Home, at my other sweet home

And so, I’m home once again- and have taken a few days to really just ‘be’ here. I am doing a slow re-entry into my life here, which has so far included doing one presentation at a green fair, and two dinners with good friends. Not too bad!

Good friend Jim picked me up at the airport, with chips in hand- just what I was craving! It was nice to be picked up by a familiar face, and when he dropped me off at home, it was to a nice warm house (my neighbour had been by to get the woodstove going- so sweet!). Karen had dropped off a goody-basket of essentials, including a delicious French cheese, a bottle of wine, some fruit, and coffee for the morning- so thoughtful, so perfect!

I feel really fortunate in the many many homes I have in my life. Today, a friend from GrassRoots posted this song on his page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzV2mLWSNAU

I wrote about this song while I was in Haiti- it played on the radio stations there at least a few times an hour, or so it seemed- no one ever got sick of it! I felt nostalgic listening to it today, and intend on incorporating it into my daily listening repertoire. (Thanks, Nic, for the posting!).  And it’s true- I DO love my life! Whether I’m in Port au Prince, Deslandes, Warsaw (Ontario), or Wakefield (Quebec), I feel pretty privileged to have such good people, and such amazing opportunities and environments in my everyday life.

Now that I’m back home, I am slowly getting geared up to get this year’s work season organized.  A part of me will continue to think of Haiti- of the kids, of the amazing people, of the fundraising I would like to do, of the volunteering I hope to continue.

I still don’t feel like I’m in culture shock, as many people have asked me; I am changed from my experience in Haiti, for sure, but I change with every experience in my life. I learned a lot in Haiti- about patience, acceptance, joy, resilience, and life. I was fortunate enough to meet extremely generous Haitians, in addition to some wonderful international volunteers. 

Of course, I don’t for a second forget how privileged I am, with running water (both cold and hot), a big house on a river that is all mine (actually, I share it with the bank), a quiet neighbourhood, clean air (I haven’t once smelled burning plastic since I’ve been back!), a big truck that is in relatively good condition, good health and free healthcare (at least for now!), forests, clean waterways, and space. That’s not even mentioning all of the people I have in my life, of course, but that goes without saying.

I can only hope that Martelly is able to do what he has campaigned he will do in Haiti, and that is to procure land to rebuild permanent homes for the Haitians who are still living in camps, and to work on improving agriculture. 

In reflecting on my time in Haiti, the lasting impression is one of beauty and hope, despite the images of garbage, choked waterways, tent cities, and lack of toilets. Having spent time with Haitians in the countryside, so lush with tropical fruit, and filled with song and joy, filled me with a sense of hope. As Ramon (the very astute boy who helped us collect bamboo leaves for our washroom building) said, Haitians are rich. They are rich in story telling, in song, in joy. I hope I can incorporate that more relaxed, slower pace of life I experienced (and after awhile, both accepted and embraced) into my sometimes hectic, stressful pace of life in Canada. 

Decompressing

April 6
Miami Airport
2:48pm

This is about the biggest extreme I can imagine right now to life in Deslandes. Bright lights, crappy music, and gleaming floors- and shop after shop after shop of overpriced items that people must buy on impulse? Or are they brainwashed as they wander around?
I’m on a 4 hour layover at the Miami airport, and it’s not very enjoyable.

Sigh. It’s not going to be an easy re-entry. On the flight from PaP to Miami today, the flight attendant offered me a second glass of juice, and I got all weepy from her kindness- in part, due to not having slept much last night and being tired, and in part, because it suddenly hit me, the enormity of the problems in Haiti. It’s not like I didn’t know that already from being there in December, but suddenly, I was able to have a release, and let tears gently stream down my cheeks. I was crying for the darling little faces of the kids I left behind, the kids who are so hungry, yet so generous; for the women who have to carry water such great distances; for the people in the internally displaced persons camps who are literally inches from all of their neighbours’ tents, with absolutely no privacy, for the overworked horses & donkeys bearing saddle soars; for the disparity between the really wealthy and the really poor; for the raped landscape that continues to be burned; for the choked waterways filled with garbage.

