Aizawl Again - April 16th

The silence is deafening! It is sometime in the early morning, and the power in out. No fan, no lights. Even the birds and bugs are unplugged. My internal clock is shot, and I never really had the chance to reset my mind after Haiti so here I lay with a thousand voices screaming in my head and no sound to drown them out. This is not the time or place to deal with Haiti, so I will occupy my mind with more immediate and familiar issues.

Getting to Aizawl, again, is never an easy task. The worst part is that you can only fly there from Kolkata, and that means spending a night in Kolkata. This time around, however, the experience was comparatively good! It was 43 degrees when we arrived, but there was a room at the airport and the air conditioner worked. I even got water to come from the shower head! We managed to board the aircraft to Aizawl with a set of badly distorted permit papers. Photocopiers these days!

Rama met us with a truck, and off we went to find all the hotels full. This sounds familiar, eh? The very helpful young lady at David’s Kitchen hotel took a while to recognize me without the beard, but, when she did, she gave me that familiar big smile and said I looked 10 years younger, very good. I figure any time you are told you look very good after 40 hours of flying, it is a banner day. We spent the night in a very nice, private residence. I look at Aizawl differently after having been to Haiti. I love Aizawl--one of the last places that really took my breath away--but in the light of my earthquake experience, I feel less comfortable here now.

The voices screaming in my head are not the voices of earthquake survivors but the voices of average people all over the world screaming at each other. I have had too many conversations lately about how this group of people are bad or how that group of people needs to go away. I am uncomfortable with prejudice, although we all possess it to some degree. People should be judged on their actions, not the color of their skin, the spelling of their last name, or the church they attend or don’t attend. We are all different, but we are all together on one very small rock that is getting much smaller! Within any group, there are people who want to make a positive difference. Those are the people I want to work with; those are the people I want to support.

No Rest for the Wicked

I can't believe I have been back from Haiti for 6 days already, and tomorrow I leave for India! Some mornings I am not sure if I can use the tap water to brush my teeth; I have to stop and think of what country I am in first. Although life is a blur for me these days, there are some recurring themes that pop up regardless of where I lay my head:

Be thankful for what you have! The people of Thor's camp reinforced for me the idea that we are better off to be thankful for what we have than to complain about the things we don't have--a lesson I need to remember, especially coming from a country with so much. Don't stop trying to improve your lot in life, but make sure that which you seek will truly bring improvement. Spend more time reflecting on what you have.

Be thankful for who you have! It is the people in your life and the community you create that will be there for you when you need help. There is a great Haitian proverb that, translated loosely, says, "cooked food has no master." The evidence of community in Haiti is overwhelming, and I am jealous of them. Not everyone in the camp are best friends, but when one family gets food, everyone eats. The knowledge that they are stronger together than they are apart is something that they live by but that we too often forget. And now I am off to India--again to a community that truly believes that together they are stronger than they are apart.

Be thankful for the time you have! Life is short; it can be very short. Working in disaster zones makes you value life and the short time we have on this earth. I have often said I would rather live 50 years like a lion than 100 years like a chicken. Live each day to the fullest; don't put off opportunity, and don't put off connections. To seriously paraphrase: do what is just, love constantly, walk humbly.

In true Scottish style, I want my tombstone to read, "he got his money's worth!" But let's not put that tombstone up any time soon. I'm not done yet!

Hope Floats...

...or, more to the point, hope stays dry. I am done taking damaged building pictures. I can’t take another. I have seen enough darkness. I know it is there; I don’t need any more reminding. I need all my attention to be focussed on looking to the light. Hope is contagious. I caught it from the people in Camp Thor.

Things have changed in Port au Prince in the last month--some good, some not so good. I want to build on the good. When we arrived at Camp Thor a month ago, the mood was one of desperation, despair, and just a hint of hope. Not everyone believed that we would do anything other than look and leave--a pattern they had witnessed many times before. The mood that dominated was the never-ending tension in the camp. Sometimes it would flare up and then ebb a bit, but it was always there.

