Mike Curran - Carpentry Team - looks back on Build it Week

It’s been two weeks since our trip to Haiti. Over 280 people journeyed half way around the globe to help people less fortunate than themselves. The plan was to build 40 houses and by the end of the week that’s pretty much what we did, the job was done. But that’s only the headline story to what was an amazing experience for all those who took part. Many of those who travelled here may return next year, some may not, but I doubt if any will forget their week in Haiti.

I was part of the advance group of foremen who arrived a few days early to prepare for the arrival of the main group. We thought these few days would be about familiarising ourselves with the site, organising materials for the houses and a chance to work alongside the locals to get a feel for how the Haitians build houses. Little did we know, there was no time for any of that! The houses where the volunteers would be staying were far from ready. We spent those first few days checking and repairing plumbing and electrical, setting up beds, mattresses, pillows, mosquito nets and fans for each of the houses. The main site kitchen had yet to be set up and the equipment to be installed…as soon as the concrete floor had been poured! We had a mountain to climb and there were times I thought we weren’t going to make it. But with the help of the locals and the tireless Haven staff we managed to pull it together. Sunday came and the main group of volunteers arrived, oblivious to the chaos that went before, and took up residence in the houses as if to the manor born.

Monday came…. the first day of Build it Week, and I got to meet the carpentry team. Trish our team leader did the first roll call of the week – I should have known she was a teacher, it was such a breeze for her! She works with special needs children back home and she brought all of that warmth and good humour with her. Everyone loved her….if Carlsberg did team leaders…

The team was split into two groups. The first group started work on the roofs of two blocks of houses; within a couple of hours things were running quite smoothly. Leaders emerged naturally; some of the guys were used to organising their own crews back home. It’s the people who never set foot on a building site before that really amaze; teachers, accountants, journalists and brokers carrying timber and galvanised sheeting all day in the blistering heat.

The second group of carpenters are working at the other end of the site building an extension to the local school as well as constructing a basketball and volleyball court. The mortar for the blocks and the concrete is all mixed by hand, all the sand for plastering is sieved by hand – its back-breaking work but nobody complains – they’re here to do whatever needs to be done.

In the evenings there’s time to relax and have a few beers. Team night out is dinner and drinks and we sing all the way there and all the way back on the bus. I’ve never seen a more united group. The following night is talent night and turns out these carpenters have got talent and it’s not just with timber. The whole team turns into a dance troupe raising temperatures even higher with a brilliant version of YMCA coached by Laura a woodwork/dance teacher who has got the moves on the dance floor as well as on the roof.

The week goes by in a flash. All the roofs get finished. In five days, 17 roofs are completed, the school is plastered and painted and the kids are slam dunking on the basketball court. All the work has been carried out in temperatures of over 44 degrees, these are record highs even for Haiti! I still don’t know how the guys on the roof managed to work in that heat with no shade from the sun at any time of the day.

But the trip isn’t just about building houses - lifetime friendships have been forged between people who a few days before would never have known each other and but for the unique mix of Build it Week might never have met. They’ve sweated, laboured, laughed and danced together all week and all for the same reason – to help a little. The experience has touched each of us. Imagine – it’s a little slice of what Lennon was singing about…

Myles McHugh - Catering - looks back on Build it Week

When we were told that we were allocated to the “Catering” team, many of us did not know what to expect. When we arrived at Ouanaminthe on the first night, we were immediately summoned to the kitchen where Alan Mc Kenna welcomed us. He told us that we had an immediate task to serve our fellow volunteers with food which had been prepared prior to our arrival. The first thing that I noticed was that the kitchen was very well equipped. Having carried out our first task, we had a team meeting and began to organise for breakfast on Monday morning. Roles were allocated with Alan taking charge of the Kitchen group and John Brennan taking charge of what we described as “front of house”.

We had a core group who stayed in the Catering team for most of the week while some volunteers took time out to get involved in the direct building work. Many volunteers joined the catering team as substitutes and this added to the fun in the kitchen.