I will carry Haiti with me wherever I go; currently, I am feeling displaced in a big mall setting (aka the airport) surrounded by so many white people. Where are the headscarves, the colour, the chatting with people you don’t even know? This is so impersonal, and is replicated in airports around the world. I suppose some people find airports comforting for that very sanitary and familiar environment that is driving me crazy today. I know that once I’m home, my own home, friends and family will envelope me, and that will be a familiarity that will comfort, rather than irritate. Onward to Canada!

Fire, fire!

Oops- this is an older post, from March 3, somehow misfiled here. Oh well, minor glitch!~


Today started off in a different way than I could have imagined. I decided to look at the wood buring pile/charcoal procedure to see where they were at with that, and it looked like they were taking the charcoal out, so I went over to see. Mr. Francois wasn’t there, but one of the teachers was there. He explained that Mr. Francois wasn’t there, but that the charcoal was more than ready to be scooped out. When they build the pit to burn the wood, it is topped with a lot of soil, which keeps the fire contained, and also, later, when they pull out the coal, you have to have soil to cover it up with to keep it from burning. You also need buckets of water to douse the coals, but alas! there was an issue with water, so a few of us from the school jumped in to help find water, and then to help douse the coals. Let’s say it’s not a glamorous job, and I’m guessing it’s really bad for your lungs, breathing in that smoke, and then the resulting steam after you put water onto the hot coals. It took over an hour, with several of us there to save the charcoal.

From there, I went to the jobsite and we put stones into the poured steps of the front entrance of the school.

Again, I marvel at the various creatures who trot across the schoolground. When I leave my place to go to the school or to go to breakfast, I look both ways before crossing the dirt road-not for traffic, because it’s quite rare that there are vehicles, but in case a bull, donkey, mule, horse, goat, cow, chicken, turkey, guinea fowl or other is walking by.

The following day, Mr. Francois sent his son over with two lobsters he had caught in the river, I’m assuming as a thanks for helping out. He wanted a photo of myself, the teacher who worked on the coal, and himself. I love this photo!

A hasty departure!

 

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Verrettes, Haiti

5:43am

Back in Verrettes after a rushed decision to come here. It worked out best for Ospri and crew to have us leave Deslandes near noon yesterday, which dictated how much work we could do (or how little). We were able to lay out the 8 toilet chambers in the structure, and do some site clean-up, and beyond that, it was packing our belongings. I went to as many classes as possible to tell the kids that we were going- and everyone we told, absolutely everyone, asked when we were coming back. I know we made a big impact on many of the kids- we spent time explaining our work to them, playing with them, and just being with them- I think that was huge to them.

We found out yesterday morning that the election results would be announced later in the day- which got Ian very nervous, with the possibility of street riots and airport closing again. I didn’t give it much thought, in part, because it’s out of my hands, and in part because it truly doesn’t make a huge difference to me if the return is delayed by a day or two, since I have a safe place to stay at Grassroots, which is just down the road from the airport.

Of course, I had the same reaction from any adult I told I was leaving. It is touching, but truly, it feels like it’s time to go home now.

To get across the river, we were going take turns with the moto, but alas, when it came back for me, the tire was completely flat (inner tube leak), and so I set off walking. It was yet again a hot day, and I had my two packs plus the tool bag to carry- I was quite happy to reach the river’s edge and wait in the shade for the boat to ferry us across. Once in Verrettes, Ospri et al. were going to a meeting in a different part of Deslandes (I learned that Deslandes is actually the name of the region, like a county)- Petite Riviere de l’Artibonite. It is an older town- with an emperor’s palace dating back to 1806. The architecture was terrific, so I went a bit crazy taking shots of various interesting (to me) buildings. It was a delightful afternoon.

When we got back, there was a big hoop-la outside the gates, so we ran out to see what was going on (assuming that it was election related)- and indeed, people were shouting and dancing in the streets- with the knowledge that Martelly has been elected. It was quite a celebration- so, now Haiti has a leader with zero political experience- and the people (that we have seen thus far) are thrilled. Maybe when you have been so beaten, even before the earthquake, and have had deception after deception, you vote for the person who is the most entertaining, who might offer hope through music and dance. I find myself wanting to learn more and more about the history of Haiti.

