Down the river and up the donkey trail …to the chicken coop we go!

Saturday morning I went out to the site of the future chicken coop with a couple of the Religious of Jesus and Mary volunteers. The three of us rode the four wheeler. It took us less than half an hour to drive out of town, down the river bed and up the donkey trail to the chicken coop which is situated about 15 miles outside of Gros Morne. Saturday morning is “laundry day” and the river was bustling with activity. We were cautious to avoid not only the people washing their clothes, but also all the clothes drying on the rocks. Quite a colorful sight!

The chicken coop is a 1500 square foot “egg laying facility” that is currently under construction. This project grew out of a business proposal formulated by one of the RJM volunteers a few years ago. Most of the eggs in Haiti are imported from the Dominican Republic. It is estimated that once this chicken coop is up and running it could supply 15% of the local demand for eggs, not to mention a number of jobs for the local people. From this business proposal “Hens for Haiti” was hatched (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun), a non-profit organization that has been set up to acquire funding for the project and to work with the local people to see that the project comes to fruition (www.hensforhaiti.org ).

On Saturday we constructed a model feeding station for the chickens from a two-by-four and an eight foot section of four inch diameter PVC pipe using a hand saw. Other components of the facility that had already been constructed including: nesting boxes, a water stand, & water troughs. Before the hens can come to roost solar panels will need to be installed. Apparently hens require a lot of light in order to lay eggs, available natural light is insufficient for most of the year. So this chicken coop will run on solar power. The hope is that the chicken coop will be self sustaining within a year of completion.

I continue to be amazed by the dearth of what I consider basic foods here in Haiti. Certainly, I never gave much thought to where the carton of eggs in the refrigerator came from or how much care and feeding is required in order for the chickens to produce the eggs. All these factors are further complicated in Haiti by the lack of a stable infrastructure. It is edifying to see the dedication of the young adults who continue to work on this project in an effort to empower the people of Gros Morne and provide them with a local source of eggs.

Bonswa Gwo Mòn!

Saturday evening I arrived in Gwo Mòn (Gros Morne). It took us about five hours to drive up from Port au Prince. We had a couple stops to make along the way, most notably ...one stop for fried pork and plantains …another for the driver to buy six live ducks which will eventually find their way to his plate! For most of the trip we were on the National highway; a ribbon of macadam about two lanes wide that follows the coast line for a while and then weaves its way through various towns and market places.  After two months in the congested city of Port au Prince the sea and the mountains were a sight for sore eyes… as was the house in a grove of trees at the end of the road.

The house of the Religious of Jesus and Mary in Gros Morne is at the end of a road about a five minute walk off “main street”. The road up to the house seems to pass through a forest. They tell me that when the Sisters first arrived about 14 years ago there were no trees here, and now some of the trees tower over the house. The house itself is very large, I think there are nine bedrooms. In addition to two professed Sisters many volunteers with the RJM call this house home. Alumni of the volunteer program are also known to visit… as are family and benefactors. Based on all the people currently here and those expected in the next couple weeks I get the distinct impression that Gros Morne is the place to be!

The Haitians having a saying, “Dye mon, gen mon” … which translats to ”The mountains beyond the mountains.” Here in Gros Morne as I wander down the road it truly seems as though there are mountains beyond the mountains. 

Give Thanks

This year I give special thanks for

…a roof over my head

…two healthy feet to stand on

…drinkable water

…indoor plumbing

…a safe & reliable car
...mountain vistas

…the love & support of family, friends, & community

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Neighborhood

This is my last week in Port au Prince. Next weekend I'll be moving north into the mountains. Before I leave Port au Prince I want to share some of the sights of our neighborhood of Barbiole.

One of the many murals that are on the wall around the church property

Police station

David, our neighbor

Car wash: two industrious guys have a 55 gallon drum of water and a power washer

where I buy my "classic coke" ...this freezer is actually plugged in!!!!

Carrying things on your head is common here ...strong women of Haiti

the goat who lives across the street

The man who came to the house to sharpen anything with a blade.

a glimps of the sea from a couple blocks up the hill

My Local Community in Port au Prince

My local community here in Port au Prince is an interesting group of six women. There are three professed Sisters and three Haitian college students. We range in age from 22 to 74 and represent three countries. Some days I feel as though I live in the tower of Babel as English, Spanish, French, & Creole are all spoken here! Sister Vivian, RJM (USA) has been in Haiti for 14 years. Sister Isabel, RJM (Spain) has been in Haiti about 4 years having been missioned for over a decade in Africa before coming here. Middia and Claunette are studying school administration. Darleen is studying nursing. As you can imagine, our schedules are quite varied. Still, each day we manage to have morning and evening prayer together and share at least one meal. Many evenings you can find us all playing Uno in the community room. The sounds that emanate from our house are the singing of French and Creole and the laughter.

Sr. Connie, Darleen, Sr. Vivian, Sr. Isabel, Claunette, Middia

Reuse!

I’ve often heard the slogan of “Reduce…Reuse…Recycle”, the various ways we are called upon to be good stewards of our precious Earth. After living here for over a month I’ve come to the realization that Haiti is a land of “reuse”. Recently I tried to name all the various things that I pass every day that are being “used” in a manner for which they were not originally intended. The list was quite long, so I’ll just share a few.

In our parish there in a shipping container that serves as the sacristy. Mass is celebrated under canopies, but everything we need for mass is stored in a “double size” shipping container. From where I sit before mass I can see into the container and witness the priest and altar servers offering their prayers before they leave the container and process to the altar. In Baltimore I use to watch these shipping containers being loaded on and off ships with large cranes; moving goods around the world. At Sacré Coeur our shipping container has a higher calling.

As we drive around Port au Prince I see many US school buses that now serve as public transportation in Haiti. It has become a bit of a game for me to try to determine the city of origin of these busses; some if not all of the original markings are often visible. I was pleasantly surprised the other day to come upon a “Lower Cape May Regional School District” bus, Cape May being one of the places I feel quite at home. Although I’m rarely in Cape May when school is in session, I can easily imagine the faces of the children that rode this bus to school …and the flat, winding roads that they traveled passing green fields and seascapes. This bus’ current riders and its route stands in high contrast to those it first served. Now the bus carries Haitians of all ages and their belongings to various destinations around Port au Prince…along congested, steep, city streets.

Finally, most surprising item to me being “reused” are old refrigerators and chest freezers. I am amazed by the number of old refrigerators and freezers that now serve as “ice chests” and “air-tight” “lock boxes” for the various sidewalk vendors. As we drive down the street it is strange to see refrigerators, laying on the ground, hasps having been welded on the doors, padlocked …from which just about anything may be dispensed. Again, it is the stark contrast of what I imagine to be the refrigerators first tour of duty versus its current use. The image of a bright white refrigerator standing in a kitchen compared to the battered and broken hulks pressed into service laying by the side of the road in Port au Prince. Surprisingly, regardless of their horizontal status the sustenance of life continues to be dispensed from these refrigerators.

So …”reuse” seems to be the operative work in Haiti. Another sign of the ingenuity and resilience of the Haitian people.