Home of Knowledge is still on hold as we wait for the Building Permit process to conclude with the Mayor of Delmas' Office.
During the week a legal tribunal with Mr. Dorcinvil, the client, was called by the old contractor, Mr. Verpile, who had been fired. He claimed he is owed further money for the work he completed. Architecture for Humanity had previously quantified the materials and work done on site and concluded that it equates to the payments already received by the contractor.
This week the Mayor of Delmas confiscated the mixer from site due to contraventions with their policy. This has delayed work by a week.
The Architecture for humanity team are making a submission to the Mairie's office today to discuss the issues and figure out how to move the project forward together.
Work on site officially restarted on thursday , February 2nd 2012, with a whole new crew of foremen and workers. Site was provided with the necessary equipment and tools for work to continue in a secure and calmer environment. On that same thursday one truck of river sand was delivered and other materials were brought on site the following days. So far so good.
Digging out existing earth... fill will be placed in 15 - 20 cm high lifts.
Buying materials
Steelwork for perimeter wall. Stanley verifying bar length.
Finishing perimeter stone wall
Column formwork in place
Last week saw the beginning of the self-execution of the construction work at Home of Knowledge for Architecture for Humanity. A frenzy of procurement, insurance and budgeting got the project under way again.
The classroom site was levelled to be filled with compacted gravel this coming week. The stone wall to the perimeter wall was completed and the steel work for the perimeter foundation was begun. Progress was slow due to having to re-mobilise the site and we fell a few days behind. Full steam ahead next week.
Last week also saw the delivery of a legal letter, at our offices, addressed to our client Mr. Dorcinvil, regarding a request for extra payment by ETEC Civil Engineering. This letter has been delivered to the client and we have yet to get feedback.
Following a recent letter requesting extra payment from Mr. Verpile, the contractor, we prepared a bill of quantities to reflect the work done and materials currently on site. We found the total value of this work to be equal to the amount we have already paid to the contractor.
Mr. Dorcinvil, our client called a meeting with the contractor today to discuss issues as they were holding up our self-execution of the work on site. The contractor was not allowing his workers to complete the job on behalf of Architecture for Humanity until he received the monies requested.
The meeting seemed to centre around the definition of "mobilisation" with the contractor believing to be a bonus for getting the work started. On all other sites we have completed work this has been a front loaded amount of the total contract sum to allow a contractor avoid cash flow problems and acquire all the materials necessary to get the site operational and commence the work.
The contractor had not read our response letter to his request for payment or the monetary quantifying of the works completed despite having hand delivered it to his office earlier that morning (this followed days of calling and a subsequent street search for the premises). A copy was also sent be email 2 days previous. This resulted in a very circular meeting about costs that culminated in little resolution.
Mr. Verpile, the contractor was advised to review the documents issed by our office and seek a lawyer if he wished to take the matter future. Dorcinvil was advised to ensure that the site is prepared for work tomorrow morning with a new crew of masons that will be employed directly by Architecture for Humanity.
As soon as we get back to site we are hoping the work to flow under the guidance of Stanley Joseph from our construction outreach team. We are looking forward to finally making some progress!
There hasn't been any work on site since the tail end of last year. Despite issues raised regarding payment to workers at several meetings held with the contractor in AFH offices, construction has stopped for 4 consecutive weeks. The workers claimed they have not been paid and consequently stopped working. The contractor's been asked on several occasions to furnish AFH offices with proof of payment to his employees but this has never been received. Some time right before the december break, he was asked to finish a portion of the perimeter wall after continuously having been told that it needed to be done before his next payment's issued. No luck. He complained about not having money left to finish that work and confirmed that his workers hadn't got paid.
On January 20th, the GC was fired after repeated warnings concerning payment to the workers on site. On Monday January 23rd, he finally pays his workers after being let go and after continuously being told to do so. AFH took the decision to self execute construction at Home of Knowledge. Work can start again as a result of the foremen receiving payment. Financial credibility has been restored to AFH.
Regarding the current construction, blocks of a small portion of the foundation wall are being taken down and re-laid. The mortar was too thick, way beyond what is acceptable.
