corps helped to revitalize the management structures of the drinking water supply system by organizing capacity-building training sessions jointly with DINEPA and equipping them with management tools. Pascal water system (Bouzi) Firstly, Mercy Corps stripped the slab of the catchment, sedimentation basin, and walls of the protective layer in order to clean and seal the leaks. Then, Mercy Corps rebuilt a 25.2-cubic-meter underground tank in 20x20x40-centimeter block masonry with iron rods inside and a roof slab made of reinforced concrete. Thirdly, Mercy Corps installed a new polyethylene pipe line over a length of 4,000 linear meters to supply 6 rehabilitated standpipes. Nappe water point (Duverger) Mercy Corps demolished the existing catchment, excavated the water outlet, and conducted the masonry work on the catchment box, including a 50- centimeter wall and a reinforced concrete roof slab. The exterior of the box was also rendered, plastered and waxed. Secondly, Mercy Corps rehabilitated the existing 14.5-cubic-meter capacity tank, stripping the walls and carrying out the plastering and rendering work to reinforce the structure. Thirdly, Mercy Corps installed a new 2,000-meter-long polyethylene pipeline to supply 3 rehabilitated standpipes. Following the cholera outbreak, Mercy Corps assessed 18 new water points in the program’s 10 target communes (illustrated in the map below) in order to improve access to drinking water. These assessments confirmed that these water points require engineering work to protect the environment of the springs and/or to rehabilitate the water supply infrastructures, in addition to treatment to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases. Mercy Corps plans to support these rehabilitation works with its private funds. MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 13 3.3 Sector 3 - Economic Recovery and Market Systems Sector 3 Livelihoods Objective 3 Small-holder producer associations and small to medium enterprises recover livelihoods through small grant assistance and business training Dollar Amount Requested: $1,345,984 Number of People Targeted: 6,000: 33 producer associations (approximately 4,500 farming families) and 300 small and medium enterprises (approximately 1,500 households) Number of People Reached: 5,495: 33 producer associations (2,185 farming families) and 662 small and medium enterprises (approximately 3,310 households) Geographic Area(s): Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, Arnaud, Plaisance-du-Sud, Pestel, Beaumont, and Corail Keyword(s): Cash Sub-Sector 3.1: Cash Indicator Baseline Target Achieved Semi- Annual (April 2022) Achieved Annual (October 2022) Achieved Life of Award (LOA) Total % achieved LOA versus target GPS location of water points MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 14 3.1.1 Number of individuals assisted through livelihoods restoration activities 0 6,000 0 4,950 5,495 7 91.6% 3.1.2 Percent of beneficiaries reporting net income from their livelihood 59% 80% N/A Reserved for endline 98% 122.5% 3.1.3 Total USD value of cash transferred to beneficiaries 0 $250,000 N/A $106,683 $582,603 233% 3.1.4 Percent of households by Livelihoods Coping Strategies (LCS) phase (Neutral, Stress, Crisis, Emergency) Neutral: 9% Stress: 8% Crisis: 16% Emergen cy: 67% Neutral: 12% Stress: 25% Crisis: 16% Emergen cy: 47% N/A Reserved for endline Neutral: 15% Stress: 32% Crisis: 33% Emergen cy: 20% Neutral: +67% Stress:+300 % Crisis: - 106.25% Emergency :-70% Sub Sector 3.1: Livelihoods Restoration Small-holder producer associations Identification of Farmer Associations/Building of partnerships: In December 2021, Mercy Corps organized and hosted community workshops in the target communes (Corail, Beaumont, Pestel, Plaisance du Sud, Arnaud, Petit-Trou de Nippes) to present to key stakeholders (local authorities, agricultural associations, small and medium enterprises) its planned response activities and intended outcomes in the livelihoods sector, as well as the methodology for selecting participants. Between January 25-31, 2022, Mercy Corps conducted targeting surveys in the departments of Nippes and Grande-Anse to collect primary data on agricultural associations. Associations were assessed on their legal status (criteria include: an active bank account in one of the commercial banks such as UNIBANK, BNC, SOGEBANK, CAPITAL BANK, BUH, etc. and legal recognition by the City Council or the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor), the profile of the members (specifically the degree to which they were impacted by the earthquake), their level of experience in the target area, structure and governance, 7 Mercy Corps reached 5,495 households including 2,185 farmer heads of households, and 3,310 households in SMEs. The estimated total individual reached can be found by multiplying the number of households reached by the average household size (5) - 14,235. MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 15 and commitment to gender equity and protection. From these assessments, Mercy Corps selected 33 farmer associations (see chart). Working through farmer associations to provide cash transfers to small farmers to sustain their agricultural season and restore their livelihoods has been a successful experience for Mercy Corps on several levels. For example, working jointly with the associations in the targeting process allowed us to identify the small farmers most affected by the earthquake. Another advantage is that the farmers' associations could describe in advance the needs of their farmers, which was a strength in the planning stage. As a result, each association assisted Mercy Corps in conducting a comprehensive needs analysis with each targeted farming household to select seeds and/or tools based on their needs or preferences. In addition, the associations have been instrumental in mobilizing farmers for planning meetings, and convening them in training centers or distribution