Beaulieu Trip Jan 2017 Jocelyne & Roland Degouvenain s Haiti trip to start the repair and rebuilding of the ERLINE & ARMELLE CLINIC From hurricane Matthew devastation.
CLINIC BUILDING The clinic has been opened since one week after the cyclone, thanks to the dedication of our amazing staff, and it was seeing quite a few people every day when we were there. The main clinic building suffered some damage to the edge of the roof and to the wooden shutters. Boss Jean is scheduled to fix the roof and another boss carpenter has already built some of the shutters and will install them soon.
Although not destroyed, the clinic building itself suffered sandblasting and misc. rusting/water damage, and we lost a fair amount of medical material from inside flooding through the open windows that had lost their shudders. Combined with this is the general wear and tear that we can start seeing (ex. Door handles, paint, faucets, general plumbing, etc). We had a preliminary discussion with Annonce regarding the clear need for a maintenance person that could stay on top of the wear/tear regularly, to replace all the misc. things that wear out, repaint on a regular basis, etc., things that the clinic staff does not have time/expertise to take care of, and should not take care of if they are to do their medical job full time. We will explain at our next meeting options for bringing in Annonce into the clinic staff for maintenance; we will also explain the incredible amount of work Annonce has donated lately, and how we could reward him for his unfaltering energy to help the clinic rebuild.
Water Tank / Solar Electric and Latrines Annonce had already reinstalled the water tank + connecting pipes from clinic roof to cistern and back up to tank, but the pump is not working yet because the power generated by 1 2 of the solar panels is not enough to run it. We filled the tank by hand with buckets to keep it cool and to avoid it being dislodged by wind. The latrines were smashed by a falling coconut tree (131) and will be fixed soon by Boss Jean. Oh, last but not least, the RIC Biology donated lab stools got a second life(502) with a bit of painting!
RESIDENCE BUILDING The residence building had loss its roof totally and no one knows where it landed!
By the time we arrived, Boss Jean and his colleagues, and Annonce, had already built the foundation and most of the side walls + anchor posts for the new residence addition (one bedroom + one new bathroom), and during our entire stay they worked hard on it, and and Annonce installed electric circuits.
Second week, the carpenters started the rafters and the covering with tin roof sheets, and finished the job after we left.
I drafted plans for bunk beds and gave them to the same technical HS in Port Salut (still there and functioning) and we ordered 4 sets (total = 8 beds). We gave them a deposit of 8,000 Haitian dollars (left over money from the previous attempt). Given the quality of the examination tables they built for us in the past, I trust those beds will be well built.
We used Annonce s mighty little truck (619) to go to Les Cayes several time to get wood, cement, tin roof sheets, etc., (273). The residence building should be totally ready within a couple of month (running water + electricity + beds), so we should be able to bring in RIC students in June, to replace the January trip.
STAFF HOUSING Peguy s house was blasted out of existence. Jocelyne told him he could stay in one room of the residence hall until he finds a way to rebuild part of his house.
We gave a large solid tarp (donated by Katie, RIC student 2015 expedition) to Phillip to cover his destroyed house while he waits to rebuild. Lucienne s rented house is okay, and Josette is okay as well. Kaline s family house was blitzed and they all now live in several small shelters.
DEVASTATION IN BEAULIEU AND SURROUNDING AREA The village of Beaulieu was devastated, with most people losing their roofs and sometimes their walls as well, and they now live under very makeshift tarp shelters.
The entire coastal area was devastated, with bits and pieces of houses and hotels left in some places and nothing in others.
Some people rebuilt little cabins.
While we were there, we were heartened when we started seeing trucks after trucks carrying 2x4s and tin roof sheets up the hill, day after day, apparently a donation from a German NGO (Terre des Hommes in French). Lots of people in the Beaulieu area got building supplies (749) to help them improve their tarp shelters and/or start rebuilding more permanent homes.
The day we were leaving, trucks were still going up the hill to deliver a lot of material. So I think our neighbors will be okay for now. We should probably focus on helping our staff get back on their feet, and we can discuss several possibilities at our next meeting!
Here is to the resilience of the Haitian people and their willingness to help others, even when they do not have a place to live!