We have spoken with the foremen for they'll be continuing work on site under AFH guidance and supervision(steel, mason, and carpenter), and discussed payment methods and cost of materials.
Winner civic artist, Evens Arcelin also came with us to the site for the first time on Monday. He discussed ideas for his sculpture proposal with Pastor Dorcinvil.
MATERIAL not used ON SITE:
- #3 rebars : 50
- #4 rebars : 112
- #5 rebars : 60
- #6 rebars : 154
- sand and gravel (very little)
- 1000 20cm blocks.
Foremen making payments
2 courses of foundation wall to be taken down
Civic artist Evens speaking with Pastor Dorcinvil about his proposal
Materials on site (rebars and blocks)
Gravel on site.
unpoured column
1000 blocks
Now that workers have been paid, Home of Knowledge can continue in its construction.
"
_______________________________________________________________________________
Report by : Marvine Pierre
PROJECT: Institut Foyer du Savoir
DATE: 1-20-2012
WEATHER: Sunny 35C
CONSTRUCTION: 19 % complete
________________________________________________________________________
PRESENT AT SITE:
- Natalie Desrosiers (AFH)
- Stanley Joseph (AFH)
- Marvine Pierre (AFH)
- Evens Arcelin (Civic Artist)
- Pastor Wilkesse Dorcinvil and students
_________________________________________________________________________
WORK IN PROGRESS:
- No work as of yet
____________________________________________
The owner Pastor Wilkesse Dorcinvil and students prayed over the site this morning.
The foundation walls are complete. Ground floor slab ready for add-fill.
However, the mortar used in the foundation wall is still too thick. It is supposed to be no thicker then the width of a finger.
_________________________________________________________________________
MATERIAL ON SITE:
- Cement
- #3, #4 , #5 & #6 rebars
- sand,gravel
- Stone for perimeter stone wall
Checking materials on site.
_________________________________________________________________________
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS:
- Foundation blockwork = 100% complete.
__________________________________________________________________________
INFORMATION OR ACTION REQUIRED:
- GC is fired after failure to comply despite repeated warnings regarding payroll.
- AFH is self executing this construction process.
- AFH and foremen to meet with workers and show proof of payment in an effort to rebuild payment credibility.
- Meet with foremen to discuss payment needs and options.
Stanley measuring the distance for the wall surrounding the perimeter of the site. Measuring to know how much material would be needed in construction.
Overview of site in its current state in construction.
__________________________________________________________________________
REPORT BY: Marvine Pierre
PROJECT: Institut Foyer du Savoir
DATE: 12-14-2011
WEATHER: Sunny 35C
CONSTRUCTION: 14 % complete
________________________________________________________________________
PRESENT AT SITE:
- Lisa Smyth (AFH)
- Natalie Desrosiers (AFH)
- Stanley Joseph (AFH)
- Karl-Frederic Anglade (AFH)
- Field engineer/ foreman /Masons (ETEC)
_________________________________________________________________________
WORK IN PROGRESS:
- Foundation blocks being laid
_________________________________________________________________________
MATERIAL ON SITE:
- Cement
- #3, #4 & #6 rebars
- sand,gravel
- Stone for perimeter stone wall
- mixer
_________________________________________________________________________
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS:
- Blocks laid = 90% complete.
- Blocks not grouted yet. Aggregate used for grout is thicker than the 6mm needed.
- Some vertical joints thickness not respected.
- Groove for horizontal bars too deep.
- #5rebars needed for vertical reinforcement in blocks. None on site.
__________________________________________________________________________
INFORMATION OR ACTION REQUIRED:
- Warning letter sent out to GC.
- AFH to meet again with GC to solve payment issues with workers.
- GC to advise AFH what course of action intended to take in order to proceed with the work.
- GC to purchase #5 rebars
- GC to purchase correct gravel type
- GC to provide updated construction schedule for the next two weeks
__________________________________________________________________________
REPORT BY: Natalie Desrosiers
We sent a warning letter to the contractor yesterday and magically we had a site full of workers today. Stanley has confirmed they are not Christmas elves but paid employees. We will be out on site tomorrow to report on progress!