So, today is the last full day in Haiti- my flight leaves tomorrow morning at 9am, which means being at the airport by 7am at the latest. I have had a full and fulfilling stay here, rich with so many stories, memories, and laughs. I will carry the spirit of kindness that I encountered from all of these people with me, the generosity and sheer joy that I was privy to. And so, I brace for a  gentle re-entry into life at home, slowly, ever so slowly, to help adapt to a really different way of life. The spoiled life of turning on a tap for running water, having clean air to breathe, ample food to eat, and a large house to live in- all of this will take time to get used to once again. I won’t soon forget my time in Haiti, and am curious to see how I adapt to being home again.

Kid power

I wanted to dedicate an entry to the kids of Haiti- they brought us such joy, and so much fun while we were there. I can’t believe the age at which kids are expected to pitch in with chores- be it carrying water, hanging up laundry, or cooking dinner. There was no shortage of volunteers on our jobsite- from kids! No adults, but lots of kids. As I mentioned before, they weren’t keen on getting dirty- this is a culture to whom cleanliness is incredibly important. The kids of Haiti brought me tremendous joy, and I learned a lot from them on our excursions, talking on the playground, and on the jobsite. To them, I give a big thank you, for enriching my life as much as they have.

                                              

 

What a beautiful smile!

Here is our partially built washroom facility-that is bamboo leaves & clay slip. I'll dedicate a section to the wall system soon, soon!

So sweet!

Dancing, singing- such creative kids!

The kids, trekking home with the bamboo leaves

Sweeping the leaves was a daily chore in our yard; the only thing is, they didn't collect the leaves or compost them, so they would just blow all over the yard again the next day!

The kids, hanging up the laundry on the cacti

Ever helpful kids, bringing in lumber to start framing the walls

Ian supervising the shovelling!

The endless water carrying duties, done mostly by women and children

Mimi was afraid of this blanc in the beginning, but I persisted, until she was comfortable with me pecking her on the cheek, and eventually, carrying her. One night, I sang to her in Gaelic and she fell asleep on me...sighhhhh!

A group of kids in the nursery, planting seeds

Mimi encore- what a darling!

Hermano was a natural on the jobsite. He wasn't going to school when we first arrived, but I spoke with Ospri, and a couple of days later, he was at school, and seemed quite proud of that!

More shovellers!

Measuring plastic for the sill plates

More kids wanting to use the drill!

Remember the fun!

April 3, part 2

Sunday, April 3, 2011
Deslandes, Haiti

8pm

Today started off in a rather frustrating way, as neither Ian nor I were sure we would have any help, and we were frankly feeling a little neglected in our corner of the playground. We sat over coffee, planning out our strategy for how to leave the unfinished building in the hands of people who hadn’t really participated in the process. When we went outside, the konbit members had indeed started collecting bamboo leaves for us- they went out 2 times, and brought back enough to get us almost to the half-way point in the wall.

These guys asked me to take their photo. I wish I had thought to take a photo as they walked onto the schoolyard, each carrying the sack of leaves on their head!

 It takes a lot of material using these bamboo leaves, and without a full crew, it is rather a slow process, in that we have to go get more clay periodically, get the water from the other side of the playground, make the clay slip, then get leaves, put them on the tarp, pour enough slip on them to make them sticky, turn them over many times to coat all of the leaves, and then, finally, stuff them into the wall cavities between larson trusses and tamp them. Ideally, with a gang of 10 or 15 dedicated volunteers, you should be able to rip through a project like this, but alas, it was Ian and I, and a handful of kids who would zip in and out of the work. The main reason we both feel that light clay/straw won’t work in Haiti is that people don’t want to get dirty. In a country that is all dust, dirt and mud, that has been completely deforested, people hate getting dirty. We can’t get anyone to help mix the straw/slip, nor will anyone go get the wet slip in buckets- they’ll use the drill to mix up the slip, and they’ll go fetch wheelbarrows of dry clay, but as soon as the work gets muddy and messy, they are out. Ian pointed out that in a country that gets muddy so much during the rainy season, it might only be a reminder of that- cleanliness has such importance here, and it may very well be linked to the muddiness.

Everyone wants to work the drill!