sites. In sum, these structures provided Mercy Corps with the necessary support in planning inputs and distribution to align with the planting season. Farm Household Targeting Surveys: Between April 1-8, 2022, Mercy Corps organized plot-level assessments for farmers from agricultural associations. The weighted criteria for the final selection of farm households incorporated a number of different factors: livelihood coping strategies index, dependency ratio, poverty probability index (PPI), and household assets. Following these assessments, 30 farmers (heads of household) were selected per association, for a total of 990 farmers, including 576 women and 414 men. Considering that the cumulative monthly inflation rate 8 from October 2021 to July 2022 reached 23.6% (compared with 8.9% for the same period last year), and that the needs are significant in the intervention areas, Mercy Corps assisted an additional number of farm households. As a result, over the duration of the program, Mercy Corps supported a total of 2,185 farming households, including 1,201 women headed households and 984 men headed households (see chart). Agricultural Inputs Distribution: From May 16-28, 2022, participating farmers were trained on mobile payments and how to effectively utilize electronic vouchers (creating and managing their account, checking balance, purchasing inputs, withdrawing cash, etc.) in preparation for the agricultural input distributions. Concurrently, a capacity assessment of suppliers was conducted through outreach surveys in the field prior to distribution. This assessment included business pricing, resupply capacity (time, quantity, storage capacity), product variety and quality, and other factors. Community Mobilizers collected seed samples during verification visits to suppliers' stocks to test for germination. 8 https://www.brh.ht/wp-content/uploads/Note-mensuelle-inflation-Juillet-2022.pdf MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 16 The distributions of agricultural inputs took place between July 21-27, 2022 in the department of Grande- Anse, and August 5-6, 2022 for Nippes. Within this period, each participating farm household received a voucher assistance of $100 USD through their mobile phone. They redeemed these e-vouchers to purchase preferred agricultural inputs (seeds, farming tools) from accredited local suppliers (see image below). Among the seeds purchased were black beans, maize, groundnuts, yams, and bananas. As for tools, farmers purchased the following: hoe, machete, shovel, rake, and pickaxe. Given the significant reliance on smallholder agriculture as a means of livelihood in the target area, this assistance provided by Mercy Corps has enabled the farmers to access quality seeds for both short- and long-cycle crops, as well as the equipment necessary to restore their farms. Post Distribution Monitoring: A PDM survey was conducted among farmers approximately two months after the distribution of seeds and agricultural tools in the target departments of Nippes and Grande-Anse. According to 98% of the recipients, the selection process was fair and impartial. Regarding the process of planning and organizing the distribution, 76% of recipients were satisfied that they did not use any means of transportation to collect the seeds because the distribution site was located nearby their place of residence. As for the quality and quantity of products available from suppliers at the different service points, the vast majority of farmers—90%—were satisfied with the quality of products offered, while 92% were satisfied with the quantity of products available. Of the dissatisfied farmers, most said that some products were out of stock, while others complained that they wanted to buy more seeds to plant their plots, but had insufficient funds to do so. Almost all farmers (99%) reported feeling safe at the distribution site. They stated that Mercy Corps staff and associations/suppliers treated them very respectfully and that they felt comfortable throughout the entire process. As for the training received on the process of using the mobile phone to perform the transaction, 83% of participants said they had understood the whole process and on the day of distribution, and 91% of them had come alone to collect their seeds and farming tools without any concern. As for the food consumption MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 17 score (FCS), the distribution of seeds and farming tools was beneficial for the farmers, with an acceptable FCS of 34.6% and a borderline FCS of 41.4%, with farmers having diversity in their diet over this period. Small to medium enterprises SMEs Targeting Surveys: Mercy Corps provided support to a total of 662 SMEs, including 353 female- owned businesses and 309 male-owned businesses.The selection criteria were as follows: level of legalization (20%), level of socio-economic impact caused by the earthquake (40%), level of seniority in the target area (15%), organizational structure/grant utilization (15%), and commitment to gender equity and protection (10%). The chart below shows the distribution of SMEs by commune and gender: SMEs Capacity Building / Training Sessions: Mercy Corps' experience in global market recovery has repeatedly demonstrated the value of business training to provide the skills necessary for resilience. Mercy Corps conducted training sessions from November-December 2022 for targeted SMEs, focusing on both core business skills (with an emphasis on accounting, marketing and strategy) as well as preparedness and early recovery. As a result, training sessions with SMEs in Grande-Anse and Nippes were conducted on the following modules: Marketing Techniques; Simplified Accounting; and Coaching on the preparation and development of a contingency plan at the SME level. Small Grants to support existing SMEs: Mercy Corps distributed small grants to SMEs in early January 2023. Each of the 662 participating SMEs received a one-time $500 