The Women-Centred Disaster Resilience in Small Island Developing States was launched in Haiti in 2024 as a partnership between the Mona School of Business and Management (in Jamaica), through its Caribbean School of Data programme, and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. The project kicked off with 19 women enrolled in two courses which covered topics related to disaster risk management and resilience, the integration of mapping tools and techniques in this area, and the importance of empowering women in the process.  Based in Port-Au-Prince, the project faced some implementation hurdles due to a period of political instability and unrest in the country. Despite displacement of facilitators and participants, the programme persisted with 74% of the participants completing at least one course.  

The high point of the programme was an in-person half day event  where participants gathered to share their experience, participate in a hands-on mapping training and receive their dignity bags. Dignity bags, a concept introduced in the curriculum largely adapted from the GIS Society of Trinidad and Tobago (GISSTT), refers to emergency “to-go” bags packed with essential products to help persons maintain their hygiene and dignity in the event of displacement. 

One participant summarised the programme as follows, "It was an extraordinary experience. I learned many things, one of the most important being how to prepare for any potential disaster. It also helped me understand the importance and responsibility of women in society. Women are not limited as they want us to believe. It is by rising and positioning ourselves that this barrier of limitation will fall. This movement has started with this training, which specifically targeted women. I strongly encourage the continuation of this program as well as other programs for women."

This program was the 2nd significant capacity-building intervention for the CSOD in Haiti. Previously the CSOD partnered with ESIH - Ecole Supérieure d'Infotronique d'Haïti in designing and delivering the "Ayitic Goes Global" program in Haiti which focused on building digital skills for young women and impacted over 350 participants. 

About Cherika Wilson: Born and raised in Saint Andrew, Jamaica, Cherika has spent much of her career working in youth development/youth-supporting roles. A passion for equitable access to education brought her to the Caribbean School of Data (CSOD) where she currently serves as the Project Manager. In her role at CSOD, Cherika oversees the implementation of the digital and data skills training programmes, and all of CSOD’s strategic partnerships, including Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT).