We're on Lock Down.... All is OK...

Good morning - just want all of you to know we're OK.... there have been demonstrations, even here in Leogane.   We are locked down at least for the morning - probably for the day.   I'll keep you posted....

Day 8...

I spent the day on BSF (bio-sand filters); Khiya, Betty & I painted them in the morning, and inthe afternoon Raine & I took part in building 4 filters.  Putting the mold together, making the concrete and pouring the concrete into the mold.   Simple process, but it produces results!  Don did houskeeping, and helped prepare a poster to be used during hand-washing education.   Raine spent the morning at the hospital.

Just to be safe, we were confined to base tonight... the election results were to be released at 6:00 pm.

My Creole phrase for the day?    Konbyen sa koute?  - How much does this cost?  Also, Twop (too much!)  

Creole is very phonetic.   Many of the words sound like the french words, but are spelled phonetically. 

It's surprising how comfortable I am becoming here.   Every day is a little easier.  The young people are just wonderful, accepting, encouraging people.   They have a passion for what they are doing ; many have been here for months, some came soon after the earthquake on January 12.   I have a huge respect for all of them. They have forged deep bonds with one another which will no doubt last a lifetime. 

Well, tomorrow's another day...Betty & I are on the Habitat for Humanity team tomorrow.  The NGO's really work well together.  We are helping Habitat put up a fence - the goal is to have it up  in one day... I think we will be digging post holes...  Raine & Khiya are going to the orphanage, and Don is again helping out around base.

Til tomorrow..... God bless!

Day 7...

I was at the baby orphanage this morning again...the children were much quieter than last time.  They hadn't eaten yet, and weren't fed until about 9:30.  They didn't have much energy, so we just held them, and sat quietly until then.  I held a tiny little girl, maybe 2 or 3, Marie Carmel, who had just been dropped off the day before.   The children are fed a gooey mix made of flour, corn flour & water.  Not much in the way of nutrients.  Sometimes, they only get one meal a day.    The majority of them are ill with one thing or another.   All of them have worms, and have terribly distended tummies.   Can't fill them up because the worms take more than their share.   Only 75 cents per day would feed a child for a day.  Aubrey, who leads the children's projects, is working in conjunction with some locals affiliated with the orphanage on developing a website to hopefully raise awareness and financial support.  All hands is very keen on teaching the locals so that they can sustain the work after they are gone.   Working at the orphanage, I learned my new Creole phrase for the day:   Pas fait ca - don't do that!

Raine went to the hospital this morning - another overwhelming experience that she will tell you about.  She is adding info to the blog via the comments, so be sure to read them!  Betty twisted her ankle yesterday at the beach when getting out of the tap-tap - so took a day off.

This afternoon Raine, Khiya & I worked on bio-sand filters.  Another incredible project.   Basically, we prepare the sand for the filters by filtering the gravel first with a large screen, then again with a fine screen.  We then wash the sand, 5 times, before it goes into the filter.    Betty, Khiya & I are both on this project tomorrow, so hopefully, I'll be able to see the rest of the process.

Don has not been feeling up to par, so is taking it easy... he's on housekeeping duty tomorrow.

We had a really interesting meeting this evening (we meet after dinner every evening at 5:30 to report the progress of each project, welcome newcomers, say goodbye to those leaving, receive security updates, and to choose our jobs for the next day.  Focus of security tonight was the release of the ballot count for the presidential election.   They expect some unrest because of this, and gave instructions to all project leaders to be tied to their cell phones in case the teams need to be called home.    During voting day, the base went into lock-down for security reasons.    We are all glad to be on base tomorrow!   There were some long-term volunteers going home, and some very moving farewell messages given, and also a message from the person who started All Hands 6 years ago.   What a great speaker!   This organization is really doing wonderful things here in Haiti, and deserve all the suppport we can give them.    While there are many complaints of organizations only using a small percentage of their donated funds to date, All Hands has used 80% of theirs - and trust me, they don't waste a thing!  This is the largest project they have ever done.   All their projects in the past have been for maximum 6 months duration - their  mandate being to get in at the beginning of the disaster to provide the labour  needed, and then to get out.    But in Haiti, they are committed for another year, to the end of 2011, and through their bio-sand-filter and composting toilet projects, are providing clean water, an ecologically-friendly way of handling waste.    They are building schools, and educating children and adults in such things as hand-washing and the causes of diseases.   Tonight they announced a new project - working on economic development in the community.    They are  really making a difference (I guess that's "We" are making a difference).   Check out their website to see more:  http://hands.org/projects/project-leogane/programs-in-leogane/

That's it for tonight.... here's a pic of the Canada crew the day we arrived.