Work has stopped on Home of Knowledge for the last 3 days due to a dispute with workers over pay. The contractor has been spoken to on more than one occasion regarding this issue and has neglected to provide the proof of payments we requested.
A warning letter is being issued Monday giving the contractor 7 days to remedy this issue.
The project is now 2 and a half weeks behind schedule.
PROJECT: Institut Foyer du Savoir
DATE: 12-6-2011
WEATHER: Sunny 35C
CONSTRUCTION: 13 % complete
________________________________________________________________________
PRESENT AT SITE:
- Rick Ehlert (AFH)
- Lisa Smyth (AFH)
- Natalie Desrosiers (AFH)
- Field engineer/ foreman /Masons (ETEC)
_________________________________________________________________________
WORK IN PROGRESS:
- Pouring concrete footing for foundation
_________________________________________________________________________
MATERIAL ON SITE:
- Cement
- #3, #4, #5, & #6 rebars
- sand,gravel
- Stone for perimeter stone wall
- mixer
_________________________________________________________________________
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS:
- Foundation footing concrete = 90% complete.
- Structural engineer Rick Ehlert conducted a masonry training session (Both on site and at AFH offices)
- Minor accident on site: one of the workers fell into trenches while pouring concrete and injured pretty badly his left knee. GC suggested to flip over empty plastic bottles at each end of vertical bars sticking out.
__________________________________________________________________________
INFORMATION OR ACTION REQUIRED:
-AFH to meet again with GC to solve payment issues with workers . If problem’s not solved, AFH to hand GC a written warning accenting specific needs like completing particular milestones by the end of the year.
- AFH to meet with construction outreach and go through their specific job role on site.
__________________________________________________________________________
REPORT BY: Natalie Desrosiers
PROJECT: Institut Foyer du Savoir
DATE: 11-29-2011
WEATHER: Sunny 35C
CONSTRUCTION: 13 % complete
________________________________________________________________________
PRESENT AT SITE:
- Rick Ehlert (AFH)
- Lisa Smyth (AFH)
- Natalie Desrosiers (AFH)
- Karl-Frederic Anglade (AFH)
- Stanley Joseph (AFH)
_________________________________________________________________________
WORK IN PROGRESS:
- no work
_________________________________________________________________________
MATERIAL ON SITE:
- Cement
- #3, #4, #5, & #6 rebars
- sand, gravel
- Stone for perimeter stone wall
_________________________________________________________________________
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS:
- No workers on site
- Perimeter stone wall still not finished on one side.
- Foundation footing and column steel placement complete
__________________________________________________________________________
INFORMATION OR ACTION REQUIRED:
GENERAL:
-AFH to meet with GC and solve payment issues with workers as AFH's been told that they had finished the steel and had stopped working as they had not been paid.
-Minor amendments to make to foundation steel
__________________________________________________________________________
REPORT BY: Natalie Desrosiers
A new schedule was drafted and agreed with the contractor. The subsequent change order was signed by all parties. Our new completion date for Home of Knowledge is the 6th February 2012.
They have erected a monument to scheduling on site as a constant reminder!!
It’s a pity there was nobody on site to enjoy it. Work had stopped today due to a payment dispute. We are meeting the contractor this afternoon to get to the bottom of this issue quickly and try keep this date on track!
PROJECT: Institut Foyer du Savoir
DATE: 11-21-2011
WEATHER: Sunny 35C
CONSTRUCTION: 12 % complete
PRESENT AT SITE:
-Lisa Smyth (AFH)
-Natalie Desrosiers (AFH)
-Stanley Joseph (AFH)
-2 formans & masons
_________________________________________________________________________
WORK IN PROGRESS:
-Foundation footing and column steel placement
_________________________________________________________________________
MATERIAL ON SITE:
- Cement
- #3, #4, #5, & #6 rebar
- Column ties
- Stone for perimeter stone wall
_________________________________________________________________________
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS:
-Not enough materials on site (gravel, sand, more cement, and more rebar needed)
-Steel work for foundation half remedied – additional steel needed both at corners and step level of foundation.
- Not enough workers on site.
