I want to send out a big “Thank You!” to Simpson Strong-Tie and their amazing employees. I had met Louis Daviau, Regional Sales Representative, from a Church remodeling project in November. I approached him about an in-kind donation for our project. He contacted Bill Megahan, Branch Sales Manager, who quickly secured fasteners for the project. Louis didn’t stop there. He was very excited about the project and helped educate me on a proper truss design.

After we settled on a plan he contacted his colleagues Kevin Harold and Obed Luis who sent an engineered drawing to me within two hours. I know all were busy at the time so I am so grateful for their effort. Simpson Strong-Tie has always been the leading innovator in the structural fastener industry for construction. This is evidenced by their many products designed for high wind and seismic events and their “Continuous Load Path System.” With committed employees like these it’s no surprise they’re so successful.

I also have to send a big thank you to David Horn, PE, LS, CASp, of Yamabe & Horn Engineering. David spent many nights after work generating a full set of scaled construction drawings. Because we were not building the house that was originally intended for the site, we started from scratch with the design. We emailed back and forth late at night the week leading up to my departure. Not only do I have a set of plans to build from and make material lists, but I am able to teach the team how to read a scaled drawing. This is a critical skill for future work and something they were excited to learn.

In Haiti, “men anpil chay pa lou” means “many hands make the load lighter.” Thanks to these men and their organizations, that couldn’t be truer on this project.

Always as I head to Haiti I leave with some anxiety and a heavy heart. Leaving my family, particularly my wife Dhani, is not easy. Managing a construction project isn’t easy here nor are the accommodations. Despite all of these feelings, upon landing I begin to feel differently. Collecting my bags and walking toward the exit I feel more at ease. When I walk outside and I am greeted with huge smiles, big hugs, and excited greetings by the team… I feel like I am home again. I love these guys and miss them dearly but it hits me at this moment how deeply I care for them and they for me. This trip is different from the others though. We have been on many projects together but this is the most significant to date. It is a collaboration with a group called Team Tassy. Our team is being supported by an amazing woman, Robin Borrud, who unselfishly commits to so many causes not only in Haiti, but throughout the world.

Groundbreaking and Construction Begins

This project is an 18’x32′ house made from Ubuntu Blox. Only the second ever built. We are excited to be working with the Adme family who will be benefitting from the home. We are also happy to be working with six members of Team Tassy who were chosen from the surrounding community. Alaso Haiti and Team Tassy have bonded closely throughout the last few weeks and are working as one toward the goal of building a safe home for the Admes. Each day “Minister Mackenson” leads the team in prayer. A powerful moment where he gives thanks for the opportunity to be together, to work and to help a member of their community as well as learn construction skills that can be used to build other Ubuntu homes in their community. After ten days of clearing the rubble of the previous house that had been destroyed by the 2010 earthquake, we started this week excavating for the footings. We built the concrete forms and began cutting and bending the rebar we will use to reinforce the home. Today the guys began installing the forms and bending the rebar. Monday we should get gravel to set a base for the concrete and then begin the installation of the rebar. We hope to have the concrete poured by midweek, Friday at the latest. While that is being done, Monday we get a lumber delivery for the roof trusses. We have reserved the workshop at Haiti Communitere due to lack of space to build (24) 22′ trusses on site. I will lead the team so they all will learn the rebar installation, as well as how to figure out the angle cuts for the truss parts and put them together. We’ve accomplished a lot so far but there is so much more to do.

The Newest Little Member of the Alaso Haiti Family

Finally, we have a wonderful new little Alaso Haiti family member… On Monday, Claudy’s daughter (my God daughter) was born. A 6 lb beauty. Gocelyn and the baby are both doing very well. Despite lack of sleep, Claudy is still working as hard as ever knowing that everyday of work puts his family in a better position to care for their new addition.

March 12th is coming very quickly! I will be departing for Haiti and will be there one month. Alaso Haiti is constructing a home, in Menelas, with Team Tassy.

