Haiti Day 5 and 6

I found out from Elias that Saturday and Sunday are more casual days.  However Berman, our Purchaser has to buy some materials for our Cash for Work construction projects and David, our warehouse man was unavailable on Saturday.  So I told Berman that I would go with him since I also have keys to the warehouse.  Berman told me he would be in by 7 am and we would leave at 7:30.  I had a pretty good night sleep and was ready to go a little before 7 am.  Berman was nowhere to be seen.  So i returned to the upstairs office area where i hang out with Elias on the weekends.  I went downstairs at 7:30 am and still no Berman.  I left him a note saying I had been at his desk at 7 and 7:30 and that I was available upstairs. 

He arrived about 8:30 and we left for what I thought was the warehouse but it was to a building supply store.  Berman had to complete the sale, hire a truck and pay laborers to load it.  They loaded on 120 2x4x16 feet lumber, some doors, wire mesh and angle iron.  I sat in the air-conditioned car that Joseph, the driver, moved to get it in the shade.  There was some kind of argument with the truck driver over whether he was going to transport the plywood or not.  We headed out past a UN military compound and the US Embassy on our way to the warehouse.

When we arrived I was surprised to see how much food had been dropped off - the "mistake" that Nelson had spoken to David about:  600 - 55 lb bags of Rice, 81 - 50 k (22.7 lb) bags of Sugar and 64 cases of Mazola Corn Oil, each having 8 - 64 ounce bottles.  As Nelson had expressed to David, this warehouse was for construction materials. I took the inventory of all the additional food that was there before David's mistake, which includes 858 cases of rice; 45 - 50 lb bags of beans; another 30 - 20 lb bags of rice; 650 packages of Speghetti and 120 boxes of shampoo and rinse.

After the lumber and doors were unloaded, Berman informed me that the plywood he had ordered would not be delivered until Monday.  So we locked up and headed home to the office.  I updated Elias on my morning and the need for him to meet with the other program head, who are responsible for food and other distributions and our need for warehouse space.  We also asked Berman, who speaks a fair amount of English, to check on our one hot meal a day, our blessed chicken leg, with rice and beans. 

Did I say earlier that we do not have a kitchen?  We have an office space with a small refrigerator, a table for holding some dishes, some food items, like raisins (Praise the Lord), cereal, coffee, tea, canned food, some US military MRE's (haven't the faintest idea how to prepare them), peanut butter (yeah!) and beef Jerky.  In the refrigerator is some "nuclear" milk that does not need to be refrigerated, some native grapefruit, some bread and some unidentified food stuff.  This is how we fend for ourselves for breakfast and supper. 

Up to Saturday, I had a Styrofoam container with a chicken leg or thigh and beans and rice delivered to my desk sometime between 12 noon and 2 pm.  It usually included a cold (relative) bottle of coke or 7-up.  We finally had some food procured and I watched the elite 8 games on my computer, a little choppy, but doable.  I worked out and had a great call from Patty as I ate my PB and raisin sandwich, with a couple of slices of processed cheese on the side and a small cup of trail mix (from Costco) for dessert. 

I went to bed around 10 pm, in the first rain we have had.  It was not raining hard when I went to bed and the rooftop was dry when i arose at 5 am on Sunday - Palm Sunday.  We had to be ready to leave at 6:00 am to leave for a 6:30 am church service at Christ the Rock church, not far from us .  It is early to try and minimize the heat!  We arrived at a very large compound (almost all building are within a compound) that was a school and church.  "Home of the Warriors" painted on a wall of the basketball court showed our "western" influence.  We had passed scores of people all dressed up - woman in beautiful western dresses, complete with stiletto heels, trying to walk on non-existent sidewalks, strewn with rubble and debris.  (The church completely ccollapsed during the earthquake and 47 people were killed.)