The day ended on a more positive note, thankfully. Daniel, from the block laying crew, came down to ask us questions about how to continue on after we are gone- I was most tickled. We offered him the alternative of using earthblocks in the remaining cavities, rather than clay/straw (it would be easier, quicker, more familiar, and less messy!), but he said no, they’d continue on with clay/straw. I was most pleased- relieved, too. The kids who were so helpful to us will continue to be involved, I’m sure. We hit just over the half-way point on the wall we want to finish before running out of materials. We don’t know if the konbit folks will return today with more leaves or not- we hope so- we’d love to finish that one section of wall! So, it feels better knowing that someone will take the torch and continue on with the project.

Also, there has been constant community interest; at the end of each work day, different folks stroll on down to observe what we have done for the day. I see that, too, as positive.

Madame Alien, one of our kitchen workers, stopped by the building and sat there while we worked for awhile. It was a treat to see her there on the jobsite. Benitta came by yesterday and hung out for a bit too. 

Help, anyone?!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Deslandes

I slept for almost 10 hours last night- I turned off my light at 8:30, and finally got out of bed just past 6am. Highly unusual for me here, as I have been waking at 4:30 or 5:00am, but I think that the cumulative effect of working outside in this incredible heat (must be upwards of 100ºF most days in the heat of the day), and trying to build this building with very little help from the community to date, apart from a handful of really awesome kids who have been amazing.

The timing of building this composting washroom facility is unfortunate, in that Jim was here from Mexico to work with the construction team getting the new block making machine up & running, which took both a lot of the tools & supplies, as well as the attention of most of the guys we would have hoped could help on our project.

The crew, working the block machine on their own

The reality is, we will be leaving an unfinished building, and the fear is that it will stay that way. I’m really hoping that we can hook a few people into taking ownership (ie, each gets a section of wall to complete, which isn’t as daunting as doing the entire building!) of the building.

When I originally set up this project, the idea was more of having participants learn how to construct the building, so that it could be replicated, but because Jim was here, our participants were otherwise engaged. It would have made a huge difference having their assistance, in terms of our exhaustion, and in terms of moving the project along faster.

Ospri has arranged for members of the konbit (farming collective) to come by today with more bamboo leaves (it is taking a tremendous amount of bamboo material to fill the wall cavities!) and help stuff the wall, so hopefully we’ll have a good turn-out. We did have a couple of classes come and help out last week, but as soon as school was out, most of them went home- either chores, or just wanting to be kids. We still intend on having each child place a stone in our mosaic swale at the base of the building, but they have exams Monday and Tuesday, so hopefully that works out.

A couple of students tamping the bamboo/slip into the forms

Students mixing bamboo leaves & clay slip

Yesterday morning we worked on the clay/straw with the help of some young friends, who for the most part were just interested in tamping the walls- they don’t seem to want to get in there and get their hands dirty, so Ian & I did most of the mixing. Then, after lunch and a rest on the porch (you really do have to stop & sit for a bit before heading back out to work- the heat kills you!), we decided to put the steel roof on. We had initially hoped for a thatch roof, but in the end, St. Geste decided on steel. We were fortunate enough to have a bit of cloud cover periodically while putting on the roof. Child labour laws would outlaw how we did this job, but our group of volunteer children passed us roofing screws and sheets of steel, allowing the job to progress quite seamlessly. And, while it’s not the most perfect roof either of us has ever worked on, it turned out quite well, all things considered. The rafter material- beefy, real 2x4’s, are all twisted, as are the 1x3 strapping boards. Ian put on the rafters and the strapping yesterday afternoon when I went into Verrettes to do internet business, and he had the help of Hermano, one of our trusted helpers.

When we arrived, Hermano wasn’t going to school, but was helping us every day. He had worked with the plastering crew as well the last time I was here. I was trying to get at the route of why he wasn’t going to school- his sister had told me he was sick this year, and would go next year; I asked if it was a question of money, and he said no. Ospri came along and queried him, and indeed, it turned out it was because he couldn’t afford a uniform. Ospri set it up so he could go to school the following day, and, much to our delight, Hermano has been in school since that day. He really wanted to go to school, so I’m quite happy for him. He comes to work with us after school, and is really good- we call him Radar, because he has the ability to anticipate the tool or item you will require next, and have it in hand. He’s a really good worker too, and learns quickly.

