LWW Haiti

TRIP REPORT

St. Saveur Eglise Solar Water Treatment System Installation

Les Cayes, Haiti

June 13-19, 2012

June 2012, after many frustrating delays and changed sites, our team of nine arrived on the island of Haiti.  Thanks to the gracious sponsorship partnership of Fondren Presbyterian Church USA (Jackson, MS), Second Presbyterian Church USA (Little Rock, AR), The Walker Foundation (Jackson, MS), and the Wyoming Presbyterian Church USA (Milburn, NJ).                                                                   Our objective; for the team to install a solar powered water treatment system at St. Saveur Eglise Episcopale in Les Cayes, Haiti.   

And so our story begins… It takes a village of people to get this huge job done.  We had experts in water systems,  electrical and solar power, educators and our invaluable in-country team to make it all happen.  The team consisted of:  Bill Mendenhall (MS), Helen Boone (MS), Cathy Boone (CA), Hank Kruckeberg (OK), Bill Salmons (OK), Jim Coates (TX), David Gellatly (NJ), Ashley Broadhurst (NV), Surpris Cherazard (TX), Ancy Fils-Aime (Haiti) and Valdes Innocent (Haiti).  

Mid-morning, we loaded our equipment into our Kia truck to head over the mountains to Les Cayes, the third largest city in Haiti located on the southern coast about 120 miles from Port-au-Prince.  We made a quick stop in Leogâne to check on a water system installed there by LWW and met old friends.  Our trip was extended by a recurring radiator problem with the truck, giving us plenty of time for travel games and planning our new Haitian business ventures (think goats)!.  We finally arrived in Les Cayes around 6pm.  Our home away from home this week was the rectory, next to the St. Saveur Church and across the street from the building that will be housing the water system.  The nine of us quickly made ourselves at home, Father Colbert Estil welcomed us to Les Cayes.  

The boys were eager to scope out the work site, so we headed over to the water house. Valdes and team had been there installing the solar panels and setting up the water tanks, ready to roll. 

Friday morning, Valdes, Bill, Jim, David, and Hank we set to work on the system plumbing and electrical, with the Haitian  volunteers designated to be the system operators.  First job,was to get the water board assembled and up on the wall, Jim and team worked  on the electrical.  Across the street, Helen, Cathy and Surpris started teaching a group of five Haitian community leaders about hygiene & germs, how to use the clean water from the system and keep those bottles of  water clean.  Meanwhile, Ashley, Ancy, and Bill set off to do solar surveys of new potential sites nearby (of course, that depends on how you define “nearby” — pass two creeks, through the river, then turn right)!.  

Exhausted, we called it a day and retreated to the rectory for another fine meal served by the very gracious Nicole and her team.   Although water and Coca-Cola are always favorites, the team developed a real taste for the local beer, Prestige.

It should be noted that days start early in Haiti, especially because the electricity goes off about 6:45am, which means the fans stop working. After that, there really is no reason not to get up and get to work!  

Saturday, with a full house at our water classes & the water operators coming to learn about,how to preserve the water & how to teach the community about the importance of keeping bottles clean.  When it came time to demonstrate how the water system worked, our new operators proved they were already experts.

A day of note ; at 11:20am water started flowing through the system but not till sundown would we be producing safe drinking water.  Multiple tests, measurements and quick fixes were required throughout the day only then we declared success:                              Bon Dlo! (Clean water in Creole.)  The team celebrated its success with a cold Prestige.                                                                     Celebratory Mass and Dedication Ceremony, scheduled for the next day, would actually be celebrating a working water system.            That’s not always the case.  But God had smiled on our band of brothers.

Saturday nite we were invited to the home of a local Rotarian ,friend of Surpris’s~ Dr. Leger.  Our host was kind enough to allow us to relax in his wonderful garden and meet his fellow Rotarians from Les Cayes.  Before long, we experienced another Haitian event:  torrential downpour.  It flooded the streets and blew out the electrical grid but mercifully cooled the air.

Bright and early Sunday (7am), we gathered for the St. Saveur for mass,  a special sermon given by our own Ashley Broadhurst, with Surpris on translation &  Father Colbert, who serves 11 churches throughout the region he would have  two masses and a K-3 graduation ceremony to also oversee that Sunday. Students in wearing their school uniform arrived and had a chance to preview the water system at the Church. The Service lasted about two hours, praises, singing and rejoicing.

Immediately following mass, the entire congregation walked across the street for the LWW Dedication Ceremony.  During the ceremony, Father Colbert blessed the water and thanked us for helping his community.  The Dedication gave a chance to recognize the committed community leaders who will  keep the system operating and continue to teach about preventative  measures that will benefit all.  Their community educators trained for six hours to better understand how germs are spread & how best use the clean water produced by their new water system.  They are committed to sharing all these valuable lessons throughout the community.  Our thanks go to Faline Marie Rolin, Mesidor JeanMathieu, Fan Fan Jean Arold Fat, Nelcide FéGuens, Carmelle Valmont, and Marie Carline Dié.

Likewise, the water system operators play a huge role to insure that the water system functions properly, water stays clean and the community gets the much needed Bon Dlo!  The operators are: Avril Stanley Maclaren, Mascary St.Fort, and Wilner Augustin.  These men worked very hard to learn all about the system as it was installed, we feel confident leaving the system in their good hands.

Thanks to  Nicole Hyppolite and her team who fed us amazing meals every day and kept our refrigerator full of cold water, soda and beer.  Many thanks to Nicole and her team, Lisa Morose, Gertrude Mombrun, and Joudeline Estil.

As we  celebrated with this community during the Dedication we were pleased to see so many people come out and learn more about why we were there & to enjoy the clean water.  Father Colbert assures us that this water system will be a great blessing to the surrounding community, which has no access to clean water.  It will produce enough water for 2,000 people to have 5 gallons a day — all powered by the sun.

Monday we said farewell,as we made  our trip back over the mountain to Port-au-Prince. We made a pit stop at a lovely retreat, Jardins Sur Mer, we were warmly greeted by the proprietor, Bob.  He advised us that protests were ongoing throughout the country that day, and that protestors had blocked the road to Port-au-Prince,protests over lack of electricity .  It was easy for us to kick back in tropical paradise, French inspired lunch & a Hibiscus infused liquor.  A real treat. Word came & the protests had ended, so we saddled up and made our way to the city.

Alas, it was not to be.  We once again experienced Le problem with Le Kia!  Even the lighter load on the return trip proved this van could not summit the pass.  Although we put Jim “Mr. Fix-It” on the job, the Kia could not be revived.  The anxious team began to make back-up plans — all committed to making our planes back to the States on Tuesday.   

But when God closes a door, he opens a window because along came another Episcopalian priest, Father Ajax, with room for four of us in his Toyota Land Cruiser. Ashley, Bill Salmons, Helen and Cathy continued on to Port-au-Prince, Bob our friend from lunch, , sent a rescue van for the remainder of the team.  The upside we ended up spending the night at his lovely retreat.

We were all reunited at the airport &  a final hug good-bye.  Eager to return home, proud of what we had accomplished and the challenges we had overcome.

Although we came to Haiti to give something to the people , we all returned with a  gift from the heart,  being a part of this project far exceeded your expectations and your heart has a new fullness!

Many thanks to the people of Les Cayes!