grant. These existing SMEs are mostly businesses that were struggling to fully restart without a financial or capital injection, particularly due to earthquake damage and constant exposure to recurring shocks (socio-political unrest, inflation, fuel shortages, epidemic diseases, climate shocks). Of these assisted SMEs, the most commonly identified ventures are food products stores (53%), followed by the services companies including beauty salons and barber shops, printing and multiservices (22%), and soft drinks stores/bars (14%): MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 18 Post Distribution Monitoring: Following this intervention, a PDM survey was conducted approximately one month later to assess the impact of the grant on the businesses and their performance. As a result of the support received, most of the SME owners reported positive changes in a very short period such as repairs to premises, stock turnover, diversification of products and services, increase in employee productivity, and growth of customers. SME owners again reiterated the importance of the business training and coaching: according to PDM results, 93% of them report being satisfied with the business training modules. They further state that the training helped them to better manage the operations of their businesses. Coupled with local know-how, these added skills have led to improvements in their business management. This transfer of knowledge and skills is essential to building the resilience of SMEs and ensuring a sustainable economic recovery. Regarding the impact on profit, 87% of small business owners report a net profit on their business after receiving Mercy Corps financial assistance. The graph below shows the distribution of profits made by the SMEs during the month of February 2023: monthly profits vary between 550 and 200,000 Haitian Gourdes 9 (HTG) (3.67-1,333.51 USD) depending on the size of the business. The highest trend (20%) is observed for businesses with a profit between 25,000 and 40,000 HTG (166.69-266.70 USD). On the other hand, data collected during the PDM surveys showed that only three (3) categories of business were able to generate an average monthly profit exceeding 45,000 HTG (equivalent to 300.04 USD). These three categories of business are food stores, bakeries, bars and soft drinks stores (see chart below). According to this analysis, this implies that these are the businesses with the highest demand in rural communities. As a result, with the support received through this program, these businesses will have the capacity to increase their supply (purchase more goods and services to increase their stock or 9 The Gourdes (HTG) is the official currency of Haiti. During the survey period (February 2023), (1) one USD was equivalent to 149.98 HTG. MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 19 production capacity) in order to meet consumer demand in their communities. The financial assistance received will also enable them to cover certain operating expenses (labor, transport, electricity, debt) in the very short term, and cover other service costs to achieve a positive return on investment. With this trend, these categories of business may be able to maintain financial viability in the medium and long term, even after the completion of the program. 4.0 Participation of and Accountability to Affected Population Throughout this program, Mercy Corps Haiti has leveraged its CARM system, which has gradually expanded to include additional channels for community members and partner organizations to provide information and feedback. During program activities, all community leaders and households were sensitized on using CARM so they were aware of all means of communications to complain or to report any suspicious activity, and an accountability focal point was present at these community meetings to promote the mechanism. Further, CARM was present in all stages of the program implementation, and hotlines remained operational even during periods of heightened insecurity. Throughout the program, 1,071 complaints were received (57% from women, 43% from men). Three complaint trends are observed in the program: requests for information, positive feedback and thanks, and requests for program enrollment.Throughout the program, the most commonly used CARM channel was Mercy Corps’ toll- free hotline (64% of respondents), followed by sharing CARM feedback in person with the program team (20%), and Whatsapp (15%). Other channels were SMS messages and Facebook messaging. 5.0 Risk Management Armed gangs in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area add an additional layer of difficulty for Haitians and have compromised humanitarian access, particularly on National Road #2, which provides access to the departments of the southern peninsula affected by the earthquake, and which is, at the level of Martissant, is often the site of territorial disputes. Armed gangs have also blocked access to oil terminals in Port-au- Prince and have significantly impeded fuel distributions throughout the country since October 2021. This situation has severely affected the functioning of economic life, health services, telecommunications, public transportation, banking services, and humanitarian and emergency relief operations. Gang control of much of the capital has also isolated entire neighborhoods and cut off connections between the capital and the rest of the country. This situation has potential consequences in terms of MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 20 protection (including gender-based violence), displacement, food insecurity, malnutrition, and access to basic services. While the country overall is exposed to multiple vulnerabilities, these are intensified in areas where crisis factors overlap, such as in the departments of the South, Nippes and Grande-Anse affected by the earthquake. To mitigate these risks, Mercy Corps adopted the following measures throughout the life of