George Hook described the catering crew as an eclectic group in his article in the Sunday Independent. He was so right. Starting with George himself, his fried eggs caused a real stir on the first day. Our core team in the kitchen along with Alan included Rosaleen, Rena, Tom, Vinnie (Amazing Grace), Joey and Hayley. The front of house team was led by John Brennan (How’s the water doing?), Mary (The Real Boss), Aoife (Up the Déise), Emer (I’m not actually from Paris), Dennis (I’m from Cork by the way) and myself.

Who could forget the wonderful Crowley family of Geraldine, Jean and Bernard? We were also joined by Rita, Olive, Julie and Candice whose lunchtime gig went down very well. Of course we also had the surprise of the week when June and Dave became engaged. Many friendships were forged among the team and I expect many of the group back again with Haven. We may not have laid many blocks, plastered many walls or completed any roofs but we did feel that our role was very important to the overall Build it Week.

Dr Ross Ardill - Medical Team - looks back on Build it Week

The recent week in Ouanaminthe was a great success and enjoyable experience for all the Medical Team. This was partly due to the excellent preparation and provision by Drs Niall and Maria who had ‘begged, stole and borrowed’ very comprehensively to kit out our surgery extremely well. The personal responsibility taken by the majority of all the volunteers, regarding their health, also meant that the medical team were not overwhelmed with trivial or self inflicted complaints; this freed up the medical services for the purpose which we were there.

Finally the excellent standard of food and hygiene maintained by Alan and the catering team meant that the dreaded ‘gastro outbreak’ did not occur. Thankfully there were no major traumas or injuries during the week nor were there any serious medical emergencies – all who ventured out – returned.

Many of the Medical Team were therefore able to assist other teams for several days with us contributing to the Catering, Painting, Carpentry, Plumbing, Masonry and Water teams – an experience which was hopefully beneficial to both parties! Certainly the carpenters had a good laugh on several occasions at my expense and Cillian was the most auspicious apprentice the plumbers ever had! The overlap also meant that first aid / medical expertise was on hand throughout the site which was in retrospect, a good idea.We enjoyed the opportunity to contribute to and with the other ‘Build it Week’ teams to hopefully bettering the lives of some families in Haiti. We look forward to 2010.

David Sorohan - Masonry - looks back on Build it Week

My cunning plan to arrive a little late for check in at Dublin airport worked a treat as I was handed a boarding card for first class (bonus!). A few hours later the coach trip through The Dominican Republic (Dom Rep) brought me back to earth with a bang, how six buses managed to weave their way through five-man mopeds and over-laden pick-ups, whilst driving around monster pot-holes into on coming traffic is beyond me. As poor as The Dom Rep appeared, it was no preparation for what awaited us on the far side of the Haitian border. Our convoy (under armed U.N. protection) crawled through local crowds, who were out in force to greet us, as it slowly dawned on us that the reason it was so dark was that these people were living with no electricity! They sat by candle-light, waving up at us from small tables by the side of the road.

After our first night under our carefully tucked-in mosquito nets it was off to work. Clearly word had spread that I had snagged a 1st class seat on the flight and it was time for some pay back! I don’t know where Mr. Buckley found the plastering sand but it was certainly a devious mind that decided that it would all have to be sifted/riddled by hand in 40 degree plus heat. It was indeed the no.1 job to be avoided – some of us (James, Michael, Brian, Owen, myself) were a little slower than most to figure this out but on the upside we won’t need to be investing in an ab-king-pro anytime soon!

The water flowed all day and the beers started to flow well into the night, a lot of work done while the sun was up, backed up by a lot of sh**e talked while it was down. There were stories of giant tarantulas to be avoided on late night toilet runs, a lad getting a three am alarm call only to wake up staring into the eyes of a goat and not forgetting a certain foreman (name withheld for legal reasons) who we found asleep, standing up in the corner of our front room at 4:30am after the first day of work/beer!

“Work hard, play hard” as a certain Irish contractor puts it and we certainly did! The blood and the sweat were followed by inevitable tears on “Hand-Over” day. To witness the joy on the faces of the families as they received the keys to their new homes and to hear the laughter of the children as they burst through the gates to their playground has to be one of the most rewarding experiences anyone could ever have.

Thanks to the Buckley family, the fantastic Haven staff and all the volunteers for a life changing week.