Today the predominant mood in Camp Thor is hope. People are smiling; kids are playing, making kites and laughing. Don’t get me wrong: there are huge problems still, but the mood has switched from tension to hope. There has not been a food delivery since ABW delivered food last month; the water money has dried up, so to speak; and employment is still scarce. But even in the face of all this, hope rises above all.

Why the change? Well, water makes a huge difference. Being able to wash your clothes, your hair, drink without fearing disease--these are huge factors--but the shelter project has added even more hope. Eleven men have steady work and will continue to have a job after this project ends. Families have a chance to be dry during the rain as soon as the roof is done. They move into the shelters during the night and move out during the day to complete the work. I noticed that my pictures taken in the camp this time have many smiling faces.

With such massive problems, why smile? Too many of us concentrate on what we don’t have instead of concentrating on what we do have. I admire the hope that floats through the camp. Some rubbed off on me, and I too have more hope. We all need to spend more time thinking about what we have and be thankful.

It Takes Time to Process by Karen Fyles

Prior to this trip to Haiti, I viewed many pictures and even first-hand video of the quake devastation. I talked with people who had visited Haiti soon after the tragedy and with a Haitian friend who was here at the time. None of that really prepared me for the magnitude of the situation. Having now spent three days here, I can only say I am still processing. We have spent hours driving through towns and countryside, and the damage goes on and on. Evidence of this catastrophic quake is everywhere. Tent camps dot the landscape. Some are well organized, sporting new tarps and tents, even lights in the evening. Others are put together from what can be found: sticks, sheets and blankets create a makeshift shelter. As the rainy season approaches, I can only imagine the misery of living in a blanket shelter.

In Camp Thor, the wood and sheet metal shelters are going up. Optimism is evident. Young men fill and carry buckets of rock and earth to create the raised floors. The carpenter and workers are busy building. After only a few days, people are moving in. These shelters, the size of a garden shed, are luxurious when compared with those in which people of the camp are currently living.

Food and water are a constant need. Current aid is short term and often intermittent. While aid is allowing people to survive in the short term, one can only wonder at the long term solutions. Haiti’s problems are complex.

Resiliency is evident here. Children keep busy building kites. Schools are not in session. Town centers are lined with stalls of fruit, veggies, grilled chicken, live chickens, ducks and turkeys, shoes, auto parts, newly cut sticks for shelter supports, whatever can be found to sell. Rubble piles line the streets as buildings are dismantled. Teams of workers making $5 a day cart rubble in wheelbarrows. Some rebuilding has begun. Life continues.

Haiti's problems are monumental. I feel conflicted about the role of the global community in providing aid. Haitians undeniably need help and will continue to need support for years to come. What that support looks like depends on your perspective. I feel priviledged to have had the opportunity to see first-hand Haiti's state of affairs. Haitian's are passionate, hospitable people who exhibit a strong entrepreneurial spirit. I am still processing how we can best help.

It Is a Man's Prerogative to Change His Mind!

First off, the shelters are going up! After some interesting politics and some supply issues, the work started about a week ago. Eleven men from the camp are working with Paco's foreman to build in a very manual way: 1x2 lumber is not available, so 1x4 lumber is ripped in half with two hand saws, one from each end. I think it becomes a bit of a race with men switching off the saws as they tire.

My question to Paco was if we could speed things up by getting two more saws? He replied that if I was serious about getting things done quicker, I would figure out how to get a generator on site so he could use his power saw. Now, those who know me know that I am opposed to generators in general. I launched into my usual reply about how the generator would put 4 men out of work and so on. He assured me that, when this project is done, he has many more lined up and that he would hire all the men to work on those projects. "Besides," he added.....

"THE RAINS ARE COMING!!!!"

Point taken, Paco. I am off shopping for a generator today!