Chain gang...

Day 6..... (sorry, I lost track of days; hence no day 5!)

Happy International Volunteer Day!  What a great day... normally, Sundays we are on our own for meals, but today, we were served an awesome brunch...french toast, bacon, mangos, payapas, mandarins, real fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice.  We were very spoiled.  After brunch, 15 of us caught a tap-tap to Paradise Beach.  We didn't partake of lobster today, because we were full from brunch.  Watched the locals catch lobster just 4 feet from shore.   They let their traps out on a rope, pull it back in, and voila!  Some of them were really big.  It's a beautiful area - almost surreal, with it's restaurant that serves 3-course meals, complete with wine.  Surrounded by the type of poverty you can't even imagine or describe... Didn't feel right...

We noticed at brunch a local Haitian volunteer with a bible under his arm... hopefully, we  an find out from him where he attends for next Sunday.   It's hard to identify the churches. 

Khiya with a friend....

That's it for today.... pretty uneventful, other than traversing waterfilled potholes - I mean craters - almost as big as our tap-tap... also  crossed a river.....  just another day... 

Day 4...

Today was a much more relaxed pace.  Every 2nd Saturday is a half-day, and today was the day.  All of us were needing a more restful day, so it was very welcome.   Housekeeping was a breeze after doing rubble!  I was done by 10:30 ( 3 hours work - our day starts at 7:30), so was able to go play with the children at Plaza Playtime with Raine & Khiya for about an hour.  When playtime is over, we walked the children home.  One little girl, was malade (sick), so I carried her to her home - which was a tent in a tent village close to where we live.  Les timoun (children) are truly precious.  Don & Betty worked building bio-sand-filters, which is an interesting process. 

This afternoon, Raine, Betty and I went to the marketplace with  2 of the long-term volunteers, to buy some fruit for tomorrow - Mangos, papayas, bananas - YUM.   After rice and beans twice a day, and with our ration of one tomato slice, one piece of lettuce, and one piece of potato (when available), we were  craving fresh produce.  The marketplace was truly an experience.  We walked through the tent village I mentioned earlier to reach the marketplace; hundreds of stalls, hundreds of people - all talking what seems to be at the same time.  Rows very close together, and motorcycles and sometimes even vehicles, also making their way through.   I was glad to have a couple of people with us who knew the ropes, and what things should cost.   Bargaining is expected - and I`m not good at that! I was thankful that I know my french numbers fairly well, so knew what they were asking.    It`s amazing the stuff packed into each stall!  It was another overwhelming experience. 

But, it`s surprising how after 4 days I`ve become somewhat accustomed to the crowded streets, the crazy traffic, the horrible living conditions, and instead, have started focussing on the people.   I have been able to drum up some of my very basic french skills, and have been practicing what little I know whenever I can.   I am hoping to learn one Creole phrase per day.   Phrase of the day:  Qui ou en reler (What is your name).  Some of the children don`t speak French, so didn`t understand what I was saying when I asked their name in French.

Supper was on our own tonight - Raine, Khiya and I had scrambled egg sandwiches from a recommended vendor across the street.   Don and Betty were more adventurous - caught a moto (motorcycle)  to the UN for burger and fries - only to find it was closed!  Tried another restaurant - said the food was great.   Hopefully, it will still sit well by  tomorrow!

Tomorrow a bunch of us are taking a tap-tap to Paradise Beach for the day - apparently, its really nice - mostly NGO people -  can buy a lobster for $8!  No rice & beans! 



This is a wide street in the marketplace


 

Day 3...