-Perimeter stone wall not finished on one side.
__________________________________________________________________________
INFORMATION OR ACTION REQUIRED:
GENERAL:
-AFH to submit new construction schedule to GC.
__________________________________________________________________________
REPORT BY: Natalie Desrosiers
After a series of meetings and meetings about meetings we final got to the bottom of the finance confusions on Home of Knowledge. All the money for the building work was recouped and the contractor was paid for his work. He and the client are ready and eager to move forward.
A new Grant Agreement has been signed by the client and the revised finance structure means Architecture for Humanity will be paying the contractor directly.
We started back on site on Monday morning. Things went a bit slow this week with the site needing to be cleaned up, a minor delay with materials and detail amendments to the existing work.
We are meeting the contractor today to go through the work schedule for the remaining works and will have a new finish coming soon.
It's good to be moving forward again.
(for Students Rebuild, October 13, 2011)
A financial mixup has befallen the Home of Knowledge. Unfortunately the consequences may be serious.
The way Architecture for Humanity works with local clients is that payments are released to the owner of the project, in our case the school's headmaster, to then pay the contractors and construction crews working on the school. This involves the schoolowner in the process of the school's construction, and makes them the point person in the project's ultimate direction. The grant for the entire school is then transferred to the owner in installments throughout the duration of the project.
We received a complaint from the construction contractor that they hadn't received full payment from the Home of Knowledge schoolowner. After a confusing couple of days, during which construction work had stopped, the schoolowner met with us to explain that he had to make a final payment to the previous landowner's family, and used some of the grant money destined for the contractor to do so.
The way land is owned in Haiti makes this revelation of little surprise. A whole family owns a given parcel land, and that ownership spreads down to a landowner's children and grandchildren. This makes the purchase of land extremely difficult because you essentially have to track down every last member of the family for permission. In some cases a "long lost" cousin happens by months after the fact requesting (or demanding) their permission in the land purchase and, well, legally they are entitled to do so.
Probably the biggest mistake made in all of this is the schoolowner's not telling Architecture for Humanity about the cousin incident. We would have worked through the situation with them and made sure that the contractor wasn't going to be surprised down the road. But things being what they are, the schoolowner, unable to fully pay the schoolbuilders, is in breach of contract and an ominous question of trust threatens to sour the relationship.
The schoolowner still has a week to resolve the situation, which he may well be able to do. However we thought you all should know what's happened, and that things like this can and do happen.
Certainly Haiti isn't the rosiest place to work: a lot of the legal system is antiquated, one factor on top of plenty others that make projects there challenging. But we persevere–we're accustomed to improving a very real world.
L'Institut Foyer Du Savoir (Home of Knowledge) officially broke ground last Friday, August 26 2011, preceded by a quick speech, prayer and promise made by the owner Pastor Wilkesse Dorcinvil. Architecture for Humanity Regional Program Manager Eric Cesal recounts the afternoon, which could be described as "modestly majestic."
On the Steep Hilly and windy side of Delmas 75th stands Pastor Dorcinvil on the construction site, besides him three of his students Holding poster boards of the Phase one site plans and drawing of the classroom building. The eloquent speech of Pastor Dorcinvil evoke President John F. Kennedy while tanking by name all who have worked on the project from a year ago with special thanks to Stacey McMahan and Lisa Smyth who were not present at the time.
The assemble audience was moved by a heart filled promise made by Wilkesse Dorcinvil "to Raise and look after the school like he would for his own child". After the speech he requested that the audience sing "Dieu tout Puissant" ( How Great Thou Art) a cappella and than closed with a lovely prayer while everyone joined in with their own prayers which lifted the Spirit of our Design Fellow Kate Evarts to a remarkable extent.
Dorcinvil put on Gloves and Hard Hat provided by Architecture for Humanity, and grabbing a shovel proceeded to break the ground of the now blessed site. Everyone Cheered and applaud.
The assembled worker begin the excavation of the foundation of the new building and perimeter wall which is expected to be completed in 60 days. Construction is managed by the Haitian firm ETEC Firme de Genie Civil and overseen by Architecture for Humanity.