After we parked with several cars, we walked down a packed gravel road to a area that had recently (post earthquake) that had been leveled the space large enough for a football field size circus tent with people poring in.  When we entered about 6:25 the folding chairs were 3/4 full and we took two seats together in the last row.  We could put 3 rows of these chairs and their spacing in the space of two rows at HCC.  We estimated the final standing room only , 3 deep in the back, to be between 3 and 4 thousand people!  The worship team was a drummer, a base player and a keyboard with 15 -20 singers.  The sound system was impressive, with the sound board at the mid-line of the tent about 5 rows ahead of us.  The tent floor was beautifully poured concrete.  

The music started after a prayer in Creole.  The songs were mostly in Creole but some started in English, familiar praise songs.  "Your my Prince of Peace and i will give my life to you" - all in Creole but unmistakable - i sang away in English.  Much hand raising and joyous praise from a people who were suffering by our standards before the earthquake.  I was very surprised to see a caucasian take the stage as the music wound down. He spoke to the audience in Creole.  Then he began to preach in English and a co-pastor translated.  The first thing he did was say a prayer to heal the earth - he then indicated that we had had another earthquake during the night.  Elias and I looked at each other in bewilderment.  (There was a 4.2 earthquake @ 2:17 am, 10 miles west of Port au Prince.  Our friend and co-worker Jillian, who was buried alive for 10 hours said she bolted up from her bed, ran through the mosquito netting and was ready to jump from the balcony as her husband, Frank, groggily asked, "Honey is there something the matter?")

His sermon was from Philippians  2 - having the same mind of Christ - that we should be the same person of integrity when people or watching as when we are unseen.  The pastor has led the congregation for 25 years.  This was one of two morning services and they have a youth service during the week. 

I spent the afternoon working on some unemployment documentation.  I just happened to be selected for an in-person job search log review on Monday at 10 am in Tacoma.  Not going to happen.  But I finally faxed and e-mailed all the info.  Started to watch the Lord of the Rings - a call from Patty, dinner and bed.  A very good day.  TTFN.

Haiti - Day 4 and 5

Good Morning!  I slept well again in my rooftop chalet au Coleman.  My computer was on the fritz so I had to watch the aerobics video without music.  I have no rhythm.  But I got a good work-out in.  Sweating like no tomorrow and the sun is not up yet.  Breakfast and quiet time on my exercise balcony. Cold shower (feels good) the bathroom has no ventilation and the concrete building holds heat.

I arrived at the logistics office downstairs at 7:00 am.  Nelson has me do the white board to set up the drivers for the day.  It is a fairly light travel day.  I am still sweating when others begin to come in.  They ask me, am I  "cho"?  (pronounced "show"), since my collar and the top of my shirt is wet.  I have to move my exercise until after work.  It took me two hours, or more with a fan to cool off.  I can honestly say I haven't felt cold since I arrived in Haiti.

Nelson, whom I am replacing, is not much of a check list kind of guy.  So I say to him, "When you have the time, I would like you to show me what I need to be doing while you are gone."  I have some small equipment and some supplies that I am supposed to check out - cameras and GPS units.  He hands me a thumb drive and says you should review these documents, about 30.  Many of them are forms to fill out or receive.  It doesn't take me long to go through them, but I know I won't understand them the way I will need to later.  We have a chance to go over the ones i had questions about.

Then we went to the warehouse.  I believe it is somewhere near the airport but don't ask me to get you there.  Nelson and I went with Bechamps, he is a Haitian who works with World Concern's (WC) "Orphans and Vulnerable Children's Program." He was going to meet some Haitian laborers to put some food packs together, rice and beans or 'diri e ous'.

Nelson and I went for me to see the warehouse and meet David who is the warehouse supervisor.  When we arrived a truck was there to pick up cement, corrugated metal sheets and 2x4x16' (real 2 inches by 4 inches) pine boards.  These were for the Cash for Work program of building temporary shelters and paying the unemployed Haitians to clear the rubble and build temporary structures - 11.5 sf per person under roof and 150 sf per person total space (including shelter).  For a family of 4.5 (ave in Haiti) this is a room about 13' x 13' on a space 27 ft x 27 ft..  My tent is 8ft x 7 ft and they say it is a 3 man tent -  but barely enough room for Patty and I to sleep, much less live.  The warehouse was rented for building materials but there is some left over food from the initial relief work.

