Our church

I genuinely appreciate our church community. This morning was another one of those occasions when the diverse journeys of so many people come together with the common goal of seeking God and learning his ways.

I appreciate the young people, and it was good to see so many kids there today. Thank you to Paul and his team that looked after them today. I am excited by the love that's in the air, and it's good to see Spencer and Jane back from their honeymoon, while excitement builds for Dave and Kay, and Tim and Myrtle. I am encouraged by the service of so many, and thankful to those that have served for many years. I am honoured by the receptiveness to the Word as we open it together; I am always amazed that people will listen to the way the Holy Spirit uses this particular vessel to communicate his message.

All in all a good day, and a great place to be. Thanks everyone for what you contribute. Can't wait until the 4pm congregation gather this afternoon.

Back into it?

Back into it... well as much as I can in just two weeks before leave. And as much as I can with my head still somewhat in Haiti. And as much as I can when I don't think I've ever been this cold in my life!

(Save the culture shock - the weather shock is bad enough).

It's good to be back home. It's good also to be back at Marion. So far I've had great conversations both at the Corps and at the Army barracks, where many of our unit have also been deployed, in differing circumstances, before. It was also good to spend yesterday at Glenelg, where we continue God's work among that community, just in a different format to previously.

Getting back into isn't that easy, but I'm looking forward to getting back to sharing the Word with the morning congregation this Sunday at our Marion campus. See you then.

Is there ever a 'normal' day?

I left this morning, and said to my roommate, Henk, "It could be a quiet last day". He suggested that I take one of the drivers and go around town to see the sights.

Well, my colleague Heather was ill, so I was by myself in the camp most of the morning. Just when I got into the camp office, there were fireworks. As in... pyrotechnics - real sparks running down the walls. At first I thought I'd finally gone mad. Then it happened again. I ventured outside, mostly so that the sparks didn't fall on my head, to find that the electricians that were repairing our lighting were using no guards or screens and running generators and welders all around our office.

I managed to convince them to at least wait until we'd finished in the office, but then went inside to find fireworks. This time, metaphorically speaking. A security guard had been quite drunk last night while on duty and had pushed a woman. She retaliated by throwing glass and a rock at him. He retaliated by slashing her shelter. All of a sudden, in a concrete room that echoes horribly, I had ten men and about 4 women yelling about what should be done. Thankfully most of it was in Creole. We had a little court hearing and both sides told each other very differing events. I was placed in the horrible situation of trying to work out what had really happened and what to do, knowing full well that if I sacked him and sent him to the police (my first, gut, reaction) he'd probably come back and really hurt the woman.

I decided in the end that he wouldn't be paid until enough salary had gone to fix her shelter. He and his family will probably lose 1-2 weeks wages and she'll have somewhere dry to sleep. Not the best solution, but it was something. These cases are a bit like throwing a stone into the dark. You don't know if you'll hit the mark or if it will riccocete back into your face.

While this was going on, another NGO I'd agreed to meet showed up. Kinder Not Hilfe have funded one of our schools here for over 30 years. I met with them today to talk about putting a second child-friendly space and play area in the camp. I hope it happens.

After lunch things were a little more mundane until I got back to my car to find that the car port was filled with the camp committee, my staff and the security team who were throwing me a farewell party. Three cakes, a heap of food they can't afford and gifts that they can't afford either. Very embarrasing. Not only that, the engraved wooden gift from the committee is so large it doesn't fit into any bag. No idea how I get it home over the next two days/ four flights.

So on that note, with gratitude to the people of Haiti for their welcome, gratitude to The Salvation Army for the opportunity to serve and learn and gratitude to God for safety, guidance and nourishment, I take my leave.

Looking foward to seeing Ange and the kids on Saturday morning.

Wierd Day

It's the only way I think I can describe today. Yesterday and today were dominated by distributions to around 3500 families. We gave some rice, nutritional supplements and water purifier bottles. Lots of logistics involved. Moving four trucks of goods at a time (and doing it twice), arranging UN troops for security over two days, having 30 casual staff employed, ensuring that your scanners are charged, getting water delivered for the troops and the staff... and making sure it all happens simultaneously at 8am on both days.

