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Notes from the Field
Haiti report 3: Birth of a Project
Recently, I accompanied our water and drainage specialist for an assessment of needs in the field. I love these privileged moments, to go in search of those with whom we will work hand-in-hand to develop projects. To form an answer to a problem is, above all, to talk with the people, to understand how they live, to take in their daily existence, and especially, to hear their problems, listen to their needs - to not show up with preconceived ideas. In the coordination meetings between the organizations working in partnership in Haiti, the Haitian civil servants and the United Nations, a number of priorities emerge that we are going to confirm in the field. In one of the areas most affected by the floods, homes float like houseboats on a lake -- sad wreckages suspended by water. On the side of the road, a small business sells beverages and a few supplies. We stop to talk with the small business owners, who speak with us mostly about hygiene problems. They no longer have a house and live in a temporary shelter. This is not their stall; they set up shop there because the owner left. One of the women brings up the issue about the lack of a toilet and the difficulty of going to the bathroom. All of them complain about the impossibility of finding clean water for bathing, and especially for drinking. In this city invaded by mud, where all of the wells are contaminated, it’s nearly impossible to find clean water. It is often necessary to walk quite a ways to reach the few fountains with safe water, and then wait in long, tiring lines to obtain the precious liquid. So many people give up; they’re already are worn out by the hardship they have just gone through. They are constantly clearing waste and debris - all day long. They must also take on the added responsibility of looking after all of the children who should be in school, but the schools are closed due to their total devastation.
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