Nelson pulls David aside and asks him about other WC programs using the warehouse.  He asks him about James.  Nelson says, "I am not going to change your decision, but James asked me about storing food here. And I told him 'no', two times.  Now you have said 'yes.'  So when you run out of room and have a problem, it is your problem."  David's eyes got really large and there was excuses like my phone was broken but Nelson wanted to make sure he knew that to get help he needed to ask for it and that you have to own the consequences of your own decisions. 

We got back and I finished looking at forms and called it a day.  I worked to try and help fix the audio on the computer for NCAA basketball and Skype.  I fixed myself a sandwich for dinner and waited to call to Patty.  We finally figured out that Skype has instant messaging and we did a Skype call without video and it was so delightful to hear her voice!  I got to see some NCAA basketball, albeit choppy video. And on to bed. 

Day 5

I was up about 5:30 am to jockey time in the bathroom with 4 others.  I was finished and down in Logistics by 7 am and Compare, the head driver, was working on the White Board - he needed some help so together we did well.  I went and grabbed a bowl of cereal for Breakfast.  Nelson and Susanna both went home today - Nelson to Nairobi and Susanna to Bolivia.  It will take Nelson until Monday (it is Friday) to get home!  I really like Susanna, she has been working here for 3 years - she has a husband and 1 yr old - she is trying to figure out how they can move here with her.  She returns to Haiti the day I leave - sad.

I worked on some forms until Nelson and Suzanne left at 11:00 am for the airport.  Before I really had time to come back to my desk, a woman, whose name I did not catch, came and said she was from the Emergency Program and needed to store some items in the "garage" storage.   I asked her when the truck would arrive and she said the truck was at the gate and had to wait for Nelson an Suzanne to leave to come in.  I reminded her that this was for temporary storage and asked her how much space she needed.  She said she understood but had a full truck.  I showed her what space i felt i could give her.  When they opened the side door of the truck, I could not believe how much stuff was in this truck.  It was packed from floor to ceiling - the size of a large moving van.  I asked her she had another warehouse - she said, "no."  They unloaded over 400 cases of items ranging from toilet paper, to Mazola Corn Oil to Body Soap.  When they filled the area I designated, the truck was still 80% full.  They wanted to put more in and i said no.  Elias arrived to save the day and reminded her it was 4 day storage only. 

They unloaded all the rest of the items in the compound parking area and covered them with tarps.  Later I spoke to Elias about the need for him reminding the other programs what the garage and warehouse is for and that by the end of the week, the garage should be empty.  This will be interesting.

When I returned to the office - I was planning on moving to Nelson's desk - when I walked in the door from the driveway, Compere, the head driver, was holding court at Nelson's desk, using Nelson's computer.  I waited until his audience left and then I indicated that I was moving there and he went back to his desk.
I finalized some new cards with emergency numbers and called it a day. 

I changed for my aerobics workout, in the evening this time.  Then as I cooled down, I made a sandwich and made a call to Patty.  Some more NCAA basketball - Go Duke!  Very good day.  Thanks for reading about my life in Haiti.  TTFN

Day 3 in Haiti

I awoke at 4:12 am, before my alarm at 4:30 am.  Nelson, who i will replace beginning on Friday, wanted me at work at 7 am.   I slept amazingly well in my REI recliner.  My carpel tunnel syndrome has progressed to the point where at home I would begin sleep in our bed but my arms would go to sleep and begin to ache.  Then I would move to the recliner in the living room by 12:30 or 1 am.  For some reason, the recliner position relieves the pressure on my arms.  I usually awaken 2-3 times per night.  I did not wake before 4:12 am. 

I dressed in the tent for my work out.  Patty bought me an aerobics DVD so I could work out every day.  I am such a dork with some of the moves – I worked out on a balcony and my head set was long enough to not disturb others with music. It must have been a sight for the Haitians that could see me from the street!  Did I mention that I am the sweat king?  I had my quiet time on the balcony with some local bread and a grapefruit - it is shaped like a pear, with very thick skin and yellow flesh.  Not bad at all. 

