Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Haiti Housing Report

10 houses complete. 57 people now have a place to call home.

I look at the filthy stream and then at Shelley.


She takes off her sandals and wades across, so I follow her example. I clutch my bag in one hand and my flip flops in the other. Today is report taking time. Armed with my camera and notebook we visit each one of the ten homes that MAF has funded and write down the information. With the help of a team from our home town Chilliwack, BC, each home is now completed and all the families have moved in. Since the homes are spread out over a large area we hike a trail on the side of the mountain, walk through ditches and gullies and cross over polluted streams.


Everywhere we go we are welcomed and each family proudly shows us their home.


“How many people sleep in your house?” I ask each family and am amazed at some of the replies. “11 people,” A girl tells me as she sits on the concrete porch rocking her baby.

"Eleven, really? Wow, that’s incredible."

“Can you spell your name for me," I ask a young woman who tells me her name is Faswas.
She shakes her head. She can’t write or spell. “But my son Donaldson is going to school," She tells me proudly.

What a blessing these homes are to these people, who now live in a town fondly dubbed Chilliwack.

Shelley can't help but laugh as she holds up the sign.



“Thank you, thank you,” I hear over and over again as we go from one house to the next.


Once we’ve visited each home and I’ve taken down all the information I need, Shelley and I head back to the Apparent Project. Eight new prefabricated homes have just arrived today and are now sitting in pieces, waiting to be put up. With 8 more coming next week that makes a total of 26 homes MAF will put up. Working together with the Haitian people a team of 9 people from Chilliwack hope to arrive November 23. How exciting to be part of this, to have opportunities to witness while working alongside the people.
To help the poor who’ve lived in tents for 10 months now, and learn from them.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks Will, they sure did a cool job of painting their houses. We will have to send Google over to get street view of the new Chilliwack!! Take care of the guys that are coming to day and remind them that it is still -7.

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  2. Wil Jason and Jayden, I had such a great time with you when I visited Haiti in November. I'm ready to come back to help with the cholera patients. You guys are doing an awesome job in Haiti, truly friends of Haiti

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