Hard Work, One Direction, Over A Long Period of Time/Travay Di, Nan yon Direksyon, Pou Lontan
Hard Work,
One Direction,
Over A Long Period
of Time
In early November I spent five days in Haiti, being with Lakou members and checking out the progress of the latest worksite. Somehow the pandemic has largely bypassed Haiti. In March, as the numbers skyrocketed in the Dominican Republic, I feared that the virus would ravage the Haitian side of the Hispaniola Island. Yet as I write this, the overall numbers there are incredibly low. As of mid-November, there were only 9,168 positive cases and only 232 deaths in a country with well over 11 million residents. At a local hospital near the Lakou headquarters, there have been only three cases to come through their doors.
After leaving the airport, there was not a mask to be seen or a protocol to be followed. All is well in Haiti. . . until it isn’t.
The 96 miles from Port-au-Prince to Lakou headquarters in Les Cayes is always an epic journey. By car it can take up to five hours – depending on the conditions of the road (or lack thereof), the traffic gridlock from the airport to the outskirts of the capital, and the various roadblocks along the way. Since I was last here about a year ago, everything seemed worse. The potholes were bigger, the traffic more insane, and the roadblocks due to political unrest more prevalent. And the unrelenting poverty seemed even more prevalent. Making matters more dispiriting on this trip was the rain.
Descending the hills into the Southwest part of Haiti, the sun disappeared and the rain began. In reality, it had been raining for almost two weeks prior to my visit – and it would not stop until the day I left. Water overflowed the canals running along the roads. It literally flowed with its dirt and garbage through the homes that sat nearby. The rain and lack of sun played havoc with the solar power systems (for those lucky enough to have them). Power would be spotty at best during the entirety of my stay. Additionally, all work at the Lakou job site stopped as there was up to four feet of standing water on the property.
The bleak weather and the seemingly unchanged conditions needled at me. What is Lakou doing here? Is any difference being made? Is this the right strategy? But back at the flooded work site, a few team members had gathered – wearing their Lakou work shirts.
On the back of each shirt this was emblazoned in Creole
Hard Work
One Direction
Over A Long Period of Time
Indeed, the hard work was evident. The mile-long concrete wall that they had built over the past six months was all but done. More importantly, it had been constructed per specification and on time. In the rain, the cement mixers and tools recently arrived from donors in the U.S. were being pulled to higher ground. But the sense of accomplishment shown in the men’s faces. The construction was solid.
The latest Lakou project is impressive in its breadth. It is clear that the 25-member team moved together – “in one direction” -- to finish ahead of schedule. However, as I gazed beyond the property to the rows of homes without electricity or running water, I wondered whether any of it had made a difference.
Later, sitting at dinner with a group at the Lakou headquarters, I looked up to see the word “Patience” framed and hung on the wall across from the table. And it was at that point that the third part of those t-shirts dropped into place for me. Hard work, In One Direction, Over A Long Period of Time. It will take a long time for an outsider to see a difference. But the hard work by the team is happening on a daily basis. What I had missed in focusing on the larger pot holes or the lack of electricity, was the incremental difference that Lakou is already making in the 25 men that are part of this first group. They are discovering a trade. They are learning language, math and business skills. And most importantly, if one looks closely, they are carrying themselves with a sense of pride and self-confidence. They were eager to talk to me about their work, both on the site and in the classroom. They chatted about their families and about their hopes for the next project. It was clear then that Lakou was making a real positive difference.
Lakou is in for the long haul – to work together with the Haitian people in a common direction over a long period of time. I left the country with a new urgency to ensure that the small differences I saw will be able to continue. . . and grow.
We look forward to continuing to share our journey with you. And we thank you for your support.
Dave Haracz
Board Member
Bonè nan mwa novanm mwen pase sink jou an Haiti, ansanm ak manm Lakou yo epi tcheke nivo avansman dènye chantye a. Nan yon fason, pandemi a lajman sote Haiti. An Mars, pandan ke chif yo tap monte an flèch nan Repiblik dominicaine, mwen te Pè pou virus la pa ravaje kote Haitien Ile Hispaniola a. Poutan, pandan m ap ekri la a, chif global yo laba, yo inkwayableman ba. Nan mitan mwa novanm, te gen sèlman 9 168 ka pozitif epi sèlman 232 ka desè nan yon peyi ki gen pliske 11 milyon Habitan. Nan yon lopital lokal tou pre biro Lakou a, yo te resevwa twa ka sèlman nan pòt yo. Apre mwen te fin kite ayeopò a, pat gen mask pou mou wè ni potokòl pou moun swiv. Tout bagay byen an Haiti... jiskaske sa pa byen.
