Indian River Habitat staff members Debbie Parcher, Sara Mayo and Jeff Gwinn travelled to Haiti as part of the 2011 Jimmy Carter Build. The following is Debbie's summary of the experience.
Facts: 400 volunteers built 100 homes in 5 days. The build site is 34 ½ acres of field. The homes are 200 square feet. All volunteers raised or paid a $5K minimum contribution to attend this work project (Our Habitat Affiliate received enough donations to send three people). 50K Haitian families pledged to assist in the project over the next five years. There are 700 Haitians employed by Habitat. The average temp in Haiti is 94 degrees. The 7.0 magnitude of the earthquake in 2010 killed 220,000 Haitians, and 1.6 million lost their homes. There are approximately, 595,000 Haitians still living in camps. When the project is completed, it is expected to provide housing for 500 families who were displaced after the earthquake. This is the 28th year for Carter Work Projects. Since 1976, Habitat has built, rehabilitated, repaired or improved more than 500,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 2.5 million people.
Arrival in Haiti: Flying into Haiti, the country appears to be a beautiful island surrounded by blue water and mountains. However, upon landing, you immediately begin to see the devastation of the earthquake and the dire current living conditions of the Haitian people. Along the airport runway, you see colorful small homes where reconstruction has already begun. On the other side, you see piles of rubble still lying around and temporary housing built from salvaged materials.
Work Week: Our stay in Haiti began as we flew into Port-au-Prince. We immediately boarded chartered buses , surrounded by armed security, and were transported directly to a secured compound (campground) called Christianville, from where we were transported daily to the secured worksite. Both the campsite and worksite are surrounded by razor wire, armed guards and Haitians living in temporary makeshift shelters. Our goal was to build 100 homes in 5 days using 400 volunteers.
Witness to the Devastation: On the drive from the airport to Leogane, we witnessed first-hand the devastation and the horrible living conditions. The area consists of clusters of makeshift shelters made from salvaged materials, no running water, no sanitation, no electricity and very limited transportation. People bathe and wash their vehicles in muddy creeks, haul water on top of their heads and sell goods along the side of the street in temporary storefronts. We witnessed men using scraps of metal/rebar to weld together parts to fix their motorcycles and trucks, women using scrub boards to clean their clothes, men pushing trucks out of huge ruts in the roads. Their transportation consists of walking, piling people into small trucks and onto scooters, motorcycles and bicycles. One woman was nursing a baby on the back of a scooter with her husband and another small child, while riding down the road. Haitians do not use seatbelts. There is no limit to the number of people allowed on trucks or other means of transportation. At times, there are three lanes of traffic going in no specific direction on dirt roads. It is common to see a single cow or goat tied to a post or children taking their cow or goat for a walk.
Cleanliness: The area surrounding the tents and temporary shelters is very clean. Everyone is clean, including their clothes. The children attending school wear spotless uniforms. The girls wear their hair braided with bright colored bows. There are piles of trash along the sides of the road because there is nowhere to dispose of garbage. The waterways and land are contaminated with human waste because there is no sanitation. They have gardens, but the water and land is contaminated by human and animal waste.
Safety: Most Haitians do not understand that Americans are trying to help. They believe were are taking their job opportunities and are being paid for our work. There are 1.6 million people who were displaced or left homeless after the earthquake. Therefore, building 100 homes means nothing to them. But, you have to start somewhere. Very few people wave and even in Haiti they know how to give someone the finger. We were not allowed outside of the compound or worksite during our stay. We had police escort to and from the worksite and airport with an armed guard inside the door of the buses. Even the U.S. Embassy personnel are under an imposed curfew and must remain inside during curfew hours. Transportation in Haiti is not reliable and poses a safety risk. Erratic driving, poor road conditions, and frequent accidents increase safety risks.
The Build: 400 volunteers from U.S. and some from other countries (like Ireland) came together for a 5-day build. Before our arrival, 100 concrete foundations were constructed. Our goal was to construct the walls and roof, build a front porch and hang doors and hurricane shutters. Homeowners come to the worksite but with limited skills and lack of understanding of the English language, their assistance is limited to carrying supplies and cleaning up around the worksite. Haitians stood outside the heavily guarded worksite and watched as we built the homes. The only Haitians allowed inside the worksite were families receiving housing, and security personnel. On day 5, all homes were roofed in, but some did not get the porches completed or doors and shutters hung. The teams consisted of approximately 8 skilled and unskilled volunteers. It definitely takes teamwork to complete the build. The land purchased for this project will eventually hold 500 completed homes. The home consists of 200 square feet and is basically used for sleeping and shelter from the weather. There is no kitchen or bathroom inside. Each home will receive an outhouse and somewhere in the complex there will be running water. They will continue to cook outside. When they move in, they will see the mountains out their back door, and new neighbors out the front door. Three openings are covered with hurricane shutters that will help provide circulation to keep them cool. The floors are concrete and the walls are just studs not drywall. Habitat builds simple, decent and affordable housing.
