It’s been 30 days of Project Leogane, and we’re off to a running start! Check out this brief video recapping our first month of programs, as well as our Haiti photo collection on flickr.
Here’s a quick look at what we’ve been working on and how we’ve ramped up.
Rubble
In one month, we’ve cleared over 30 slabs! Land is extremely limited in the urban/semi-urban areas most affected by the earthquake, so each home that we clear is a chance at a fresh beginning, a jumpstart to the rebuilding process. Our volunteers have thrown themselves into the work, sledge hammering concrete roofs and columns, hack sawing twisted rebar, and pushing loaded wheelbarrows. Also emerging from the rubble are the stories of each family who lived there; they’ve worked alongside us to clean up, salvage what they can, and begin rebuilding.
Special thanks to the kids of Leogane who work cheerfully and energetically with our teams each day! Their attention to safety is rewarded with a wheelbarrow ride through the neighborhood. The Canadian army has also been a tremendous asset to the city of Leogane with their heavy equipment and can-do attitude. Once HODR teams fill the streets with rubble, they arrive to truck the debris away.
Wilner’s House
At one potential rubble site we noticed that the homeowner, Mr. Wilner, had a sizeable quantity of salvageable materials that could be converted into a self-built temporary shelter. Some kind of built shelter is preferable to a tent because it can be designed to have a larger floor area, higher clearance (you can stand up inside it), it can be partitioned for privacy, and it can be expanded and modified as needed. Mr. Wilner asked if we could work with him to demolish, salvage, and then rebuild. Four days later, he and his family moved in to their new shelter. The wood frame/corrugated iron roof and wall structure will keep them dry and means that they no longer need to live in a camp.
Infrastructure
One of our biggest programs has been building our own infrastructure so we can house the hundreds of volunteers scheduled to come lend a hand. We started with an enclosed basketball court/defunct nightclub and have spent the last four weeks wiring electricity, installing plumbing, outfitting a kitchen, building shelves, bunk beds, showers, and connecting the internet. Our setup is still a rustic work in progress, but it allows us to get our work done each day and enjoy a (cold bucket) shower each night! The intensive (and ongoing) infrastructure process has also allowed us to hone our skills and support other organizations with their infrastructure needs.
Hopital St. Croix Field Hospital
Next door to our base is a field hospital which will transition into the permanent medical facility for Leogane, the Hopital St. Croix. Teams of Haitian and international doctors are working together to provide a full range of clinical and hospital services at no charge to the community. HODR is supporting the hospital with both infrastructure build-out and operations/administration.
We started with a fencing project around the perimeter of the hospital; now we’ve expanded and are framing and building triage and clinic buildings. On the admin/operations front, we have a crew organizing the extensive supply/pharmacy inventory at the hospital and developing an inventory system that can be transferred to the local staff. Volunteers are also slotting in as “runners,” helping the doctors to move patients, run tests, take vitals, get supplies, and whatever else is needed to keep the hospital moving.
Ayuda Haiti Field Hospital
Another clinic/hospital in town is the Ayuda Haiti facility, which hosts a variety of medical groups. We’re working with their logistics people to build showers, hand washing stations, shelves, and more. Helping these other organizations with their infrastructure is a way for us to share our skills and support the work that these groups are doing in the community.
JLB
The HODR base may be different than you’ve ever seen it. In addition to our building, we also have a 5 acre field as a backyard. We plan to develop the field into a joint logistics base (JLB), where we’ll provide storage, prefabrication, and staging facilities to a number of partner NGOs working in the area. These NGOs are launching significant transitional shelter programs, and our combination of volunteers and space will allow us to help them in their efforts to help our neighbors here in Leogane.
To begin with, a team of Canadian Army engineers and heavy equipment operators spent 5 days building a gravel road and platform for us. Then the World Food Program (WFP) donated 2 Wiikhalls (30’x100’ tents) and a team of their engineers erected both tents in about 1 ½ days! Next is a perimeter security fence and then we hope to have multiple NGOs sharing space with us.
Team Tarp
HODR volunteers are great at exceeding expectations to the point of ridiculousness. Oxfam America contacted us because they’re cutting rolls of UV-resistant tarp into large pieces for distribution to families in camps. However, after a couple weeks of work, they weren’t processing the tarp fast enough. In 3 days, our team cranked through 120 rolls, cutting and packaging 1200 tarps and ropes for distribution. This morning, a truck picked them up, and they’re on their way into communities that need them.
Plaza Playtime
Another HODR tradition is to facilitate “safe space” play for children in the local community. Each weekend, volunteers put down their shovels and pick up soccer balls, jump ropes, and markers, for an exuberant afternoon of laughter and play. We’ve taken this program to various camps in our area, and children of all ages (adults too!) join in the games.
Hosting
With the lack of accommodation options in Leogane, we’ve been able to host multiple groups of architects and structural engineers who came as volunteers to inspect the buildings in our community. We had special guests from the Mentor Initiative pass through our base as they strive to control mosquito born diseases in our area. Last weekend we had a team from Acupuncturists without Borders provide a group therapy session. The stress reduction treatment was needed and appreciated by the volunteers and some of the community members alike.
Thanks to our volunteers, donors, and followers for your tremendous support through this event. The momentum from those initial 3000 volunteer inquiries continues and powers us as we work, live, and learn with our neighbors in Leogane.
I’d also like to thank a few key volunteers who helped International Operations Director Marc Young, Project Director Jeremey Horan, and myself to set up and launch this program. Sinead Clear, Chris Turner, Lenka Blanarova, Gilbert Fortil, and Richardson Pierre all arrived during our setup period and have worked tirelessly to get HODR Project Leogane operational. Because of their help and that of the first wave of volunteers we are up and running!
Stefanie Chang
Project Director
Project Leogane
Hands On Disaster Response
During the summer of 2008 HODR set up a project in response to the unprecedented flooding that affected more than 5000 homes in the greater Cedar Rapids, Iowa area. Our work focused on responding to the immediate needs of the community by providing them with teams of volunteers to help clean out flood-affected homes. Throughout the course of the project we coordinated over 2000 volunteers and worked on 400+ homes, benefiting hundreds of families. As the project progressed HODR moved into rebuild activities, helping homeowners navigate the permitting process, installing and finishing drywall, and providing mini-grants to cover shortfalls in rebuilding materials to get families one step closer to returning home.
Project Cedar Rapids – Rebuild is HODR’s first-ever “planned” response, as opposed to an immediate disaster response project. In addition to partnerships with local organizations, we are very grateful to have the support of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, AEGON Insurance and the Cedar Rapids Home Builders Association, who are providing funding for the materials and project.
