Rebuilding Haiti—Caterpillar’s Past, Present And Future Impact

On January 12, 2010, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti, a nation already suffering from widespread poverty, hunger and disease.

The catastrophic event lasted for 35 terrifying seconds. According to the United Nations, more than 300,000 Haitians lost their lives, while another three million were affected by the disaster.

Caterpillar was among the dedicated first-response organizations to lend a hand. Just days after the earthquake, the Caterpillar Foundation delivered an outright contribution of $200,000. An aggressive matching program for employees, retirees and dealers pushed the disaster-relief total to more than $800,000.

Caterpillar followed its initial investment with a significant equipment donation through Haytrac, its dealer in Haiti. Within two weeks of the earthquake, Caterpillar supplied excavators, loaders, track-type tractors and specialty tool attachments to assist with the massive clean-up efforts. A team of Caterpillar engineers and operators accompanied the equipment to Haiti to provide expertise and training.

In the summer of 2010, the Caterpillar Foundation partnered with the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) on a drainage canal clean-up project impacting more than 150,000 Haitians. The transformational project had additional economic benefits for the region, as more than 1,200 local jobs were created.

The Foundation contributed $1 million as part of a joint relief investment with PADF and the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. The combined grant of $3 million was presented to the Organization of American States for the repair of multi-family homes in the areas hit hardest by the earthquake.

Today, restoration efforts in Haiti continue through innovative organizations such as Water.org, co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White. Caterpillar's partnership with Water.org helps provide clean water and sanitation to many of the world's poorest regions.

Projects in Haiti involve educating residents on proper sanitation practices, developing an adequate sewer infrastructure and creating financial models to help the Haitians build a sustainable cycle of progress, including the repair of existing wells and the creation of new wells. With a strong education and training process, Water.org works with Haiti Outreach, a Minnesota-based non-governmental organization, to ensure continuity of assistance to the impacted communities. 

"We should all be proud of those who have given their donations of money, time and prayers to the people of Haiti," said Jim Baumgartner, Caterpillar's Director of Corporate Public Affairs. "I was able to see first hand how our new Foundation partner, Water.org, operates in countries like Haiti to help those less fortunate than we are. Their work, along with that of PADF and our local dealer, Haytrac, is changing people's lives. There is a lot of work left to be done, but we can be assured that Team Caterpillar will be there to help."

The Caterpillar Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Caterpillar Inc. Founded in 1952, the Caterpillar Foundation has contributed more than $500 million to help make sustainable progress possible around the world by providing program support in the areas of environmental sustainability, access to education and basic human needs.