On Friday, August 26, Institut Foyer do Savoir ("Home of Knowledge") celebrated breaking ground on the new school in the hills of Delmas 75, Port-au-Prince. Team members Eric Cesal, Kate Evarts and Carl Harrigan met headmaster Pastor Wilkesse Dorcinvil, who gladly cast a shovelful of marl away from the foundation trenches.
The construction crew had already begun digging foundation and perimeter wall trenches leading up to groundbreaking. The ceremony was originally scheduled for earlier in August, but had to be postponed on account of a threatening Tropical Storm Emily.
Crew at work on perimeter wall trench. Photo by Gerry Reilly
Groundbreaking evaluation of the view from the site of the school courtyard. Photo by Kate Evarts
Those present:
Jean Lucho (GiveLove)
Pierre Maxime (GiveLove)
Chedrick Caneus (Director, Pele school)
Wilkese Dorcinvil (Director, Home of Knowledge)
Stacey McMahan (Architecture for Humanity)
We visited 2 sites. The intention of the visit was to explain the function and operations of the composting latrine system as setup through GiveLove.
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
5 gallon buckets are placed beneath a seat box to catch deposits. Users must add a handful of dry organic matter as cover after each use. The buckets are emptied into a compost bin behind the building in the service area, there are 4 bins. The composting process is called thermophilic which because both urine and faeces are used, a higher heat process occurs during composting to kill pathogens and break down materials. The system does not require water or electricity, and when properly managed does not smell. The more bio-diversity in the compost including faeces, urine, toilet paper and additional cover material(different dry organic materials include sawdust, cane bagasse, vetiver bagasse, kitchen scraps, shredded leaves, pine needles etc.) the better the fertilizer. A full compost cycle is 1 to 2 years, compost can be used on crops and fruit trees.
MAINTENANCE
For a 5 gallon bucket system, GiveLove recommends 2 people be hired. One fulltime maintenance person (usually female) to keep the stalls and surfaces clean, refill bagasse containers and toilet paper, etc. This person should be onsite during operating hours.
Another person (usually male) to empty the buckets and maintain the compost piles, bagasse storage as well as gardens/planters.
COMPOST AND BAGASSE SCHEDULE
GiveLove will work with Pele and the AfH team to develop a maintenance schedule for the compost bins as well as the dry organic material (DOM) supply. Sources of DOM need to be found nearby if possible. Possible materials include:
Sugarcane bagasse - (location)
Vetiver process byproduct - (location)
Sandalwood processing byproduct - (location)
Aged horse manure (confirm) - Cite Militaire 6 blocks away
Kitchen scraps - onsite
AGED COMPOST USE
Compost may be spread over non-vegetable planting beds
Sale of material is an option because it is a rich fertilizer, although there is no formal market for it
Jean Lucho explains the human waste composting cycle at Sopudep facility (3 toilets and urinal) - 500 students
Compost bins at Sopudep School
Amurt camp and school (8 toilets and urinal) - 1,000 students
Checking out the bucket system
Handwash station
On Monday June 20th 2011 Home of Knowledge BIDS were returned. Out of a pool of 5 contractors only 4 submitted a BID:
On the following tuesday june 21st 2011 at 10 am we had our BID opening ceremony which 3 contractors attended;
and the school Owner;
The BIDS are being analyze and on July 4th a winner should be announce
On June 15th addendum 1 went out to all the contrators bidding on Home of Knowledge.
This Addendum contains:
All other files including Bid forms and drawing details for Addendum 1 can be found under files: Bid Package
On Monday June 6th 2011 Home of Knowledge went out to bid. It was bid out to a pool of 5 contractors:
The following week we had a bid conference and a side visit. During the Bid conference Contractors had the chance to ask and get all their questions answered. Here are the meetings minutes:
List of Contractors present:
Conférence pour Ecole Foyer du Savoir
QUESTION ET REPONSE
1. Il n’y a pas de dimension pour les screen métalliques ?
Dans la Latrine on n’a pas utilisé de screen métalliques, mais plutôt un fer forge (Design/Configuration sera déterminé durant la construction)
2. Quel modèle de tôle ? et pourquoi n’utilisez-vous pas une tôle de meilleure qualité que le G28 ondulée ?
Effectivement on a indiqué la tôle G28 ondulée
3. De quel métal s’agit-il pour l’étagère de la toilette ?
Il s’agit de tôle 1/4" épaisseur, l’étagère devra être peinte.
