Wet & Wild – Administrators June Trip

 The trip to Haiti in early June became a bit of an adventure.  There were four of us.  All had been to Haiti for 10 or more visits, so we thought we’d learned what to expect.  We were wrong.

Think about a typical US cloudburst – a real “gulleywasher.”   They typically last about 10 minutes – maybe half an hour.  Think about a cloudburst lasting all day…and all night…and the next day…and the next night.  That’s lots of rain.

It didn’t start that way.  The day we arrived in Boileau was a typical sunny day. There was a picturesque little creek flowing across the road, just outside the clinic walls. It splashed a little as we drove across. When we left, after three days of rain, it was a raging river.

The clinic was closed since neither nurses nor patients could cross the river.  Only five or six people showed up for Sunday mass…and they might have been some of the crowd that took refuge in the school building because their homes were flooded. We were afraid the flooded rivers might strand us halfway between Boileau and Port au Prince; we would miss our return flight.  But, with Alix as a driver and Moise as our navigator, we made it.  (Moise promised that, if the situation required, he would sit up on the hood and part the waters, like his namesake, Moses.  Fortunately, we didn’t need to test his “parting of the waters” capability.)  Sue and I just sat in the back seat, eyes wide with amazement at the flooding–and took a bunch of pictures – and prayed.  Someone suggested calling the trip, “Wet and Wild”.

Before the Rains

These two pictures are the same scene, one before the rain and one after. 

You will notice that in the first  picture, before the rain, the creek is barely identifiable as water. 

The River after the Rains

   After the rain, the little creek has become a mighty river.

Picture of one of the many refugee tent camps throughout Haiti.

Haitian Pilgrims – Stewardship trip

Howdy Pilgrims,

As we discussed at the meeting, four members are going to Haiti during the first week of June as another of “Stewardship” trips (Sue, Alix, Moise, and me).  We will spend the week in Boileau learning and listening – and doing a little talking.

We want to understand the situation in Boileau: confirm progress on the projects; confirm we both have the same understanding about future directions.  Part of the function of the “stewardship trip” is to perform due diligence on behalf of the donors, to confirm that money is being used as promised.  We’ve not had problems in this area, but we have a strong obligation to donors to make certain.  So, in addition to the quarterly reports which they send to us, the trips make it very clear to all that we will be there, in person, to see.  Alix frequently quotes someone who said:  “trust, but verify”.

This trip will direct special attention to expanding employment opportunities within Boileau. Yes, “expanding” from zero is a challenge – but everything helps. This trip we will also increase our role in providing some “guidance”.  In the past we have made suggestions – gently coaching-and they’ve been very willing to accept our suggestions.  This trip we’ll probably step outside their “comfort zone”.  Some topics for special attention will include:

• establishing a mill at Boileau  (for grinding grains such as soy and corn)
• using the school building for “two shifts” – primary school during day; trade  school at night
• expanded loans from micro-credit for bigger projects (like $4,000 to purchase  oxen to plow the fields)

One possibility we’ll explore is whether/how the village can establish a “barber shop”.  Wahl Clipper company donated half-dozen, heavy-duty hair clippers to plant a seed-possibly a small job-training and possibly the initial capital investment for a local barber shop.  We’ll explore how they can keep more pennies circulating within the village rather than paying for services in Cavaillon.

So, we will learn, but we also plan to coach and guide.  Keep us in your prayers.

Mike

The good news is the biggest fear was averted: the epidemic spread of cholera across the crowded slums has not yet happened. It still could, but steps toward prevention are possible. The bad news is that cholera is now in Haiti. A year ago, with all the problems Haitian villagers faced each day, the cholera bacteria was not present. Now it is. The doctor in Boileau says matter-of-factly, “Cholera is here. We have to learn to live with it.” We are working with the doctor at our clinic in Boileau to expand cholera prevention.

The fear, of course, is that they really do not have the basic tools to protect against the threat of rapid transmission. The school in Boileau is a perfect example. Every day, more than 800 students and teachers from different households gather at school. If any of them bring the bacteria with them, the risk of spreading is very high since there are no hand-washing facilities. In turn, if a student or teacher carries the bacteria home, the risk of contagion within the household is very high since limited access to water reduces the possibility of hand washing at homes.

We are working with the doctor at our clinic in Boileau to expand cholera prevention. Education about the risks has been our first priority.

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