Working in Port-au-Prince

"You lift 16 tons, and what do you get?"...
many of you might not remember this song,
so what?

I'm down in Port au Prince, Haiti
leading a group of volunteers ,from across the US, helping to rebuild
a shelter for homeless boys called St Joseph's House. 9 day tour.

The rubble of a 7 story building that was St J has been cleared down
to basement and we are finishing this as a human manual backhoe
machine lifting debris out of the "PIT" by the 30lb bucket on a line.
Each, to include about 20 Haitians ( some of boys from St.J),
lifts about 18 tons each day. To say nothing of pick axe ,shovel to fill buckets.
The weather is sunny, and between 112-116F heat index, so we drink plenty of water.

Such is the construction technique in the poorest country in
the Western Hemisphere after a shattering earthquake.

Enough of me crowing about how much fun I'm having,
so let me continue.
This is my first experience in what I call 'participatory philanthrophy'
(not just writing checks). The younger members here just call it
"volunteering".
I had some trepidation. There's no running water, sporadic electricity,
BARs(big ass rats) etc

The take at St Joseph's is "do the best you can with what you have"
and we can all learn alot from that.
The former street children and slave children (seriously what they call them)
are proven transformations. The arts based program (dance ,music, crafts) is a catalyst, now turbocharged by the earthquake.

Was that Kool Aid they slipped into my water?

Spot outside observations: intense views of devastation on ride from airport
(baggage claim in a 120F tent). Vast tent cities, impossible roads, mountains of garbage & rubble.
The Haitian spirit seems irrepressible, thru the extremely slow progress.

I was calmed by a communion service in Creole Sunday morning,
and able to grasp the 'parole vivant' of some speakers.
I was last here in the 70s when French was more prevalent.
Creole is now the official language and is now in written form since 20 yrs ago.
So the Haitians continue to guard their mysteries for themselves,
but when they share, you can be happy.

Rest of group is downstairs, arguing about pros & cons of this & that.
To be expected after a hard day of physical labor.
They were all in bed at by 8 last night
Our humor is great.

Sorry I can only attach 1 pic.
That building in background used to be 3 story,
so the 2nd floor imploded. There are still bodies inside unrecovered,
so they say. BARs anyone?

Ian McLaughlin,
Port-au-Prince Team Leader