Thursday, April 26, 2012

The second week of my first two weeks in Haiti

I am on my way home tomorrow after nearly two weeks here in Haiti. The last five days were good, working in Leogane with Boston Jean Gilles, the preseident of the farmer's organization, ODEPOL (Organisation pour le Devloppement Paques-Orangers de Léogâne--Organization for the Development of Paques-Orangers of Leogane). Boston took me and two associates from Hinche-Papaye up into the mountains Monday and Wednesday, three hour and two hour hikes up, respectively.  Monday we hiked up under a hot sun and came down in the rain and were soaked by the time we got to the house. Yesterday we hiked up in the rain and were soaked by the time we met with the group. Tuesday we visited two non-govermental projects in Leogane (one a very extensive health project, one a goat project) and a kids club about twenty minutes drive from Boston's home.

Jenny has had to deal with Annika sick last week, and this week no internet and constant drizzle. With no transportation yet, this is hard. It is exciting work we are doing here in Haiti, but it is hard to be in the DR with no family to help when I am away.
 

Community group in Gros Morne, Section 11 of Léogâne (35 miles west of Port au Prince). About 50 people came for our presentation on Yard Gardens yesterday around noon. People walked in the rain from their homes to meet, some as far away as 45 minutes. We drove in the truck up the mountain towards the meeting place as far as we could and then walked about two hours in the rain. My associates from Hinche-Papaye (not in the photo) were Gultho Orne and Herve Delisma. After presenting a power point overview of the work of the Road to Life Yard, showin in pictures on my laptop (which was wrapped in two layers of plastic on the way up), Gultho gave a talk on his work in his own yard. People responded to the presentation extremely well, especially to Gultho's part, asking him for specific details such as how to turn a tire inside out and exactly what he does with the goat manure. Photo by Boston Jean Gilles




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