4. Pouvez-vous fournir plus d’explication sur la feuille métallique qui recouvre l’urinoir ?
Cette feuille métallique est de l’épaisseur des feuilles métalliques qui sert à la confection des Gouttières.
5. Pourquoi utilisez ce genre de Latrine ?
L’eau courante n’est pas disponible tout le temps, et ce genre de toilette produira de l’engrais que l’école pourra utiliser à d’autre fin.
6. Les couvertures de toilettes importées en plastique ne sont pas résistantes…Pourquoi n’utilisez-vous pas un autre modèle ?
Toute autre proposition devra être faite à l’écrit et soumis directement à l’Architecte pour être évaluée.
7. La ligne 223 de l’Excel est maintenant fonctionnelle.
8. La ligne 52 de l’Excel représente du béton donc un volume en M^3
9. L’étude du sol y est attachée, si vous avez plus de question contactez-nous.
10. Un nouveau devis quantitatif y est aussi ajoute comme un Addendum
11. Le mur de soutènement est inclus dans les travaux à réaliser.
12. Coffrage et Echafaudage ne sont pas mentionnés dans le devis quantitatif, ses prix sont inclus dans le béton de la colonne, la dalle etc..
On Thursday 24th Feb 2011 Stacey and myself, Simone, went to visit the children of the Institut Foyer du Savoir (this actually translates into something of an "Antechamber to Knowledge") at their temporary school premises in the heart of Delmas 75. Pastor Dorcinville, the schools president, had invited us to come visit and told us, that if we were to come in the afternoon, we would probably be lucky to find a maximum amount of 20 students there to speak and work with, which we thought would be a good number to handle.
Armed with three packs of coloured pens and stacks of paper, we headed out to the site and, admittedly, we looked like we were on a mission. True, and in fact it was a mission to collect what makes the children of the Institut Foyer du Savoir tick, i.e. what makes them feel happy or safe. This seemed of importance to us, since the main problem with the previous and existing buildings was that they were not safe.
Also, we brought along a lady interested in joining architecture for humantiy, helping to develop the economical standing of the Haitian outpost of the organisation, and preparing it for the target handover to local, Haitian hands whenever it would be ready. This lady was an expat Haitian, fluent in creole, which I was sure, would be handy to have present.
Our agenda for the day read very fluently and suggested that we might make it be back to the office by 5pm-ish, in time to catch the last car back to the "maison":
1- introuctions
2- explain objective
3- walk to new site
4- present images of new school, show outlines of buildings on site
5- walk back to existing school
6- have children draw things that makes them happy
7- collect drawings
8- quick review and
9- give feedback to kids on what the overbearing happy-thought amongst them is.
10- thank all and depart.
When we arrived there were an estimated 50 children waiting for us at the school, twenty of which must have been under five. Within the confines of the tight and dark rooms of the tempporary accommodation, it was impossible to talk to all children at once, so we had to split them in four groups and Pastor Dorcinville explained to them what our visit would be about. Sort of.
We then proceeded to get the children ready for our walk, and arranged them in three lines, one with the colour-coded reds, i.e. the under fives, then the slightly older blues, one row of girls and one row of boys. There were 6 adults with us, performing the essential task of controlling the excited mob.
Leaving the existing premise to walk to the new school grounds was quite something to watch, and as planned, the orderly line of reds was followed by the blue girls and then the blue boys. Once outside, the lines however, predictably became unstable, tore and were shuffeled back into order various times until we had reached our goal, only ~7 (long) minutes down the road.
Delmas 75 is a very hilly area and the roads are dusty runways for anything or anyone on the move. We met with large and small vehicles, trucks carrying water and rebar, goats and chicken, friendly sales people all against the backdrop of amazing views of the area and into the patchworked houses on the slopes across and in the valleys below.
