Home Made of Sticks & Mud

We are getting to the end of this trip, so little time left and so much to do. The first week seems pretty long but the second week flies by. We are going on a field trip tomorrow to see a large dam on a route that eventually gets to PaP. It is a poorer road and dangerous to travel on to get to PaP.

When you drive the highways here you see that houses are built right to the edge of the roads. It is convenient because most people do not have their own transportation. Most of these houses are to say the least substandard to our values but some are actually pretty nice here.

Roaring down the highway by the canal

When you travel away from the roads the houses become very poor. Most are made of sticks and mud with a thatched roof and mud floor. Some have tin roofs. The only source of water is a community well or the canal. Either one means carrying water a long distance. Very few are made of cement blocks. When we travelled up to Antoinette’s church yesterday the conditions were very bad. The Church where they worship has a mud floor and no roof. It is perched on a hill with a great view of the valley. There were 18 boys playing soccer on a very small cleared area with a ball made of wound rope and rags. I think everyone who comes to Haiti leaves feeling we have way too much in North America. It makes me want to help where and when I can.

Some Housing

We were all busy today as usual. Many tasks were preformed today. Shondi and Sandra were painting benches from the school which I had repaired. Jim as usual was improving the computer/internet. As we do everyday we spend time with the children.

Bench facelift

 

Something is looking good

 

Mr Computer and Internet

We presented several of the dresses that were made and donated by students of Stephanie Dean-Moore at Hants East Rural High School. The others will be given to children in the community.

7 Princesses in new dresses

A hairdresser came today and gave Mariah a beautiful new do.

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Mariah’s new doo