All of the kids here are intrigued with our cordless drills- everyone wants to have a turn mixing the clay slip, or putting in screws, etc. Hermano has been our main-stay helper for nailing & screwing in boards. It is really interesting to see this core group of kids who are so interested in how we are doing things, and in helping. We are a distraction, I suppose, to what would otherwise be a day of chores, or of inventing games. And they are good at inventing games, that’s for sure- making toys out of plastic bottles, using tire rims to chase around the field, and many other examples.

Last night we sat on the porch with the little girls who live in our building, singing songs, and chatting a bit. Ian came out with some silly songs that they just loved, and they also really liked singing along with his whistling. It has been these simple moments, of being with the kids of the community, whether singing, sitting, or playing soccer, that have had the most impact on both of us, I think (I can only really speak for myself, but I know that Ian has really enjoyed being with kids).

And so, when we leave here on Tuesday to fly home on Wednesday, we know that we have at least set up the building so that it can be finished. The trick will be to have someone take leadership to see it through. Once the clay/straw walls are dry, they will have to be plastered, which the earth block crew will be able to easily do. I will arrange for Lucho to come after we have left, to install the composting toilets, and more importantly, to educate teachers, students, and the community at large.

For myself, having been here so long, I think I am taking the delays a bit more easily than Ian, since every day has been like this since my arrival, but with Ian’s condensed time of two weeks, he has been frustrated by the perpetual delays. I really hope we have a good turn-out today, so we can have a few wall sections completely finished before leaving.

I am finally coming to terms with my imminent departure- while it will be really hard to leave this wonderful place, I am starting to think about home and work and my other life more, and it feels alright. My two month stint has rolled along at quite a satisfactory pace- it has gone neither too fast nor too slow- just right.

Paradise chez Alius

March 31, 2011

Deslandes, Haiti

Several days ago we went to a site to look at potential bamboo for the roof of the washroom- it was at Alius’ place. When we arrived, we were suddenly in paradise, surrounded by fruit trees of all kinds (mango, coconut, banana, papaya), and it was several degrees cooler. We happened upon Alius’ house, which is clad in teche, a type of leaf pulled from a tree. He was nowhere to be found, despite St. Geste calling him…so St. Geste went looking for him. At one point, he called out to us, laughing, to come see Aluis. Alius was napping on the ground, above his corn plantation that is in a wetland, above the river. This beautiful elder awoke from his dream state to be surrounded by 3 blancs and St. Geste, and he burst out laughing- and continued to laugh for quite a long while. We decided that his bamboo wouldn’t work for the roof, as it would need to dry adequately before going into the building, but he really wanted to give us each a coconut so we could drink the milk. He has ample fruit, which he sells at market, and he said he doesn’t need to ever leave his property- small wonder, in a bit of paradise like that, I can’t blame him. He was quite tickled by our visit, as we were with ours. I hope to have another opportunity to visit him before leaving.

Alius' home, bermed into the earth, made with tache leaves 

Alius is a beautiful soul!

Alius wanted to give each of us a coconut- here is his friend, climbing the tree to cut them down

Our composting toilet facility is going a bit slower (maybe even a lot!) than we anticipated, despite good progress. It has been incredibly hot here the last few days, with each day getting successively hotter, or so it seems to us (confirmed by some local folks too!). The heat makes us move slowly, but most of our delays have come from lack of materials. Yesterday, for example, we were waiting on lumber for the roof (can’t use bamboo, as it is fresh, and would need to be dry before using), and we also needed bamboo leaves for stuffing into the clay/straw wall cavities. Finally, at the end of the day, we headed to the fields ourselves with a charming group of young helpers, and collected the leaves.

I learned a lot just walking around with these young boys to go find the bamboo leaves- they are all incredibly knowledgeable of their natural world, with all of them being able to point out irritants in the plant world, which plants were medicinal, which were edible, and so on. One of them quite astutely remarked that Haitian peasants can just go walking to find an abundance of fruit trees for food, while Canadians have to work, then go shopping and spend money for food- he feels that they are more rich than we are. I have to agree with him- Haitians are far more rich than North Americans, in so many ways.

Rolling up the tarp filled with leaves

This is quite a wheelbarrow full of bamboo leaves!