We have a bath and shower - no hot water but who cares.  I brought my electric razor that i have had for years but don't use very much.  I figured it would be better to use than to shave with a blade and questionable water.  The building stays warm at night.  You brush your teeth with a bottle of water.  There is very little water pressure from the cistern on the roof.  There is no ventilation in the bathroom and between the heat and my workout - I am sweating before i put my clothes on. 

WC owns 7 vehicles for getting around for meetings and supplies.  Staff send in written requests the day before and we place the need for drivers on a white board in the morning and assign drivers.  Compare, the head driver, does not speak English.  If there are conflicts with more cars needed than available, I will be responsible to resolve it.  I am not sure I will know how to do it.  Things work at a very slow pace here.

I spent most of the day on my computer - writing my blog, looking for some jobs to apply for. 

Lunch was provided again but not until 1:30.  It was strange - like some local staff received their food at 12:30.  i have not figured this out yet.  The staff finished their day about 4 pm.  We are own our own for dinner, except for special occasions.  I had some "clam chowder" from a MRE (meal ready to eat).  There were no instructions so I added to hot water.  Not very appetizing.  i had some crackers with it.  A little beef jerky and trail mix, for dessert.

I worked on job applications until Patty and I tried to skype call without video.  There is something wrong with my computer.  We finally were able to talk for a few minutes.  Her voice sounded like a chipmunk.  She could not hear me consistently.  I heard her just fine.  It was good to hear her voice!

I was one of the last to go to bed at 10 pm.  (It has not rained yet, since I have been here.)  TTFN

To get the ball rolling?

Haiti: Day 1 and 2

Hello Family and Friends:

I left Seattle shortly after noon on Monday, March 22nd.  I was a little anxious about getting on the luggage, including my cool lounge chair for sleeping and all the items I was "muleing" into Haiti, mostly clothes for Elias, the World Concern Emergency Program Director, whose luggage was lost on his arrival here last week from Kenya.  In my anxiousness, I left my cell phone at home, which I had thought about doing anyway, since I could only use it on Day 1 and Day 35.  It made Day 1 harder and will make Day 35 harder, too.

Check in was a breeze.  I was aghast to find myself at the gate over an hour before departure.  I'm turning into Robbie Robertson!!!!  It was a long trip to Chicago in the middle seat between 2 larger, frittering men.  Oooph.  I was able to snag an aisle seat on the leg to Fort Lauderdale, FL.  Landed at 11:00 pm EDT, had a 7:20 am flight to Haiti so I had to catch a 5:30 am shuttle after arriving at the hotel at 11:45 pm.  My shuttle driver was Haitian!  A short night! 

My itinerary said the flight to Port au Prince was 55 minutes, it was really 1hour and 55 minutes.  Haiti is in the eastern time zone but does not celebrate daylight savings time, so we are like CDT.  Flying in, it was hard to see from the aisle, but the destruction was hard to make out.  There was some.  There were several military (US?) units visible on the airport grounds.  We landed at a normal gate, traversed a section of the terminal and were directed to a shuttle bus that took us to baggage claim in a warehouse style building where we went through immigration.  As we passed the terminal, the damage from the earthquake was quite obvious.  All my bags arrived!  They move all the bags into this warehouse by hand - almost everyone rents a cart and there is no conveyor and no organization - crazy for a full 737.

I was being met by a driver and he and I were wearing a Turquoise colored World Concern (WC) shirt.  After passing customs who asked about my chair, a Haitian man became my escort (for a tip - of course.)  He took me by surprise, helped point out my driver behind a fence and escorted me and my cart to the car.  Several children came up begging for a dollar and my escort would slap them and chase them away.  I asked the driver, Compare, how much I should tip and he said $2.  I already showed the escort $5.  He refused and asked for $20 and he would "share it with the children, 'them'".  He finally took the $5 and we were off.  Compare then says, "I do not speak English." 