Plugged Back In

What a great week off! It seems odd to me that, in my year off, I have only taken four weeks off. My favorite week off was the one I spent with my son on the west coast. I forget that although I have experienced many things, my kids haven't. It was even better to watch him experience things for the first time than for me to experience things for the first time. I could really enjoy his reaction and wonder.

My next best week this year was the trip with Murray to the Reno air races. There are not many people that would enjoy driving 5000 km in a week, but he and I did just fine. Attending the Reno air races was the second last thing on my bucket list, and it was great to share it with the man who was so influential in molding my working life. We spent many hours doing road math, with just enough time on the internet at night to verify our formulas and such.

The last thing on my bucket list was to try surfing. This week was a lot more work, but it was rewarding as well. I really appreciate the people who gave me good advice and the mothers who watched my stuff and took pictures for me! I should have done that trip about ten years ago!

Last week I unplugged and had a stay-cation. I needed a break from the neverending stream of emails and requests for my services. I needed to recharge, re-evaluate and reflect. Too many days have been spent sitting in my room in the basement pounding away on a keyboard, conference calling online and uploading photos. Being so connected was slowly causing me to disconnect.

I started the week by hosting my first dinner party. (Not exactly as shown above.) I made a complete turkey dinner including homemade buns! Ok, I had a little help, but it was mostly me. I have learned that I like to cook--which is handy because I love to eat! The best part is that I ate turkey leftovers for most of the rest of the week, made a big pot of turkey soup, and still put 6 turkey platter dinners in the deep freeze for later, if my son doesn't find them and eat them for late night snacks.

I took apart my big aquarium and rebuilt it with new everything: rocks, shells and fish. I am sure Big Al's and Pisces were really happy about this! I sexed all the guppy babies that have been born lately and split them up into different tanks, and I did it all without breaking anything or flushing any fish down the drain, I think.

I had more face to face contact with other people than I have had in a long time. I met new friends and re-connected with old friends. With the help of Carole and Wilma, we put on a presentation about my last trip to Haiti and auctioned off some great art work. Thanks to all who bid and donated. There will be 10 more people in Haiti drier and happier because of you, not to mention about a dozen artisans who are better able to look after their families.

I had some great times with my kids and grandkids. At one point there were 5 stinky boys in the house and only 2 girls. I mostly cooked and did dishes. It was great. I didn't cook all the time. I did get out to eat a few times. I had lunch with an old friend at a new-to-me Vietnamese restaurant called Saigon Y2K. Y2K? Where does that come from? Anyway, they serve a great simple lunch.

The week was not all good. I don't intend to discard my connected lifestyle. I became aware of all the people who I am only connected to by ether. I missed them. I have friends all over the world. Many started as work collaborators but have evolved into more. I guess I just took it for granted that I knew what the weather was like in northern India or how much rain Bolivia had this week. Knowing what the roads are like in Ontario became just as much a part of my life as what the roads are like in Alberta. I like to know what crop is coming off the fields in Kenya, or isn't coming off for that matter.

Here is the point. People matter. All people matter. At the end of the day family and friends are all I have that really matters. The stuff is great, but only if it is making it easier to connect with family and friends. I love the convenience of having my car so I can go and see the grandkids when I want, but as long as the car gets me there, it does not matter to me what it looks like. Being plugged in has given me the ability to have more people in my life, but being too plugged in can get in the way of the connections I have in front of my face. Life is about balance and the trick is find the balance that works best for you.

I am back to Haiti on the 29th, and I will be plugged in but not as plugged in as last time. I will blog while I am gone, but not every day. There are huge jobs to do down there, and they deserve my 100% attention. Thanks to all that have helped so far. If you aren't sure if you need to get involved, look up tonight as you lay in bed. If there is anything other than a bed sheet or a tarp over your head, you need to get involved!

...And They're Off!

The clouds broke this morning as we drove down to the camp to meet Paco, the contractor. I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have spent the night in the sheet tents that can be found in each camp. There is a saying here that Haitians would rather take a bullet than get wet. This is not a group of people you will find singing in the rain! Before we got to the camp, the sky was clouding over--motivation enough for all to work quickly!