Went pretty smoothly, all things considered.

Then from there it was off to the UN logbase. I've gotten use to this place, whether for cluster meetings with other camp managers or for meeting with civil and military liaison teams to plan cooperative efforts. Having said that, I missed my first meeting (about child protection) because I couldn't find the 'rooftop meeting area'. Noone in the logbase could tell me where it was either.

So I slipped into the airconditioned tent an hour before my Camp Manager's cluster and did some more work on the health project I've been writing. This is a proposal to ensure that the camp health is monitored, transmittable and communicable diseases are prevented, primary first aid is provided on site and then an inventory of all other services in the area is taken so that we can get ambulatory or vehicular access to the right services for people.

I couldn't believe that I got it mostly finished by dinner. It then went off to our technical advisors so that they can pick holes in it before we pass it up the chain for approval. Good to know this is something I'll be able to leave ready to start when I head home.

Other than that I met with our camp partners for the last time late this afternoon. A little frustrating as one didn't show up, but it was good to commend my colleague Heather and my replacement Wendy to them (not that I've met her - but she has a great rep).

Tomorrow's officially my last day before the two day journey home starts on Thursday. COuld be a long one... have to reconcile the cash books again.

Adventure

So, it's getting dark and the hairdresser doesn't have light. So you sit under the streetlight besides the basketball court. He asks by asking you if you speak Creole. No. Do you speak French. No. Espagnol? No. "Oh... I don't speak English".

Otherwise there's not much else to report. I wasn't very well yesterday, so stayed at the hotel and caught up on reports. Then today we went to church. I am still moved incredibly to worship with Haitians. This morning the overcrowded church sang,

Suffering children are safe in your arms
There is none like you

And they sang this as they celebrated because a young man, who was an amputee following the earthquake, recieved his prosthetic foot this week and walked up and down the aisle of the church as everyone applauded.

Petit Goave and Vialet

A change of pace as today I went with my team leader, Damaris, to check on projects in two country towns, Petit Goave and Vialet. Strange in some respects, as I spent part of the morning doing head counts on the the number of Cash for Work workers that were actually working (compared with those that were on the books... still 12 unaccounted for). The teams were clearing rubbish from the streets which is really helpful from a public health perspective, but a little frustrating given that they were supposed to be clearing rubble from house blocks! I did ask the local project officer whether he thought telling us about the change would be helpful... no response. I also asked if he thought taking over responsibilities that the city council should be performing was useful... no response. Damaris has a great plan for fixing the problem (thankfully).

We then spent a frustrating hour or two waiting for lunch before visiting a clinic that we didn't know existed until two days ago. Damaris went to work finding out what was happening there while I met the new Community Assessment Team that we have created for this area. This was a helpful discussion, although we had to break through a cultural barrier where they were reticent to talk to the strange white guy that kept asking strange and annoying questions.

Upon my return to Port-au-Prince we discovered that the water bladder at the camp that was damaged yesterday is totally beyond repair. Also Heather, my offsider in the camp, had spent a lot of today dealing with two particularly unhelpful committee members that were causing trouble for the rest and threatening to take security in the camp into their own hands.

A rest tonight, and then meeting the Dutch donors again in the morning. Oh... and I've convinced the electricians to come back to work again (I think).

Fete Dieu

"God Day"... or "Corpus Christi". A day of parades and people singing (think march of witness with Christian reggae music and lots of dancers). One of the processions went straight past our accommodation, and of course, I didn't have a camera with me.

We then went with the camp committee to the beach to celebrate the day in relaxing style. A game or two of soccer (TSA staff 6 df Camp Committee 2) in the sun, a swim in the sea (not the cleanest beach admittedly) followed by a traditional meal... what else but chicken, rice and beans.