Here is a bio of the family written by Team Tassy’s Director Vivien Luk:

“The Admes came to us two years ago to seek help for their two youngest children – Ruth, who was one-and-a-half at the time and who was born without the ability to urinate; and Nathaniel, who was 5 years old and had an undescended testicle. Both children needed surgery desperately and since the family has been jobless since the 2010 earthquake, they weren’t able to access medical care. Team Tassy was able to provide access to surgeries for Ruth and Nathaniel and accompanied them to full recovery. Once the children were healthy, we went back to ask their parents what they needed in order to make their lives better and to work towards independence. Marc Noel, their dad, was a driver before the earthquake in 2010 and needed to renew his driver’s license in order to work again. Team Tassy provided him with the funds to obtain a new driver’s licenses which he put to work right away by borrowing his friend’s taptap (the Haitian taxi) on his friend’s off shifts. This in turn helped to restore some dignity into a man who had none. Next, the family showed us the damages on their house done by the earthquake and Hurricane Sandy. The walls had cracks and large crevices all over it, and the tin roofs had large holes everywhere. During the rainy season, rain water would fill the house and no one would be able to sleep. Asking the poor what it is that they need and how we can solve it together rather than prescribing solution is the hallmark of our work at Team Tassy. We quickly went to work raising the funds needed for the first phase of the home build. Phase 1 of the home build involved hiring 11 Haitians including 5 Team Tassy family members to build over 1000 ubuntu blocks. In the process, over 2,000 pounds of styrofoam was collected from the waste streams, which also gave our 11 workers a lot of pride and fulfillment about their work. The blocks are completed and we’re excited to enter into the second, and final phase of the home build thanks to our partnership with Alaso Haiti. In the meantime, Team Tassy just secured full time jobs for Ruth and Nathaniel’s parents. These are jobs that would ensure a consistent monthly income for the family so that they can afford to put food on their table and make their own repairs to their home in the future. Meanwhile, Team Tassy has also ensured that all of the Adme kids are back in school and working towards their own futures.”

I met Claudy on my first trip to Haiti in November 2010. He was one of ninety men who we trained and supervised, in the construction of four homes in Port Au Prince. I knew Claudy had experience because he was one of the only men with a hard hat. He is a sweet, very intelligent yet quiet and reflective man. Don’t mistake this for being passive. During a potentially dangerous confrontation someone had with me, Claudy was the first one to stand by my side. He has been there since.

Claudy was in trade school, before the earthquake, studying construction methods and management and I was immediately drawn to him. He was very eager to learn more english and knew his way around a jobsite. As I got to know Claudy better I learned about his experience during the 7.0 earthquake. At 4:53 PM on Tuesday January 12, 2010 Claudy was in class. As he describes: Me and my classmates immediately came outside of the school and gathered on the sidewalk. I don’t know why but for some reason I walked into the street. Within seconds I turned around to see my school crumble to the ground burying my teachers and classmates. I was one of the only survivors. I believe it was God’s hand that moved me. I was in a daze and just started walking home. It is hard to describe the horror I witnessed along the way including a policeman in shock with an arm missing, asking for help, as well as countless bodies strew across the streets. As Claudy say’s in our video:that day we all lost a piece of ourselves”

With the income from working on those homes, a mere $5 a day, Claudy eventually saved enough money to start construction on the home that he had designed. Over the last three years, with donations from our supporters, Claudy received better wages, $15-20 a day, through the smaller projects we were involved with, and was able to complete the main room of his home plus a bathroom and small kitchen area. His wife Gocelyn and he reside there now with several family members in homes on the same plot of land.

My first time visiting their new place was unforgettable. He proudly showed me around the home, the areas prepared for the next phase of construction, as well as introducing me to his relatives, several of which I had met previously in PAP, including his father. Gocelyn made, literally, one of the greatest meals I have ever had. Goats head stew may not sound so appetizing to a lot of people, including me before I tried it, but the broad spectrum of peppers and spices with root vegetables and thumb shaped dumplings left me in a state of bliss.

This is usually made for special occasions and I felt honored to share this meal with my dear friend and his family. Because of Alaso Haiti’s next project, Claudy will have a fair wage that he can rely on for the next few months. Gocelyn and he are very grateful for this especially with a baby due in March!