As we walked from the truck to the camp the ground was muddier than any other day, and I could see were the ditches had been flowing fast, carrying debris down to the sea. Paco was waiting for us at the camp with the camp council, and we started the final meeting before breaking ground. It is very important that all the players are sing from the same song sheet--not an easy task when the parties involved speak English, French, Spanish and Creole. By the end of the meeting, the air was filled with a beautiful four-part harmony--music to my ears.

Paco took us to see a similar shelter that his crew had built in the yard where they are staying. We took a few from the camp to see as well. These are simple shelters, but so much better than a bed sheet! Paco impressed me with his design for the camp by describing the site drainage first and the housing second. It is all about the drainage, and he gets that! At one point, there was a very spirited exchanged between the women's representative and the men's representative in one or more languages, none of which were English. Ron informed me that the discussion was around why they were still talking, and not working! And...they're off! Tents have to come down to put a shelter up; the community will erect one set of houses a day so no one is outside for a night.

Two years ago, I was called to Africa to deal with some light/water issues. I had to leave the autodesk conference early to catch the plane. On my way out, my eye was drawn to a small wind-up flashlight that Autodraft was giving out. I immediately thought, "These would be very useful for many people I see when I travel." Getting to the outhouse in the dark while avoiding the elephants can be tough without light. I approach Claire, the owner of Autodraft, about getting a few to take. When I explained why I wanted them, she went to the back of her car and GAVE me about 150 lights! I brought the last of the lights with me to Haiti and left them with the matriarch of the camp to give to those most in need. It is amazing what the gift of light can do when there is only darkness around you! (Glance at the darkness, but look to the light!)

We leave tomorrow (I think I will be back soon), and although the skies are dark, there is a bit more light in the lives of one small group of Haitians because of those of you who have helped--helped with donations, helped with communication, helped with moral support, and helped with raising awareness back home! I cannot say thank you enough!

I Can See Clearly Now, the Rain Has Gone

The rain last night could only be described as torrential, and the sinking feeling I had was not only from the mud under my sandals. We thought we had some time before the rainy season hit, but this seemed to say we were wrong and already too late. We have started to build a great relationship within the camp; not only have we showed up more than once, but we actually did something. Many people come and go, promises are made, but nothing comes of it. Cynicism is inevitable. Despair seeps in. Tensions rise. But in the last three days, A Better World has turned on the tap to 1000 gallons of clean water and will continue to supply water for six weeks, until the community can figure out how to buy their own or how to bring in town water. ABW and Indajoven brought the only health clinic the community has seen, and while the clinic was running, ABW made up 300 food hampers for the camp.

Yesterday afternoon, Pat and I were standing near the water tanks talking about fine tuning the system, and Thor was nearby talking with the community leaders. All of a sudden, Thor broke out in gales of laughter. The committee had been saying, "Just get us tarps. We can't afford to build these shelters you are proposing. We know how; we just can't afford it." When Thor quit laughing he explained to these men that they only had to build the shelter, that we would buy the materials. I cannot describe the range of emotions that rolled across their faces, but the final expression was undeniably relief! I am a father and a grandfather, and I know the worry they feel about the health and safety of their families. Their true level of deep concern did not become apparent until today.

Today the rubber hit the road! We met with Paco, the contractor, today about the shelters. I believe strongly in consulting local expertise and combining the best of both worlds. Pat and I have designed a solution for the camp buildings, then we redesigned them, then the rain hit and desperation to get more people under cover for the same money had us redesign them again. After all that, walking into this meeting, I truly believed we had the minimalist solution. Meanwhile, however, Paco had been meeting with the camp council and developed a much more detailed plan, including the number of people per family. Here is what they are asking for: 1.5 square meters per person (that is 16 square feet per person). Let me put that into perspective for you: in Alberta, if you want to rent out a single room, it cannot be less than 100 square feet! The request for space is half of what Pat and I considered to be the bare minimum. This means that the entire camp site will be able to shelter more people, IF we can come up with more funds. The upshot is that we have negotiated to get 44 families under cover. Work starts tomorrow! This is a great day for me, but an even better day for one small group of unfortunate Haitians. Thank you for everyone who has supported us so far. You cannot understand what a huge difference you have made. You just can't possibly understand! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Printing, Packing, and Pizza