Homeowners & Children: Because of the high unemployment rate, Habitat is not following their normal sweat equity and payment guidelines. One family that will live there has 4 children, and both the mother and father have severe health issues and are unable to work at this time. A tumor was recently removed from the mother. The other family is a single mother with two children. On the last day, we took pictures with the families who would be living in our homes. They were very excited to see themselves on the camera screen. For many or all, this was the first time they had ever seen themselves. They have no mailing address so there is really no way to mail copies of the pictures to them. The parents and children are very polite. They gave everyone a kiss on our cheek to show their appreciation. In Haiti, there is no time for whining and complaining. They just move forward each day. Often the parents will go without food for a day or two to ensure their children are fed. The homeowners do have cell phones but we have no idea how they pay or receive a bill. We assumed they are throw away phones. While this may seem extravagant, there is no other means of communication. There is no mail, no faxes, no emails and no phones. Their communication without a cell phone is limited to word of mouth. The children attend school houses with walls, a roof and benches. Their playground consists of a couple of old steel swing sets. On the way back to the airport, I saw children playing basketball and soccer in a local park. Otherwise, their entertainment appears to be based on their own creativity.
Compound: Christianville (aka campsite) consisted of 50+ tents, cold showers, toilets (yeah), cots with a piece foam for mattress, mosquito netting, cafeteria with AC and entertainment area. The campsite was surrounded with razor wire, armed guards and 24/7 security lights. We had the privilege of meeting, working and eating alongside President and Mrs. Carter. Therefore, we had the added security of their personal secret service. Feeding 400+ hungry people was no easy task. I discovered that I’m quite picky about appearance, texture and taste. Needless to say, I missed my peanut butter and jelly. Next time I would definitely pack PB&J and Gatorade packets. Every night we had entertainment. It was a great honor to meet and shake hands with President Carter and his wife along with Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. They were all there building houses and eating meals with us. One night, Garth and Trisha surprised us by singing a few songs for evening entertainment. I had the opportunity to have my photo taken with Garth and Trisha but opted out, but did take their picture. Typical guy, Garth looked great with his ball cap or cowboy hat and casual dress. Trisha even looked great without any makeup. The Carters, Garth and Trisha were very friendly and sat down and ate the same food we did. We believe they stayed in a house next to the compound. Not a fancy house; only a few steps above tents and cots. After a few days of taking their pictures, we left them alone to eat in peace. Some were lucky enough to have them sit at their table on any given night.
Worksite: HOT! HOT! HOT! The temp averaged 95+ degrees every day. The heat inside the porta potties was extremely HOT! The volunteers went through 4,000 to 5,600 bottles of water a day just to keep hydrated. They passed out electrolyte packets as well. Habitat provided everyone with a tool pouch, goggles, gloves, metric tape measure, air masks, hard hats, a hammer, etc. The material was precut so there was not a lot of cutting, etc. Nails and screws were used to build the homes. There were no nail guns or machinery to lift the beams. All the work was manually done by skilled and unskilled volunteers. After a day or so, we got used to armed security guards standing by our houses and secret service walking around. Each day, we left at 5 am and returned back to the compound before dusk. There were a few people who got dehydrated and I was one of them. Fortunately they had a great medical staff, although with limited supplies. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. We only had a few minor cuts and bruises and a couple cases of heat exhaustion. How President Carter does this at 87, I have no idea. He just had two knee replacements and still worked. Rosalyn showed up and worked, too.
Local Shops: Roadside stands took on an entirely different meaning in Haiti. The people were lined up under their makeshift stand selling their wares. It was common to see several people next to each other selling the same products. They had barber and beauty shops, auto supplies, fresh food including fish, chicken, bananas, vegetables, soda, beer, sacks of rice, etc. They also sold motor oil, scrap metal, tall stakes to secure your tent or make a protective fence.
Overall Experience: Cultural shock; better understanding of the damage caused by earthquake and lifestyle of people living in a Third World country; Inspired by their spirit to move forward; gained a new appreciation for all the conveniences of home I take for granted every day; A small understanding of what life is like in Haiti. Even though 100 homes are insignificant in the overall picture it is one step closer to a better life for some. I’m honored to have been given this opportunity to serve others.
If you ever have the opportunity to work on a Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, you will not be disappointed.