There are no traffic lights, stop signs or yield signs in Haiti.  They drive by their horn.  The damage was hard to see at first.  Many houses are damaged but not destroyed - many are destroyed.  Most of the streets we traversed were cleared of rubble but two were not, including the road the office is on.  We passed several "camps" where Haitians have gathered on limited empty ground and Compare commented, "Camps!"  I noticed a Hospital, one of many in the city.  There were hundreds of people on the street.  But I saw no children  Even in a playground that was empty and not used as a camp.  Compare then pointed out some men working among some houses.  This was a "Cash for Work" project sponsored by WC (more on that later.)

We pulled up to a solid gate and honked again and again.  A Haitian armed with a small caliber shot gun opened the gate and let us in.  I was escorted to the second floor.  I met a woman named Jillian.  It was her first day, too.  She is an American from Connecticut and she and her husband have lived in Haiti for 5 years.  Her husband works for NBC.  They lived in a house in a suburb of Port au Prince that was destroyed in the Earthquake.  Jillian was home alone and was buried in rubble for 10 hours.  She was able to text her husband, and even though he was in Northern Haiti, he was able to alert rescuers and was there an hour before she was rescued.  She had some cuts and scratches and was otherwise, unhurt. 

 

Other staff called her Gigi.  This was confusing.  Did i get it wrong?  Later i asked her and she said her name is unfamiliar to the Haitians and so the Haitians she worked with at her last job called her Gigi.  

 

Elias Kaman, the Emergency Coordinator, introduced himself, gave us a briefing and a tour of the WC Country director from Somalia.  He is bright, kind, gentle and funny.  He will be my boss, more or less.  He speaks English, Swahili, a Kenyan dialect and some Somali.  Jillian speaks Creole and was a real help for Elias even on her first day.  (Most of the Haitians speak both French and Creole; some speak English as well.  Creole uses several common French words, Bon Jour, oui, tres bien, mercy, all of which i have nailed already!)

 

I found out that Nelson, who is in charge of logistics, procurement, and security is leaving for two weeks, on Friday.  He is also a Kenyan (should be an NBA basketball player), speaks English but no Creole or French.  WC owns 7 vehicles and has 7 drivers.  One of my jobs will be to assign drivers to written requests for transport.  Compare, my driver, is the head driver and speaks no English.  Bunet, who does procurement and speaks English will be my go to guy.  This should be interesting.  I should have brought Patty along.  She could help with the french.

 

After my tour, we had our big meal of the day - it will be the same everyday - a chicken leg or thigh and beans and rice.  We were offered soda: Coke, Sprite and 7-up in 1.2 liter refillable bottles.  There is no Coka Light in Haiti or at least it is rare.  The food was pretty good. 

 

I spent the afternoon reading 3 proposals for funding special projects and just watching what was going on until i moved into my room - a tent on the roof of the building.  i will have pictures tomorrow.

 

The three proposals are:  partial funding damaged local business for repairs and inventory (this is for some businesses started by micro-loans from WC.)  A national "Cash for Work" program to pay Haitians to clear the rubble from their lot or a neighbor's and help build some semi-permanent housing before the hurricanes.  Finally, a program to help fund repairs to local churches.  The first two proposals were approved by US government and UN organizations.  WC is working in their neighborhood in Port au Prince and with the Mayor and the local "ward" leadership so that the locals are driving the focus as much as possible. 

 

Because it was my first day and the last day for Nick, CRISTA's International disaster response director, we went to a local restaurant for dinner.  Elias, Nelson, Nick, Susanna, a Bolivian Ex-pat who is the CFO,our driver, Compare and myself.  The drive was eerie, beginning with, "are all the doors locked?"  There is very little city power during the day, much less at night.  People on the street everywhere in the dark.  We went to a restaurant at a hotel that was undamaged in the quake, even the pool.  The choices were more limited than usual and I ( and two others ) had lasagna.  I passed on the Conch, the Brit, Nick had.  The Bolivian and Haitian had spaghetti and pizza respectively.  Compare was disappointed they were out of pepperoni.

 

Patty and I struggled for an hour with Skype.  We got video but no audio.  We gave up and i went to bed.  I slept well in my REI recliner, in the tent!  TTFN