the program: ● Reinforcing the fuel storage system in Mercy Corps sub-offices ● Closure of offices due to demonstrations, particularly during September 2022. ● Identifying the impact of not being able to be present in the office for all staff, in relation to them being able to carry out their main responsibilities. If the situation continues, a determination was made in relation to affected staff, and communicated to all relevant Mercy Corps donors. ● Moving items from Port au Prince to field warehouses by a humanitarian convoy. ● Ensuring that the cash distribution mechanism was able to be distributed electronically, and that the process of preparing the payment can be managed remotely. ● Training community agents who can support certain activities with limited presence of Mercy Corps staff during periods of limited access. ● Reviewing security protocols by monitoring the security situation and conducting a Go/No-Go issued every morning based on a security review for all planned activities. ● Organizing NFI kit distributions by groups of less than 100 participants at a given time. 6.0 Coordination The implementation of this program was characterized by constant coordination with a variety of actors, including governmental and humanitarian organizations. In particular, during the first three months of this emergency response, government institutions held regular meetings with all humanitarian organizations according to their intervention sectors. Mercy Corps has actively participated in the meetings of the Departmental Emergency Operation Center (COUD), which is co-managed by the Direction Départementale de la Protection Civile, under Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Collectivities and the Vice Delegation at the departmental level. Mercy Corps also remained an active member of the coordination of organizations working in the food security sector at both the national and departmental levels. The food security cluster is co-managed by the National Food Security Council (CNSA), which is part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR). In the WASH sector, Mercy Corps worked closely with DINEPA and the Office régional de l'eau potable et de l'assainissement (OREPA), through an MOU signed in September 2022 that defined the roles and responsibilities for the Water Supply sub-sector. For example, the technical specifications of the water network rehabilitation were reviewed and validated by the Rural Development Unit of DINEPA. 7.0 Lessons Learned The lessons learned for the life of program include: ● Coordination between the MEL team and the independent CARM system promoted the use of real-time data for quick course corrections and adaptive management. For example, after each cash transfer, there was a better understanding of different risks with the process, leading to adaptations in the following transfers and in Mercy Corps’ Cash Transfer SOP. ● Coordinating with the financial service provider avoided duplication of efforts. Issues or red flags identified by participants during PDMs were also discovered by the FSP during their remote monitoring practice (i.e. spot checks) - leading to both the FSP and Mercy Corps working on adaptations independently. More regular planning and review meetings could have enabled the identification of common monitoring information and led to a more integrated workflow. MERCY CORPS 720BHA21GR000388 - Final Report Submitted: July 28. 2023 21 ● Mercy Corps has strengthened its system of consultation with community leaders. Community leaders have been essential in targeting vulnerable households and farmers who have benefited from cash transfers. Community members also play an important role in informing the community of Mercy Corps activities and the CARM systems in place. ● Remote MEL options should be identified and approved in Mercy Corps’ country-wide contingency plans. Despite being planned and budgeted prior to the program start up, during the implementation period, many MEL activities were limited or made more challenging due to instability within the areas of intervention. Remote MEL would have been a vital approach for business continuity in a changing operational environment ● Ensure that specific access mechanisms are in place for people with reduced mobility at kit and cash distribution sites. This may include access ramps, priority queuing, and staff assistance to make the process easier. If possible, the idea of organizing home distributions for people with reduced mobility and who are unable to get to distribution points should be explored. 8.0 Transition Plan/ Exit Strategy The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC 10 ) covering the period from September 2022 to February 2023 indicates that nearly half of Haiti's population, or 4.7 million people, are acutely food insecure (IPC 3+). Nearly 1.8 million people are now in an emergency situation (IPC 4), an increase of nearly half a million since the previous analysis, and 19,200 people are facing catastrophic hunger (ICP 5), a first in Haiti and the Latin America and Caribbean region. The Haitian context over the past two years clearly shows that critical gaps in Haiti's humanitarian needs continue to grow in a much more complex response environment. To address continued need, Mercy Corps will continue to work in the program's communes to help reduce cases of food insecurity, which have increased sharply in the last few months of the program. Mercy Corps is currently implementing a BHA-funded resilience-focused program named RELE until August 2024, which will also integrate risk and disaster management and support for farmers' associations. As this program does not have a WASH component, and given the presence of cholera cases in the communities, Mercy Corps will continue to support hygiene promotion and the rehabilitation of new water points through its own funds until December 2023. 10 IPC_Haiti_Acute_Food_Insecurity_22Sept_23Jun_Snapshot_French.pdf (ipcinfo.org)