Today was an odd day...a little of everything. I spent most of the morning drawing up the shelter plans. There was a bit of a time crunch because the printer lady was going home. She was very efficient before she left, however, and produced two copies of the plans Pat and I have settled on. In farm structures class I tell the students that if all they want to do is keep the outside out and the inside in then the cheapest way to do that is a pole frame building. It turns out, that is just what I need to do down here: keep the outside out and the inside in. So, guess what? We will start construction of a pole frame building on Saturday. We just received word that it is raining in Port au Prince tonight. By morning there will be a quarter million Haitians in varying degrees of wetness! Now is not the time to pontificate; now is the time to act!

Eric and Pastor Ron packed up today to head into Port au Prince. You know that a guy has not ever been camping when he asks you how to roll up a sleeping mat! Eric received his fair share of ribbing while he tried to get the air out of the mat and get it stuffed into the carrying case. He prevailed in the end,though. Pat and I stayed behind to finish up some things and to go to the artisan group in Jacmel tomorrow.

The food here has been great albeit a bit unusual. I am thrilled that it is not spicy! Tonight had fried chicken and pizza with potatoes and gravy. Not the usual combination, but it all was very good!

Last night, I had the munchies. I went into the kitchen and a few of the guys were there talking. When the subject of snacks came up, it was mentioned that there was a bag of animal crackers on the counter. I went to retrieve the bag and discovered more animal crackers than I have ever seen in my life. In fact, the bag weighed 30 pounds! They tasted great! I ate too many.

On the way to the beach there was a very nice little restaurant (was being the operative word.) Just about all that is left of it is the door and, sad as it is, the sign on the door is very funny. Have a look and tell me what you think the sign was supposed to say?

On the road tomorrow. I am anxious to get the community starting to build their new homes! I don't know if we will have internet from here on in. We are not staying at the same place as last time. (I guess when you run from a house scantily clad they think twice about asking you back! Go figure!) So, I don't know when you'll hear from me again, but 'til then, appreciate just how dry you are tonight.

Smile

I slept last night! The day looks brighter on a good night's sleep. Makes it a little easier to look to the light and forget the night. The previous night will be hard to forget, and it is important to remember that there are about 3 million people here who have had to repeat that night for six weeks now.

On a much lighter note, Ray from A Better World read my blog and sent Eric an email suggesting that we take adult diapers on the next trip. It seems he thought that Eric offered me a towel as I streaked passed him because the aftershock had literally scared the crap out of me! Eric explained that his offer was not because of any incontinence but because I had streaked past him. At this explanation, Ray laughed so hard that Eric was afraid Ray would need diapers. I want to set the record straight, however. I was not naked; I did have my underwear and glasses on! I am glad my experience could bring a smile to someone's face, at any rate. It didn't bring one to mine at the time, but, in the light of day, I have to smile, too.

Yesterday, Pat inspected a number of buildings for structural integrity and had to deliver some bad news to some families, but was able to offer suggestions to others on how to repair their houses. Some houses received a clean bill of health, and that is the kind of news that will put a smile on your face. There are some very clear trends emerging about why some structures failed and others didn't, but I won't bore you with the technical details here. Unfortunately one of the buildings that had to come down was the trade school here at the Haiti Arise campus.

We walked out to look at a potential site for a clinic and school, and what struck me was the irony of Haiti's gang culture. Pre-earthquake, Haiti worked long and hard to clean up the gang problem, to get rid of the colors. Now there is a new type of gang culture with the the makeshift tents acting as symbols of the organizations at work aound them: blue tarps mean Samaritan's Purse; white tarps mean Canadian armed forces; white helicopters mean the UN...You know helicopters always put a smile on my face.