Also on the very tip of a hill lay the new site, and although it was covered in debris of all kinds, rotting and rusting in the afternoon sun, the children focussed on the essential qualities of the site, its exposure to breeze and its stunning views. Aafter a while, I managed to attract their attention and ran past them a series of 3Dimages of the first Phase building to be built, in French. Our lady guest then translated into creole, but I could tell from the glowing eyes of the older ones who spoke french well, that they were chuffed to bits about the prospect of moving into the new school before a year would be over, which is a fair enough estimate, all things considered.
Marching back to the old school in high pirits, I was thinking of how to package the task I was about to ask of the children, which would boil down to them providing a new emblem/symbol or logo for their new school. A logo that would carry their hopes for their future and give an identity to the new building that would thus give it a name and make it a separate thing from the present and past ones.
Upon arrival, Pastor Dorcinville kindly filtered the reds from the blues, since they were too tired to participate, and we began handing out pens and papers along with an explanation of what we were asking them to draw: something that makes them happy.
The children sat down in groups and started drawing, and it went very quiet. For a minute.
By now we had, unfortunately, lost our kind translator, who had to return back to the office, and communication was a little less "facile".
And so the children understood what they wanted, and went ahead and drew what was on their mind... the new school itself. Although most images were based around the same scheme, some came with flowers and palm trees in the garden, some with big arched entrances, some even with stairs leading up to them, but most had toilets, a kitchen and computers. And an office for Pastor Dorcinville.
The playgrounds, where indicated, featured a basketball ring on a stick, and swings. The flowers, where detailed, were accompanied by pidgeons, cats and/or butterflies.
Thankfully we had asked the children to label their drawings which helped to interprete some of the smaller ones that had most probably been squeezed in while we came round to collect their efforts.
By the time we had all of the drawings in our hands it was definitely time to leave, for us, but more so for the children who had stayed on in excess of five hours to take part in our little event.
Again, and even more so now, with the benefit of hindsight, I would like to thank Pastor Dorcinville to have facilitated the afternoon, and I am now going to set about evaluating the result from our experiment.
To get the Logo realised on siste, I have already contacted Jerry, the Haitian graffiti-equivalent of the US Banksy, who will hopefully, once the first Phase of the school is built, add a graffiti of the logo yet to be derived from the childrens efforts, to the wall above the main entrance.
This wall will face out into the valley across the playground at its feet, and hopefully carry with it the hopes and determination of the spirits from which it was sourced.
Although I won't be here to see it done, since my volunteering stint will be over beginning of April, I am sure that this effort will have been worth it. The children have inhabited the new building with their hearts already, and know it is theirs before the works have even begun.
Simone
The whole mess with the mairie has concluded. We've got our mixer back and the building permit was waived since we're no longer completing the construction work.
During a court encounter with previous contractor, the client, Dorcinvil, stated that it was his wish to reinstate this contractor on site going against previous mutual decisions as such Architecture for Humanity is happy to hand the construction work over to a contractor he knows and trusts, as long as that contractor has passed our vetting process. The selected contractor must be within our pool of selected contractors because many contractors in Haiti do not make work at the level of quality and safety that we require.
Following consultation with our head office, we've sent a letter to the client, Pastor Dorcinvil, explaining how to move forward with Home of Knowledge and stating the following points:
- We will not accept the reinstating of the previous contractor on site.
- Architecture for Humanity is entrusting the responsibility to the client to find a suitable replacement contractor. We are setting a deadline of 21 days (from the date of the letter) for the completion of this task. Failing to find the right contractor will result in the termination of the grant agreement and an end to the involvement of Architecture for Humanity in this project.
- To ensure a good contractor is chosen, the following information needs to be provided:
1. Bill of Quantities and Budget for the remaining work on site.
2. Certificat d’Accomplissement Fiscal “C”
3. Certificat de Patente
4. Evidence of 3 completed buildings in the last 2 years.
5. Evidence of a physical office where we can direct correspondence.
So far, we've received incomplete documentation from 2 potential contractors. They have until tuesday of next week to submit the full package for it to be analysed; if not, it'll simply be disapproved and rejected.