Today was the first day of focus groups gathered to discuss the three year project which is now ending and for which we have been assigned to do a final evaluation. A group of 26 was assembled in one community to discuss agriculture, household economy, credit, and health. There are a number of tools which have been designed to allow a group like this to discuss a given topic, and hopefully allow everyone to have a voice. I will post some photos when I get a chance. Tomorrow will be a second focus group on the same topics but in a different community and a different, but neighbouring watershed.

Farmers voting with seeds to demonstrate importance of various farming techniques

Yesterday was the drive from Port au Prince to Acul du Nord, which is close to Cap Haitian, and about a 7 hour drive. We begin today the training for the surveyors for the project evaluation we are doing. Collecting reliable information in rural areas of Haiti (or in most countries for that matter) is tricky and requires thoughtful and creative people to ask the questions and listen for the true response. It also requires asking the right questions in the first place, which also requires careful consideration in advance. There is furthermore a tendency among those being interviewed to, perhaps out of politeness, try to give the response they think you want to hear. For example, if people think that successful results are what the interviewer wants, some folks will tend to describe how great things are. On the other hand, if people think that the interviewer wants to hear about needs, then folks will often talk about how miserable their lives are. There are ways around this. For example one can usually reliably determine from what material a roof of a house has been constructed, and this is a relatively good indicator of a family's economic status. Many other similar questions may be asked, and eventually one can piece together a more or less accurate picture of the situation and conditions in which a community finds itself.

This is what looks very much to me like a funnel cloud, the kind one might see in Ontario. Who knew that they had those here. This one hung around for a good 20 minutes but never got anywhere near the ground. It got me to wondering whether that freak wind storm on Friday in Port au Prince might have been a tornado.

There is so much to learn. That may be one of the best parts of my job, the learning. Discovering that what you thought you knew was wrong, or incomplete. Today I had a chance to go to the beach in the resort area north of Port au Prince. Yes, those are jet skiis, and in the second picture you can see both jet skiis and a traditional canoe in the background.

Driving in Haiti

Driving in Haiti is a game of inches. Being aware of your vehicle space 360 degrees around is always recommended, but here it is an absolute necessity. More than 360 really because one has to keep an eye downwards for potholes, trenches, sewage drains without covers, shoulders of roads that drop off into deep ravines, etc. Driving through markets is of particular interest since there maybe a small pile of oranges on the ground on one side of you and a market stall, or a parked vehicle on the other. This morning in fact, I got trapped between a pile of breadfruit on my right with my left rear bumper hooked into the right front bumper of the tap-tap (public pickup truck carrying 10-15 passengers) on the other side. The tap-tap driver had to nudge his vehicle gently away from mine while I backed up almost imperceptibly so we could unhook vehicles without scratching each other. I wish I had photos of this, but hope you understand why I don't.

Improved Goat

This is a photo of Elibel one of our farmer-innovators, his daughter, and an improved goat race which was distributed after the hurricanes in 2008. This goat has now produced a kid, and has also been crossed with many local goats. The kid is now 5 months old, and is already twice the size of local goats of a similar age. In time, all the members of this community (Pila) will have local x improved goat crosses.

It's about time for another 'where is bob' photo. This is at a community meeting. Topics discussed included savings fund investment, savings group rules, and animal vaccinations. At this particular meeting the members were depositing 60 gourdes each for an emergency fund to help fellow members in need (60 gourdes is about 1.5 dollars US).

Tremours

Last night I dreamed that there was a tremour. It woke me up, and I lay there in the dark wondering if it was real or imagined. The night before there actually was a real tremour, about 4 point something although I didn't feel that one. Every building I go into, I seem to spend a lot of time looking at the walls for cracks or other signs of weakness, and wondering about which is the best way out of there, or which corner to duck under. Hopefully I'm just being ridiculous and paranoid.

Which spot looks safest to you:

I just happened to be standing on the porch of our office in Gran Colline when this bundle of herbs was delivered for our cook who apparently has a stomach problem. The woman who delivered them did not know what they were called, but did know how to prepare it as a tea, and what it was good for.