We went to a local hospital because the team doctor had some questions. Pat and I were drawn to the building's damage and concluded that this hospital had probably had the roof removed by a hurricane sometime in the last few years, only to be damaged again by this! Our suspicions were later confirmed. We stopped at the local government school to find it in good shape but not functioning yet. Schools have children, and children always have smiles, even after an event like this! There is a lot to be learned from children.

There was a comment made about my pictures, that there are none of me smiling. I guess that is because I have had little to smile about. Not that because I am depressed or feel hopeless, but just because there are more questions than answers (and maybe because there is not enough sleep!) I started drawing up plans for temporary housing in the camps today--an answer! Pat agrees we are on the right track with the design and approach--an answer! I am involved with supporting an artisan co-op to export their work--an answer! The piles of questions in my mind are being cleaned up. Even my body got a break today; it was so hot we had to retire to the sea, and that put a BIG SMILE ON MY FACE!

Shaken, and Stirred

It was after midnight before I turned in and some time after that before the adrenaline turned to deep sleep, but, tired as I was, at 4:36 this morning I went from a dead sleep to highly alert. As I leapt from my matress, the first thing to go through my mind was my mother's voice saying, “You should always wear PJs to bed,” but I don’t. The second thing to go through my mind was the knob on the dressser. Apparently, I had rolled over in the night, and, when I lunged out of bed, I lunged from the wrong side of the matteress into the nearest piece of furniture. What did not go through my mind was if the shaking was caused by a truck; in no time at I I was fully aware that no truck was causing the tremor that woke me. Aftershocks are an effective way to stir one from slumber!

We are all fine, and there was no new damage in the area around where we are staying--none that I can tell, at least. It would be tough to know if some of these buildings are more damaged today than yesterday. It is tough to get back to sleep after that type of an awakening, but I tried. Needless to say, the day started at 4:30 a.m.

There was no water this morning, and it is very hot today, so I bet I smell pretty ripe. I did get some texts out, but communication is tough and very sporadic. I got a connection at lunch long enough to let my family know we are fine and to get a broader message out via Facebook. Thanks to my editor for getting an update on the blog site as soon as she knew we were safe. That is a big help. But enough about me...

We have been working on getting water to Thor’s camp for a few days now. We met with the camp council this morning to work out the final details. We then left them to build a stone pad 1.5 meters high for the tanks while we went to the bank to get money. As it turns out, they can build faster than we can get cash. We have tanks in place tonight, and the water truck is ordered for tomorrow. This does not fix the problem; the water has to be paid for, but the residents will have to work that out. A Better World will supply the first six-weeks worth of water, but then they need to sustain themselves.

I now have three building proposals to talk over with myself: standard wood frame with a stressed skin (inspired by the Hawker Hurricane), a pole frame (inspired by a 1960s' hay shed), and a ridged steel frame hoop house on steroids (inspired by insanity, I suppose...the Gordon Gilchrist 2010 variety). Coming up with these options has been kind of a trip down memory lane for me. Who would have dreamed that what I learned in aviation school might keep earthquake survivors dry decades later?! I need to have a solid plan in place soon so we can get started ASAP; the rains are coming! I have promised myself (and Eric) that I will bring these semi-permanent shelters in for a $1000/family. Remember, that amount won't buy you much of a garden shed in Canada, but they would be happy to have one here.

I was shaken awake and stirred into action this morning and have not stopped since--not stopped thinking at any rate. Keep us in your prayers, your thoughts, and your cheque books. The Haitians have labour, building materials, and a huge need. All they lack is a little help ($$$) which we can provide. Thanks to all who have sent comments, emails, and words of support. Remember, for every person who comes down here to help, there should be 100 people behind them at home. Nothing happens without your support, THANK YOU!!!!