Trekking home with our bags of bamboo leaves for the washrooms

We did a test chamber of the clay/straw mix the other day, and it seemed to work out fine- I wasn’t sure how the bamboo leaves would behave, but so far so good. This entire build has involved making substitutions, being resourceful, and ‘making do’ at other times, as materials are hard to come by here. We are quite confident that the building is well tied down to the foundation, and will be both earthquake and hurricane resistant.

Benitta came by to the jobsite to see our washroom, and we had a nice chat. I mentioned how incredible it is that women work such long days in Haiti- she agreed- all day long, she concurred. And then I mentioned that some men don’t seem to do much, while others work hard, but that ALL women work all day long, and she agreee, all day long.

A beautiful woman from Deslandes, who had come to get water from the tap

You really can’t ever work or volunteer in Haiti (and survive) unless you are highly adaptable. You have to throw out any prior sense of scheduling and expectations of timelines, and just….go with the flow. Point in case, Jim is here from Mexico to work on the new block machine with the crew (and it rocks!), but they had to spend his first day here trying to get the machine going (it was supposed to all be done before he arrived by their mechanic). So, they had a couple of half days of productivity, and then yesterday morning, the crew had to sit there, waiting for gas for the machine! It took the entire morning to get gas there, and the crew lay patiently in the shade. They were anxious to get going, but without being stressed about the delay.

Jim, teaching the crew how to use the hydraulic earth block press

Ian & I poured the last section of floor on the washroom yesterday- over an earthblock base. This resulted in a mere 1.5 inched of concrete, verses 4 or 5 inches, so we’ll see how it holds up. Less cement is always good!

And today, we have enough material for wall stuffing to be able to invite a couple of classes out to help us stuff walls- I really wanted to do a participatory build, and am excited to have kids involved. I’m thinking that with our various delays, in order to achieve our goal of finishing the roof & the walls, that we will need to rope in some extra hands over the next few days, both from the crew here, and from kids & parents. The biggest challenge will be collecting enough bamboo leaf material in a timely enough fashion. I think we can do it….but what we realised yesterday, is that we won’t have time to go back to Grassroots to help install a bamboo roof on the composting toilet facility. I had (naively, now, because I’ve been here for almost 3 months total now!) originally thought we could quickly bang off these washrooms, and then scoot back to help with the roof, but silly me! Here we are, hoping we can even finish these washrooms before leaving!

I find myself enjoying the simplicity of my life here- I wake up early each day- earlier as time goes along (these days, 4:30 or so), and am out of bed by 5:30am. Mornings are a symphony of cocks crowing, and the foot traffic has already started. I saunter over to the outdoor kitchen and do the dishes. This has been a good way to start the day, being immersed with women folk, listening to banter and laughing along with them. My creole is at a stage where I can half understand about half of what is going on, which allows me to then ask pertinent questions for clarification.

I can imagine spending lengths of time here in the future. I am not drawn to the larger centres, but find myself being quite content in the village, which is lively in its own way, but quiet at night. There aren't nearly as many burning plastic smells here in Deslandes as you find in either Verrettes or Port au Prince. 

There was a death in our midst yesterday. An elderly couple live at St. Geste’s place, in an open building. The man became sick and died at the hospital (same hospital mentioned earlier), and they say it was cholera. I don’t suppose it is confirmed, but it is quite likely that it was cholera. Pity, when it is clearly treatable. Speaking of cholera, on our bamboo journey yesterday, the kids wanted to ‘show us’ the river, so we went down to the Artibonite River, and they immediately stripped down to go swimming. We gave our white arguments against going into the river, stating that they might get cholera- and they said, oh no, the cholera has already floated downstream…we debated, not really wanting them to go into the water, and not wanting to have to go in ourselves to save them, should that occur, but in the end, we realised that kids want to be kids, and they clearly are still in the habit of swimming in the river, and here was an opportunity for them to cool off on what was the hottest day in our stay here to date…so they stripped right down and plunged into the water, giggling and splashing one another with water. Ian had told them not to open their mouths, but they all dove in and came out sputtering up water.

The inevitable swim in the river...

A lovely home-made kilt-skirt from Deslandes

Beautiful children from the neighbourhood, playing with their plastic bottles on strings

They run along trailing the bottles behind them- such simple fun!