I will be at this office, 3 hours outside Port au Prince for the rest of the week. Because of cloud cover we are running the generator which at the moment is allowing me to blog.

What month is it?

Today seemed a whole lot like back in January. Running around to meetings with various contacts. Thinking and talking about future funding and projects. Speculating about where money might or might not come from. Making best guesses with limited info. Staying up late to get everything lined up that needs to be lined up. But this is not January. So I'm logging off and going to have a shower now that it has cooled down to 29 very humid degrees C.

This is a photo of the largest resettlement I have seen yet. Just north of Port au Prince in a place which may be somewhat facetiously referred to as Canaan. Just looking at it from the road, I guess there must be tens of thousands living here. There is not doubt that this permanent. An entirely new city. As one of my fellow travellers, a Haitian commented, "this will become the largest slum in Haiti within a few years."

A couple shots of the guest house as promised. It certainly feels more spacious and open than before. I actually like the layout of the property better even though it is sad that one of the buildings was destroyed.

Location of the former dormatory, floor tiles still mostly intact.

Former car maintenance area, now converted into the dining area. A very pleasant place to eat and use the wifi.

I discovered almost by accident that the guestshouse in Port au Prince where I used to stay is open again. One of the two buildings had collapsed and several staff and one guest were tragically killed back in January. So I had assumed that I wouldn't be staying there any more, but when we drove by yesterday I noticed that there were people standing on the balcony of the one remaining building. So here I am, in the new dining area which I would say is more or less out of doors and shaded by banana leaf mats. Tomorrow when it is light out again, I will take some shots. It is I guess somewhat representative of how everyone has picked up the pieces of what remains and moved on. Still, when I was napping in my room this afternoon, I found myself looking around for the best spot to take shelter if the roof was coming down.

Changes in Haiti

Last week I mentioned the discouragement that comes with seeing such little progress many months after the earthquake. This past week, I have been accompanying a group from the US who support our project and we visited some of our work in the border area between Haiti and the DR. It is very satisfying and encouraging for me to return months later and see soil conservation work and especially trees that are surviving and thriving, particularly knowing that that heavy cloud of discouragement is hanging overhead in the larger relief/development community. These growing trees push back that cloud just a little bit and in truth it was great fun to show off our work to our visitors. So I want to do the same for you with a few pictures below.

A timber tree, planted in March by one of our earthquake relief planting teams, now about 75 cm tall. Notice the rock barrier above which is reinforced by the tree as it grows.

A farmer, Darius, and one of our technicians, Ketty standing next to a timber tree planted in a cropping field in 2008, ie. pre-earthquake work, and done voluntarily by the farmer (unlike the earthquake relief teams who were paid).

Darius standing next to another timber tree planted in 2008.

Several timber trees also from 2008, making their way above the weeds.

what would you do?

Last night was one of those times when I had to make a decision between sleeping under a sheet to protect myself from mosquitoes (numerous), or sleeping without the sheet to feel slightly more comfortable in the sweltering 30 plus temperature with humidity. On the one hand putting up with many bites and possible malaria, versus, some very moderate relief from the heat. Well, I choose the short term gratification of cooler temperatures, and weighed that the risk of malaria was small. I guess we'll all find out in 7-14 days or so. Although malaria can supposedly incubate for a long time, so let' say 7 days to 6 months. Don't worry, I have my emergency dose of chloraquine on me just in case. And I drank a can of tonic water on the plane, which has quinines in it, and supposedly helps boost one's resistance.

Today we go to the airport to meet a group of visitors/suppporters from the US who are here for a week visit. I will be acting as part time interpreter, which should be fun, except for the times when it's not.

8 months later

Back in Haiti yet again, fourth time this year. Met a fellow relief and development worker in the Miami airport and we commiserated about the fact that not much has changed in the long term. The relief effort after the earthquake has for sure relieved suffering, but if you think about the fact that we are all just trying to get the country back to the same level as before, one can really start to get down about it. Which is where I found myself at in the conversation in Miami. It was good though to have such a candid conversation with someone who knows the deal, and shares the same concerns.

In any case, I'll be blogging as much as possible for the next month. I'll try not to make it too depressing.