...construction work while I was in Haiti.

Most of the 5 weeks I spent there last February/March was spent building a community workshop. The workshop’s purpose is to be a place for the local Haitians to be able to come and build things that they needed to help rebuild their lives. Part of what we did was setup a large shipping container filled with tools for the locals to use. We also formed an automotive pit using concrete so that they could come and work on their vehicles, as well. The workshop also functions as a staging ground of other aid organizations to come and build things, work on their vehicles, and borrow tools. We had everything from automotive tools, welding tools, to carpentry/masonry tools. I mainly poured concrete and worked on electrical wiring (though one weekend I did build a small three sided shelter for the guards to use to stay out of the rain/sun). The project was fairly large in scope (the basic framing and roofing of the facility were already finished when I go to Haiti), but we also took our time so that while we were working we could teach the local Haitians to do what we were doing so that the would hopefully have some skills that they could use to possibly get a job or open a business with.

I also helped build a house in one of the large tent camps in Port Au Prince and helped a nun who was running a very small medical clinic add some electrical outlets and lights to her facility (a yurt). Several times, I also went out to schools to in Port Au Prince to help a woman teach cholera education classes to the students and faculty. I cooked for everyone at the compound one night, as well, before leaving Haiti.

It sounds busier than it was. I did work hard and work a lot of days, but we also had a lot of down time. I went to the beach a few times and spent most of the last week I was in Haiti just doing some site seeing (though I poured a sidewalk the last day I was in country). I’ve started to write a few blog posts about the experience several times. I’ve only got a small portion of it finished (I seem to have trouble describing Haiti and what it meant to me, honestly). If you’d like to take a look, my blog is here. (Though I’m ashamed to say I haven’t written in it for months.)