Once again the rotary members were scheduled to go on a building trip and one more time we cancelled the team. Gale Hull traveled to Haiti with a plumber to meet PID staff in November. We continued  construction on the medical building and by the time the trip ended the framing had begun to pour the concrete roof, and the septic plans were completed. The roof is expected to be finished in January when another PID building team re-visits.

 

 

 

 

It is a massive undertaking as all buckets of concrete are carried by hand up a ladder. A crew of about 15 people will work on the roof. PID is very happy that in spite of the political violence in Haiti we have been able to continue to serve those who are in need.

 

 

 

 

We also were able to make a trip up to the hurricane/flood area to review the damage and begin to distrubute aid to the families in need. PID is happy to report that by the time we arrived a new road had been built which makes it much easier to transport food and equiptment and much work was being done on clean up. Even 4 and 5 year olds were busy hauling off mud in heavy wheelbarrows, with a smile. The flash flood was 20 feet deep at its worst and wiped out an whole hospital and all of it patients. Families had no option but to live on their roofs for over a week; since then aid was unable to get in until they made a new road. We were able to bring soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and much needed funds for families to replace their missing livestock, seeds, cooking utensils and to fix houses.