Ian, with some of our many followers

Ian supervising the crew...

Yet more help!

It isn't all work...we made sure we played too!

A beautiful tree with but one gourd on it...Dali-esque; Ian was quite taken with this tree, so I snapped a shot. 

Hermano climbing a tree to fetch fruit

Slow pace

March 30, 2011           

Deslandes, Haiti

I am feeling so content, just being here in Haiti. There is a sense of calm, of peace, and a definite lack of urgency to most everything that goes on. Even medical emergencies, as we were to find out earlier today.

I was heading out to the jobsite, when one of $$$, who works in the kitchen, came and asked me for some aspirin for Adé, who was lying down, not feeling well. When I came back with ibuprofen, they told me that she was clamping her teeth tightly- classic seizure symptoms, so I ran to get Ian, since I figured as a firefighter, his first aid would be helpful. Her pulse was fast, but faint in her extremities, and she didn’t react to being prodded, her name being called, sugar in the mouth. (She did stir somewhat with alcohol in her nose, and with a flashlight being shone in her eyes). She was essentially comatose, occasionally fading in & out of consciousness. So, we decided she should go to the hospital…and we suggested they construct a stretcher for taking her (remember, we’re in Deslandes- calling an ambulance isn’t an option!). The Haitians decided they would take her by motorcycle to the hospital, with people holding her on either side…we tried to say it wouldn’t work, but they put her on the bike..and of course, she slid off. Luckily, we caught her….and moments later, someone came back on a motorcycle with a stretcher. So, four of us set off to walk to the hospital- maybe it was a kilometer away?, along the gravelly road. Along the way, people asked what was wrong, or who it was, but only one other person tagged along to help spell us off from carrying her (and a rag-doll body is heavy!).

When we got to the hospital, we set the stretcher down on the dirty porch floor, where we were greeted by several administrators, and other people who definitely weren’t in a hurry about anything. They said, oh yes, Adé, we’ve seen her before. When we asked them to check her vitals, maybe give her an IV to give her fluids, they said they’d have to assess her first, and then they proceeded to chat about other sick patients, and to joke around…with her still lying unconscious on the ground. Finally, the one guy (who was neither nurse nor doctor) took her temperature, and then eventually (after they found her records) the nurse took her blood pressure. After another 5 or so minutes, they admitted us into the hospital (open air courtyard) where we (they were nowhere to be seen) had to lift her onto the hospital bed, and the nurse finally came with a drip bag for her. Adé is apparently alright now, has been talking a bit and is conscious, but holy cow! Reminder to self: don’t ever get into position where you have to go to hospital here!

Apart from that, we have continued to be busy with our build, and are quite pleased with the details we have invented based on materials at hand. Of course, we consulted with some of our Canadian natural building engineer buddies first, and now we are realising the composting toilet facility with what we have at hand. We feel we have done a good job of tying everything together to protect against wind lift, and with the X-bracing and other details, are comfortable with its earthquake rating.

We are going to invite a few classes to come help stuff the clay/straw walls- it is their washroom, and they will have fun doing it- or so we hope! We also plan on doing a pebble mosaic detail around the exterior of the building, and will have each student in the school lay a stone somewhere in the foundation. Might as well involve as many students as possible!

It has been busy with blancs here in Deslandes- many key members of CIJ have been here, in addition to a partner organization, Partners in Action. Fun times, and interesting to learn more about the history of CIJ. I have been called in to translate in a couple of meetings this week, and that has been really good for me-I feel like I have made a break-through with my creole, finally, finally! What a relief! I can do past & future tense, and have more vocabulary- am starting to understand a bit more of spoken creole- so I’m feeling better about my progress. Of course, if I avoided English & French completely, I’d be much further along in my language journey, but I’m pleased nonetheless.

Once again, I am internet-less, but this time, I haven’t missed it- which feels good. It is such a good thing, slowing down, just going with the flow when half of your materials haven’t yet arrived, and just…being.

“I love my life!”

Deslandes again

It seems that some of my posts that I thought I had previously published didn't actually get posted, so I'm going to upload a number of older posts; I have had very unreliable internet connections since going to Deslandes (zero connections in Deslandes, and some spotty connections in Verrettes).