Tom Tannion - Plumbing and Electrics - looks back on Build it Week

I enjoyed writing the blog whilst we were in Haiti. The adventure was a tangible opportunity to make a bit of difference in the lives of very poor people. Some weeks on, I still find it difficult to talk about certain incidents without becoming emotional:

*The random group of people in a truck who stopped and serenaded our team as we worked on the project at the school;

* The children singing and dancing for us at the orphanage;

* Seeing first hand, the sorts of houses families actually live in – and of course the handover ceremonies.

The week carried an immense amount of laughter, banter, good humour and very, very hard work. We were a self-contained community living and working in and around a small compound. A dedicated team prepared our meals. With little structure and a lot of creativity we made our own entertainment and we quickly became cohesive teams intent on meeting the goals that had been set. When I described our achievements to an American colleague he said: “Wow! Sounds like ‘Habitat for Humanity’ on steroids!” That’s fairly apt.

Other than the aches and pains of hard work and fitful nights of sleeping in the heat, I suffered little. A fungal infection of my foot (“very common” said the on-site doctor) and scalded knees from going to the toilet at lunchtime – taller volunteers will know what I mean! I thank and applaud the generosity of spirit of all who went to Haiti and for those who provided sponsorship. My verdict?

I’ve already got the Haiti October 2010 week in my diary – guess that says it all.

Jean Van Sinderen-Law Looks back on Build it Week

I decided to become a volunteer when I heard about the plight of people in Haiti who due to poverty and lack of support were unable to protect their children by providing them with a secure home. As a parent I empathised with those in Haiti who like parents all over the world so badly want the best for their children.

The Haven project promised to provide homes for hundreds of people, many of them children. With support from those who provided the funds as well as from my family I embarked on this journey with a sense of trepidation, not knowing what lay ahead. The magnitude of the project really only truly dawned on me as we crossed the Dominican Republic - Haitian border in the dark of late evening time and were greeted by a UN

convoy to lead us safely to Ouanaminthe.

What began that night could truly be described as an enriching experience and a unique adventure. The volunteers were amongst the warmest and most generous people I have ever met, representing all ages and walks of life. United by one resounding goal, to build 40 houses in one week, we broke into teams lead by capable individuals. Time was not on our side so everybody maintained focus on his/her task and the bond which formed so early on prevented anyone from letting the team down. It was hard but exceptionally rewarding work. We had great fun on the water team ably lead by Sarah and ensured that the heat and humidity did not lead to dehydration of the volunteers and our Haitian colleagues. The joy of waking up to the Haitian dawn, healthy and fit, in the company of new friends with tasks to be done will remain with me forever.

Laughs abounded and craic was had particularly at the wonderful and varied evening entertainment. I never imagined I would enjoy my week in Haiti to the extent that I did, it was enriching, memorable and rewarding – it was a real privilege to be part of a truly wonderful team and project, it is without any hesitation that I would recommend anyone to become part of this evolving journey.

Deirdre Conroy- Painting Team - looks back on Build it Week

You know you’ve lost the plot when you take your paintbrush and tray home at night. But you learn quickly on Build it Week, and while we thought we were prepared, nothing can quite prepare you for the real thing. While we painters were thought to have been given the soft jobs – it was tough, that rollin, rollin, rollin down in Haiti. Our twenty-seven strong team didn’t have the easiest start, with a shortage of equipment and paint, but we got stuck in with whatever we could find. Though, the sight of row upon row of unpainted houses was daunting in that heat on our first Monday morning, we had one house finished in the first hour, such was the enthusiasm and jostling for position to get a wall in the shade.

The Painting Team had more than its fair share of girls which we hope the lads appreciated, it certainly came in handy for the choreography, the Painting Team were the fearless openers of Haven’s Got Talent, and it was looking real good until The Finishers stole the whole show.

I know our patient foreman, Ian, will have despaired at my lack of skill at the beginning, who would have thought you could splash and spray so much?? With the tutelage of Brendan and Jim, techniques like ‘cutting in’ were honed and suddenly by Thursday with an abundance of paint there was a sunny disposition on the walls of the Haven village, courtesy of the Painters. We also had the privilege of handing over the first house, wonderfully customised by our talented crew, a moving moment for us and no doubt more so for Anouse Emmanuelle, Elien Nelson and their three daughters.