Claudy lives outside Port Au Prince in a very rural location. I have made this trip to their home several times. It’s quite isolated actually. To get to a clinic requires getting to Port Au Prince. It requires a 20 min. walk on rough uneven roads to get to the Tap Tap’s (pick up truck taxis); and another 40 min. to Port Au Prince. It is a minimum 1 hour trip, but with traffic it can be 2 hrs. or more! Being able to determine whether the baby has a fever or not, and being able to treat it, could be lifesaving. Being self reliant in Haiti is critical which is why I am so grateful to my sister-in-law Perri for offering to take the lead in collecting donations for the new parents.

I’m even more appreciative of all of you who I don’t know. Those of you with no personal connection to this family, but are still reaching out to help. Just know that you are making a big difference no matter how small you feel your donation is. They have not asked for any help but many have offered anyway. Claudy and Gocelyn have sent their deepest and sincerest thanks. They both have a very strong faith in God. They feel blessed to be connected to all of you. They want you to know that “you are all in their prayers”.

If you would like to donate please check our wish list below and leave a comment here or contact me on Facebook.

If you don’t live locally, but wish to help, a monetary contribution is always welcome. Make checks payable to: Alaso Haiti and mail to : 27 Seaview Ave. Norwalk, CT 06855

I will be arriving in Haiti on March 12th. I asked Gocelyn to hold on until I get there! I can’t wait to see our new goddaughter! Any surplus items will be brought to an amazing orphanage I have contact with as well as shared with people in their village. Please follow the progress of our work as well as photos and updates of the baby and mom.

Thanks again to all of you!

BABY SUPPLIES WISH LIST:

• Powdered formula* (unopened)
• Bottles w/ Nipples
• Bottle Cleaning Brush
• Bibs
• Socks
• Baby Soap/Shampoo
• Baby Lotion
• Diaper Rash Cream
• Nasal Bulb*
• Saline Nose Drops*
• Fever Reducer (Acetaminophen)*
• Digital Rectal Thermometer*
• Safety Manicure Scissors*
• Diaper Bag

*These items are more difficult to find or are more expensive in Haiti.

We are happy to announce our next project. I will be traveling to Haiti on March 12th and staying until April 13th. We will be managing and assisting in the construction of a home in Menelas, an area just outside Cite Soleil, in Port Au Prince. The project is being sponsored by Team Tassy a non profit group whose mission is “to unleash the inherent power in every person to eliminate global poverty.” Their Executive Director, Vivien Luk, is working closely with us in preparing for the build and is in Haiti now making visits to the site with our team.

We will be constructing the home out of Ubuntu Blox. The “Blox” are made from re-purposed styrofoam waste and have a similar appearance to a straw bale. This technology is in it’s infancy and this will be only the second home built using this method, the first being the prototype constructed at Haiti Communitere. In Dec. 2012 we constructed an Ubuntu shelter prototype for a composting toilet project. You can see this on our web page under projects Because of this we were referred by Sam Bloch, Founder and Executive Director at Haiti Communitere, to lead the project. We are proud to be partnered with these two groups and the exceptional people who dedicate their lives to assisting others in need.

This house will be built on the existing footprint of the previous home, which was destroyed in the 2010 Earthquake. This family of thirteen has been waiting four years for this day and are very excited to work with us. I had visited them during my last trip in July and at that time there were still piles of rubble and the footing trenches were not fully excavated.

Since that time the rubble has been cleared and the footings and re-bar are in place.

Momentum is picking up and there are still many details to take care of before I arrive but I have the greatest confidence in our team. Before working with me in Nov. 2010- Jan. 2011 Claudy was in Technical School studying construction and drafting and is assisting with the drawing as well as determining the number of blocks needed. BK has been tracking down suppliers and pricing for the other materials as well as meeting and interviewing members of the Menelas community to put together a crew. Franklin is gathering tools and working on his truck, which we will use for transportation and moving tools and materials. We are excited to move forward on this project and continue our mission to “help Haitians develop marketable job skills through community building projects designed to meet their unique social, cultural and environmental needs.”

I intended my trip to Haiti last December to be a networking trip. Before the trip, I sent letters to several NGO’s, with letters describing not just my qualifications, but why I’m so passionate about helping Haitians rebuild their communities. I was looking for a group that would help Alaso Haiti with our mission, to find a project that met our ideals of assisting Haitians with sustainably built, community centric construction.