Here goes old post number one.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Deslandes, Haiti

I am back in Deslandes, where I can once again breathe clean(er) air- there aren’t constant burning smells, but still, occasional garbage burning.

Ian Thomson, fellow Canadian, friend, and killer woodworker, arrived on Wednesday to what was a perfect introduction to Haiti. Our ride, from St. Geste & Jean Baptiste, had been waiting at the airport since 10am, for another friend of Ospri’s. Ian’s flight arrived on time at around 1:30, and the boys decided to take us to GrassRoots where we could relax, while they returned to the airport to wait for Mabi. They didn’t really know what time Mabi would arrive, or what airline she had flown with- they had very little definite information, apart from the fact that she was flying in from California. So, we went to GrassRoots, which was great, as we got to tour the various buildings, and then at some point, St. Geste & Jean Baptiste came in, saying that Mabi hadn’t arrived after all. They had spent an entire DAY at the airport, in extreme heat, and she didn’t arrive!

So, then our hair-raising drive to Verrettes. It seemed like a regular trip to me, but I’m certain Ian thought he was going to done for a couple of times. People passing on every side, driving the wrong way down the road- the regular driving habits here.

We passed by several forest fires in the mountains (which of course, Ian, as a fire fighter, noticed first!), and then, it was heart-wrenching to see his reaction as we passed by a fire that was right beside the road- he said that back in Canada, three vehicles would have already stopped to help out there, but we kept on rolling, of course, as did everyone else. Actually, as an aside, I saw my first firetruck since coming to Haiti as I was waiting for Ian to arrive- it was a giant truck, with black smoke belching out of it, and an engine that sounded like it could kak out at any point in time!

Then, we thought we were coming to Deslandes that night, but Jean Baptiste was tired, so he decided we would just go to Verrettes, as it was closer. The problem is, his cousin had the house key, so he dropped us off at a bar and he went to get the key. Ian was tired, so when Jean Baptiste returned, I suggested he take Ian home and get him tucked in, and then he could return and we would order dinner. A few minutes later, they both arrived back at the restaurant…exclaiming that there weren’t any beds in Verrettes. Jean Baptiste had somehow forgotten that the beds had been brought to Deslandes, in anticipation of all of the guests who were coming in. Oh boy! So, Jean Baptiste suggested we go to his cousin Tina’s, and sleep there. He took Ian, and I stayed at the bar, waiting for dinner to arrive. After we ate, and got to Tina’s, Ian’s room had just been readied, but Tina told me I would have to wait for a few minutes for her to fix up my room. Ian & I hung out in his room, and I’m sure we chatted for at least 30 minutes or so…and at 11:15, Ian went to sleep…and my room wasn’t ready until 1:00am! I was soooooooo tired. And as these things go, Jean Bap woke us up at 6am, saying we had to go. So, very little sleep that night.

We made it to Deslandes, got the lay of the land, and I had some really nice cuddles & welcomes from my sweet little friends here. Ian & I planned out the washroom, but somehow didn’t get to working on it, apart from staking it out. It was extremely hot, so we went to sit under a shady tree. Some of my wee friends found me, and came and sat with me, wanting to hold my hand and cuddle. Oh, fill me, fill me! That was such a nice welcome!

Today was much more productive, although it was as hot as yesterday. We dug out the trench, along with Ionel, a local fellow. The trench is now filled with gravel, and we got the earth bags leveled & filled as well- so that feels good. Onward with a poured bond beam, and then the larson trusses. Looking forward to it!

Ospri, Mike, Mabi et al. are arriving tonight. It turns out that Mabi  arrived today, and not yesterday in the end. So, look forward to seeing the gang, and to making more progress on the washroom. 

Who is that blanc? Is he EVER blanc!

Ian, crossing the Artibonite River.

We had many willing volunteers on the jobsite- all under the age of 16!!!

A lovely house on the way into Deslandes. We hiked in a different way from previously.

The kids took to Ian quickly- he had lots of tricks, from juggling to whistling to playing with sticks. They seemed fascinated with his nose...

This large tree is on the field by the cemetary. Unfortunately, while we were sitting under the shade of this lovely tree, a funeral procession arrived at the cemetary, carrying a very tiny casket...