96 mile yo pou soti Port-au-Prince ale nan biro prinsipal Lakou a Okay se toujou yon jounin long. Nan machin li ka pran prèske sinkèd tan-selon kondisyon yo nan wout la( oubyen absans kondisyon), anbouteyaj pou soti nan Ayeopò a pou pase akote kapital la, epi diferan baraj yo ki sou wout la. Depi m te la dènye fwa sa fè anviron yon ane, tout bagay yo sanble vin pi mal. Trou nan wout yo te vin pi gwo, trafik la pi fou, epi te gin plis barikad nan wout la akòz troub politik yo ki vin obmante. Epi koze povrete a ki toujou la sanble l te vin pi di. Bagay ki te pi dekourajan nan vwayaj la se te Lapli.
Padan m ap desann mòn yo nan pati Sidwès Haiti, solèy la te disparèt epi lapli te koumanse. An reyalite lapli te kòmanse tonbe pou prèske 2 semèn anvan vizit mwen epi li pa te pral kanpe jis jou mwen te kite a. Dlo te debòde soti nan kanal yo ranpli ri yo. Li te literalman pase ak tè epi fatra nan kay yo ki te chita tou prè. Lapli a ak rate solèy te enpoze sistèm pano solèy yo mache pou moun ki te genyen yo. Afè kouran pat ditou legal pandan tout tan ke m te la. Ajoute sou sa, tout travay sou sit Lakou a te kanpe paske te gen apeprè kat pye dlo kanpe sou tèren an. Move tan an epi kondisyon yo ki aparamman pa janm chanje te pike m. Kisa Lakou ap fè la a? Èske gen okenn diferans ki fèt? Èske se bon strateji an sa? Men dèyè nan sit travay la ki te inonde, yon valè manm yo nan ekip la te rasanble- ak mayo travay Lakou yo sou yo.
Nan do chak mayo te gen ekriti sa a an kreòl:
Travay Di
Nan yon Direksyon
Pou Lontan
Vrèman, travay di a te parèt klè. Mi blòk yon mile ke yo te konstwi pandan sis dènye mwa yo te tou sa men fini. Sa ki pi enpòtan, li konstwi pou yon rezon spesifik epi a tan. Nan lapli a, malaxè a, epi lòt zouti yo ki fèk vini soti Ozetazini, yo te oblije rale yo mete kote ki pi wo. Men nan figi mesye yo ou te ka wè yon fyète paske yo te akonpli yon bagay. Konstriksyon an te solid.
Dènye projèt Lakou a inpresyonan nan limenm. Li klè ke 25 manm ekip la te travay ansanm- " nan yon direksyon"--pou fini anvan lè yo te dwe fini an. Men, pandan mwen vire je m pi lwen tèrin an pou gade ranje kay yo ki san elektrisite oubyen dlo potab, mwen mande m èske sa kap fèt yo vrèman fè yon diferans.
Pita, pandanm chita ap dine ak yon group nan biwo Lakou a, mwen te leve tèt mwen pou wè mo" Pasyans" ki te ankadre epi kwoke sou mi an pa lòtbò tab la. Epi se te moman kote twazyèm pati mayo sa a yo te tonbe an plas pou mwen. Travay di, nan yon direksyon, pandan lontan.Ii ap pran yon bon tan anvan pou yon etranje rive wè yon diferans. Men gwo travay ekip la ap fèt chak jou.Sa ki te manke m pandan m tap konsantre sou wout kraze yo epi elektrisite ki manke, se diferans progresiv ke Lakou deja fè lakay 25 gason ki fè pati premye gwoup la. Yo dekouvri yon metye.Yo ap aprann lang, matematik epi konpetans nan Biznis. Epi sitou, si yon moun gade prè, yo konpòte yo ak yon santiman de fyète epi konfyans nan tèt yo.Yo te inpasyan pou yo te pale m de travay yo, sou sit la tankou nan klas. Yo pale de fanmi yo epi espwa pou lòt pwojè a. Li te atò klè ke Lakou te fè yon diferans vrèman pozitiv.
A lon tèm Lakou la- pou travay ak pèp Ayisyen an nan yon menm direksyon pandan lontan. Mwen te kite peyi a ak yo lòt ijans pou asire m ke ti diferans yo ke m te wè yo ka kontinye... epi grandi.
Nou paka tann pou kontinye pataje vwayaj nou ak ou. Epi nou di w mèsi pou èd ou.
Dave Haracz
Manm konsèy administrasyon