I had a great day today; Bob, you would have been proud of me.  Khiya and I were on the "forms board" team, which basically either puts up forms for concrete, or takes them down. (Raine had the start of a migraine so took the morning off).   We were working on school site #6 - and were taking down forms.   Khiya was the drill queen - taught me a few things (or tried to!).   It was a great location - lots of shade.   To make room for the school, some large limbs from a giant mango tree were cut down...the fruit was a little green - but the only fruit I've eaten since Miami, so VERY welcome.  Many locals watched, and at times helped.   Khiya and I were often surrounded by children; one particular boy, Peter, was the same age as Khiya and asked me if we could take him back to Canada.    He told me he was  a nice boy:)    He taught me some Creole words, and I taught him a bit of English.   He was quite taken by Khiya - said she was very beautiful!  Another team framed walls, and all walls were standing by the end of the day. In the afternoon, Khiya and I repaired broken triangles (they brace the forms).   It was a really good day.

BTW,  the transport to our jobs are called "tap-taps", which are small trucks with bench seating in the box, and sometimes seating on the roof of the truck.  They are called tap-taps, because when you want them to go or stop, or if someone falls off the back - you tap on the roof of the cab.   We've had a dozen people, plus tools, water, etc. in the back.  I've heard the record was 21.   Our tap-tap on the way home today was really loaded - we had to hall probably a dozen 2x4's, in addition to tools, & people.   One of the guys travelled lying belly down on the lumber hanging on to the bar on the cab of  the truck, with his feet braced against the tailgate! 

Betty and Don were on the same rubble site as Don & I were on yesterday - worked their buns off.   I felt guilty having such a relaxing, fun day.  Tomorrow, we only work 1/2 day, and all of us have fairly laid back jobs.  I'm on housekeeping, Betty & Don are on bio-sand filters, and Khiya & Raine are helping with "Plaza Playtime", where the local children (about 40 of them) are entertained.    Should be fun!  We have the afternoon off, and  plan to explore the marketplace - maybe find some food other than rice & beans.

Well, that's our day...bye for now....

We survived Day 2.... & 3

Allo!  Sorry I missed yesterday.....Wednesday was a very full day.   Betty and I signed up for Baby Orphanage in the morning, and rubble in the afternoon.   Don helped moving trusses in the morning, with Sri Lanka army troops in a UN truck - which caused a bit of commotion with some locals upset with the UN for bringing cholera into the country. After that, Don joined  us on the rubble site.   Raine & Khaya worked on the bio-sand filter project. These filters enable the locals to have clean, safe water.   They have so far distributed over 700 of them.   Awesome project. 

The orphanage was heart-wrenching.  It houses about 40 children - in a home originally planned for about 10.  The babies are kept in the baby room, which basically is one big room; there`s only 1 small playpen - most babies lay on the floor on mats. The look in the eyes of some of the more traumatized children is haunting.  As soon as we arrived, the children met us with raised arms, wanting to be picked up and cuddled.   But even with all they`ve been through, they are still kids - they still love to play, love to sing.  Amazing how resilient they are.   Many of the children are not truly orphans - their parents just can`t care for them anymore.   The day we were there, a dad was dropping off his 3 children. So sad...   I couldn`t help think of my healthy grand-babies....
 
Rubbling is quite the experience.   When we first drove up to the site...to say it looked daunting is a huge understatement.  The Haitian homes are cinder blocks, with 6 inches of concrete between each floor, and for the roof, with rebar reinforcing everything.   You can imagine the weight, and the amount of rubble to clear.   We started by sledging - swinging 10 lb sledges to break the concrete.  Fun, fun....Very satisfying when you finally break through...  Needless to say we were all exhausted by day`s end.

Thursday, Don & I were on an all-day rubble site, working with about 7 locals who were hired under the Cash for Work program.  The plan is to teach them how to do the work, and then leave them to finish it.   That project will be done tomorrow.   Another exhausting day.... learned a few Creole words Betty also did rubble on another site.  Raine & Khiya did housekeeping in the morning, and worked rubble in the pm.   We are all going to sleep really well tonight!

It actually was an interesting day today; lots of the local children stopped by - very cute. There were 3 supervisors watching the local workers (yes 3) - sat in the shade, killed a kitten, cut it up and hung it from a tree... amazing what you`ll eat when you`re hungry.   Also, saw some locals carrying a corpse (covered) on their shoulders up the street.    One of our local workers, Jean, has a beautiful singing voice, and sang a few songs he had written about Haiti, and his hope for his country.    He has a beautiful spirit

Well, tomorrow`s another day... keep you posted!.