Being a small fish in a big sea, I honestly didn’t expect to hear back from many of them, but I received an email response from all except one; the Executive Director of Haiti Communitere, Sam Bloch, contacted me personally by phone. He asked me if I was interested in working on a project for them. Of course I said yes. The whole point of this trip was to find a project and now one was offered to us before I had even left. I was so excited at the prospect that I didn’t even think to ask what it was we are going to build. We spoke for almost 30 minutes that first time and it felt like I was reuniting with an old friend.

One month later, Alaso Haiti had completed a prototype structure for a composting toileta prototype structure for a composting toilet, made with a new sustainable construction method called Ubuntu Blox that uses re-purposed styrofoam food containers to create building blocks. This project has led to even more opportunities for our group to further its mission of helping Haitians develop marketable job skills through community building projects designed to meet their unique social, cultural, and environmental needs.

Alaso Haiti would not be moving forward in our mission if not for the opportunities afforded by Haiti Communitere. While working on the project on site, I was able to have a safe, clean, affordable place to live while working. I was able to meet and exchange ideas with many bright, ambitious individuals doing great work. Haiti Communitere offers lodging, carpentry and welding tools, meeting rooms, and a computer lab, and diverse educational workshops for the community. It is an open source community which gives individuals and groups the space to work on their ideas. It is the only place of its kind in Haiti.

We are still in the process of organizing Alaso Haiti, and just beginning to appeal for funds, but at this time Haiti Communitere is trying to raise funds to pay their costs for the next year. After having spent time with their organization, and getting to know the individuals behind it, I can unequivocally say that we will not be able to further our mission without them. By supporting them you are supporting Alaso Haiti and hundreds of other groups. Please visit Haiti Communitere and watch a video of Founder & Executive Director Sam Bloch describing the work of Haiti Communitere, learn about the many worthwhile groups they partner with, and to hear testimony from community members whose lives are changing for the better because of their assistance.

If you believe in the mission of Alaso Haiti, I appeal to you to support Haiti Communitere.

“Men anpil chay pa lou” (“Many hands make light work”)

January 10th of this year marked the 3rd anniversary of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. It would have been devastating for any country to experience a 7.0 quake but for a country with a long history of political instability, mass poverty, inadequate infrastructure, utilities and food distribution, and many other essentials, it was catastrophic.

Many groups have gone to Haiti to help in the rebuilding effort since. Many of those have a long history of helping in similar disasters around the world and are creating positive change in Haiti by working directly with Haitians to help them help themselves. Many others, though, saw this as an opportunity to “cash in” and arrived with preconceived notions of what Haitians needed without actually asking them. This can be seen in the home construction effort, with many builders, with varied designs (mostly “Western” style) of homes, that do not meet the social, cultural, and environmental needs of Haitians.

Many other individuals and groups, though, like Alaso Haiti, are working closely with Haitians, assisting them in projects. These groups are introducing sustainable technology to improve conditions in Haiti through locally sourced materials and local labor. These projects include, for example, solar cookers and briquets made from recycled paper, to help eliminate the use of charcoal which leads to deforestation in a country with dwindling forests.

Home construction, including straw bale and bamboo, as well as styrofoam waste (such as our Ubuntu Blox project) are being introduced. These create new markets for local farmers who normally burn their rice straw and opportunities to address the widespread trash problem. Bamboo has a higher tensile strength than steel, grows everywhere and can be used for framing roofs or replacing rebar in straw bale construction. These are locally sourced materials, and due to simplicity in design, can be built by local labor with little to no building experience.

Many people who see Haiti from the outside only see the progress that has not been made. Those of us who have been to Haiti see the progress that is being made.

Many people ask me how is Haiti doing? It’s hard to explain. You need to experience it for yourself. Haitians are, historically, a resilient people. You will see many smiles from people who seemingly have nothing. Does this mean they are happy? Not necessarily, but it does show that they have hope and are persevering despite the many seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

It will take many years of work to rebuild Haiti, but if done in a sustainable, decentralized manner, to me, the future looks bright in Haiti.