Sadly it was straight back to work when we got home. We discovered that while we were out having fun, some vandals had upset the camp. The guys that were suspended while we investigated the sexual harrassment claims at one of the water delivery points had come back today, broken into the water cage and slashed the water bladder. Their actions have cost us 40,000L of water for the camp today. That's 2L less per person (in context, this is a quarter of our total water delivery).

Sadly, we were thinking of reinstating them in jobs away from people (e.g. cleaning toilets or removing camp rubbish) but this means that they won't get their work back.

We've had to go into pretty quick repair mode. Tomorrow some technicians will replace the bladder with tight security around them. (There have been further threats of physical violence by these guys). We have a policeman now stationed at the delivery point (not sure how much good this will do - they are glorified traffic cops). And the police are now interviewing the vandals. We have also arranged a meeting between the camp committee, security team, police and water staff tomorrow to try and find a long term solution. My offsider Heather will look after this as I already have appointments at another place.

Of course, the electricians have caught wind of this, and walked off the job again...

A day when a lot happened

I think I need an early night tonight. A lot happened today.

We were able to talk to the electricians that walked out of our camp on Monday because they felt unsafe working there. One of our committee members had pushed their driver and it went downhill from there. We've talked them back to work, arranged security for them, and hopefully will see them fixing the camp lighting on Friday. This is critical for overnight security.

We had some Dutch folk visit the camp today. Six of them are from the NGO "Church In Action" (Kirk in Actie) which coordinates church NGO's from the Netherlands, including The Salvation Army, in terms of fundraising and overseas support. They are looking for ways to help us in Haiti on and ongoing development basis. I will meet with them again on Saturday for further negotiations.

Unfortunately they brought with them some ignorant journalists. Before we entered the camp I provided a briefing, including an instruction on the appropriate use of their cameras (e.g. photo activities or objects - not individuals). The people here already feel like they live in a zoo. I couldn't get the photographer to put his camera away. Ironically and painfully he even took photos of a lady complaining to us about a photo that had been published of her in a local newspaper. I couldn't get him to quit - even though he spoke English. My dutch IES colleague almost physically removed him.

We mediated a meeting with our partners and committee who were frustrated over a poorly conducted distribution earlier in the week. Also started to organise security for next week. We ordered some extra security gear from the US, and another 67000 condoms from UN/IOM. (Our health people tell us that's a three month supply for a camp population our size).

In the end a tiring day. Disappointing though that my hairdressers appointment got cancelled... moved to Friday.

Meetings

One of the tasks of any humanitarian work is meetings. You feel somedays like it's all you do, which of course is a massive exaggeration.

Today was a meeting day. It started at HQ with our team, followed by a trip to the UN logistics base. This was for a camp cluster meeting. All of the NGO's that are acting as camp managers get together each week to talk about common interests and concerns and to plan for things like getting more toilets or the upcoming hurricanes (hurricane season officially commences on June 1 - today!). We are also working together to see if we can get broadcasts of the soccer world cup into camps.

Haiti is soccer mad. Every other caribbean country loves their cricket. Here it's soccer.

This afternoon we were at our camp facilitating our weekly partners meeting. This is a time when each of teh agencies that work in our camp get together to plan and also talk with the leaders of the camp resident's committee. Tempers were a little frayed today as we are in the middle of an investigation about sexual harrassment at one of the water delivery points and also dealing with one of the staff from another agency who wasn't very helpful to our committee yesterday.

The day finished with a meal out courtesy of our American friends.

Nutrition

Today we were at the camp just after 7... well we were supposed to be. We got to DHQ first to find we didn't have the key to the storeroom. When we got the scanners we needed they weren't charged.

When we got there, the UN troops were already there for today's distribution. We were assisting our partners in the distribution of nutritional supplements for children. It's a whey sort of substance with a heap of added nutrients, which mixes up like a porridge.

After this we resumed our attempt to complete the registration of the remaining camp residents, which was hampered by rain. We also had electricians working... well till they walked off the job after a fight with our security team. Most of this week will now probably be spent getting them to come back and fix the lights at the camp.

The rains were torrential today. Never a good thing in the camp.