Bino

Bino is a neighbourhood in the second section of Leogane. It is very poor but the people are kind. There are local women who bake bread, grow and sell vegetables and even a place to watch Spanish football games. Bino is on a floodplain between the sea and the Leogane river and the area is filled with a beautiful canopy of forest producing mangoes, breadfruit and coconuts. Indeed, there are surprisingly few savage creatures, save the mosquitoes and the odd tarantula. Bino is also our home.

Living in the comfort of our beautiful house is at times disturbing. We have intermittent electricity, piped water and an abundance of space, comfort and many of the modern conveniences that sweeten life. What we do not have, however, is a project for the neighbourhood.

I have attempted to understand the likely impact that establishing a project would bring – the impasse I reach is, understandably, where to begin. Looking through the lens of security, a community project might contribute to lifting the physical and mental barriers of ignorance that inevitably exist between us and our neighbours. Moreover, the questions that might emerge on assessing the impact of a project are difficult and many.

First, in establishing a project, we would try to develop a number of basic facilities and skills that are sorely lacking; however, will we create a dependency if the project meets a need but does so in a wholly unsustainable fashion. Secondly, we must find premises to house our community work; are we putting at risk our security if we produce a project that opens our home and our resources to the neighbourhood. Third, assuming we begin working, are we interfering in the natural course of community life if we try and establish a project in the first place?

The first step in establishing a project is to look at need. Some of our volunteers have already approached our neighbours. There are children in the neighbourhood that do not attend school nor have access to basic necessities. Moreover, there are few, if any, fun activities such as art classes, sport, or even first-level sanitation and healthcare.  A number of the older children work and the younger ones just hang around with nothing to do most of the day. Unemployment levels are high.

With a bit of good fortune and enterprise, even on a shoestring, many important results can be achieved. Doubtless, our presence in Bino has not been wholly negative; for we have begun to give ad hoc art classes, observe at voodoo ceremonies and provide out of hours medical attention to our neighbours. Much of the hard work, therefore, has already been achieved, progressing towards meaningful social interaction with the Bino community.

Our task is clearly simpler as the most important ingredient exists in abundance – desire. Our walk to the main road from our home is punctuated by smiling faces and what have now become dozens of pictures deposited at number 13 with our names and good wishes. Therefore, it is important that we continue to cultivate that.

Reflection

Forgive me for the tardiness in my posts and the time-lag between reality and posting. This was something I wrote immediately after the first raindrops of trouble in the election.

I have just heard that at the closing event of Michel ‘Sweet Mickey’ Martelly’s presidential campaign gunmen opened fire killing at least one person. Cholera is sweeping through the country and The Dominican Republic has closed its border to Haiti to prevent the spread of disease. With all that has ensued since my arrival, flooding, cholera, political instability, against the backdrop of the earthquake, it is hard not to feel unmoved by another event which will further destabilize an already difficult country.

I cannot begin to comprehend, nor, accordingly, convey the hardships that each day brings for the average Haitian. In defiance of non-existent government, poor governance, ignorant NGOs, meek international institutions, poverty, decrepit infrastructure, deceit, violence, helplessness and worst of all indifference the people of this small island attempt to build families and live a good life. The list would go on, though I fear that I am erring too far away from my desire to remain apolitical and, by some measure, evaluative.
I observe that at the macro-level the reasons for continued decay, economic stagnation and insecurity are myriad and dauntingly complex. However, at the individual level, the pieces of the puzzle conspire to tie each person in a yoke that renders even the most fundamental of tasks an effort. Now is not the time to try and unpick the knots, save to remark that a recovery of sorts would take generations and I am not sure that our continued presence here as NGOs will solve anything. Merely, all the efforts and energies expended thus far seem to pull in the opposite direction away from independence and against what I value most - personal autonomy.

Logistics

There are many romantics working in the field. There is the community organizer working to inspire voluntarism amongst the youth, the medic healing the sick and infirm, the human right activist standing toe to toe against corruption and injustice. There is one task, however, that has become a vital aspect of field work.

To those unburdened by it, logistics is simply a term. Perhaps even it is a catch-all for those aspects of work which do not involve direct contact with the needy and infirm. Yet there is no doubt that once you are forced to engage in tasks as mundane as renting cars, fixing water supplies, fueling generators, agreeing contracts, managing staff you come to appreciate that, what most take for granted, is an arduous responsibility in low income countries.

Taking on logistical responsibilities is a crucial task that affords the field operative a wider horizon on which to focus, to better understand all that is functional and, as what turns out to be the case, all that is not.

Haiti is no different: once the initial shock of the place, the sheer destruction the lack of infrastructure has settled into the background, all that remains is the imperative to find solutions that are often novel and unnecessary in the Wide Eyed Pragmatist’s homeland. Even the most fundamental of tasks can become unmanageable without careful planning; everyday products, widely accessible in high income countries, just do not exist; professionally trained staff are difficult to come by. Moreover, serviceable road networks, functioning internet, electricity, clean water and a state infrastructure, certainties I once took for granted, are a chimera in Haiti.

Having taken on this responsibility with my usual aplomb, I look forward to sharing more with you regarding my adventures in banalities as wondrous  as buying food, water purification, driving and fixing the generator.

The flooding

One of our volunteers has developed a close attachment to one of our neighbours. She is a young mother with four children who lost a leg during the earthquake. He has organized a prosthetic leg for her which will be fitted imminently. It is hoped that this will improve somehow her situation. Immediately following the hurricane, one of our number visited her home, a small corrugated iron dwelling of about six foot by six with a table in the centre. With her four children she was lying on the table for protection from the waters that had penetrated into her home.

Her immediate response was to ask for food as she was starving. This is not an uncommon response to the sight of a ‘blanc’ but, following a flood on the scale that hit Leogane, it is hard not to feel that her case merited special attention. As I have argued in previous posts, the philosophy of the organization is one designed against created dependency. Does this case, however, even for us deserve a different response.

There are three issues here: security, compassion, dependency. On the one hand, our security in the community is threatened if we do act and, on the other, if we do not act. If we agree to give food to one amongst many then we risk having to face the demand from the entire area for food if word gets out. If we do not act, there is the risk that the community will turn against us if it is felt that blame can be laid at our door for all of Haiti’s troubles.

Second, in an act of human compassion, a feeling individual’s response to the disaster is to do all that is necessary to provide food and shelter. However, the case of the young mother is certainly not the only one in need of aid, nor should our personal attachment to her afford her special attention.
Third, if the organization has been constructed to breed self-sufficiency, and we are untrained in how to coordinate emergency and disaster response, it may be foolish to begin training in the midst of this event.

My friend decided that in the face of her suffering, he was unable to turn away. For two days he brought rice and beans for her and her young family. The third day, he sourced cans of meat, enough to feed her and her family for three days, and brought that to her too. He visited a fourth time to see how she was. Her response when questioned about how she was, “the meat was great but could I have more rice to go with it.”

Hopital Saint-Croix

One of Leogane’s largest hospitals succumbed on Friday to the floodwaters. Perhaps, ‘succumb’ is misleading; this would infer that there must have been some semblance of resistance to the river as the banks burst and the onrushing waters devastated all in its wake.

On Saturday morning, I visited the hospital to find an utterly dejected American, who ran the facilities, one doctor and complete desertion. Practically alone, they had battled to save vital medical equipment and prescription medicine the night before whilst putting in place an evacuation of the remaining in-patients to the second floor. The new river tributary took its natural course straight through the hospital wards and reception area.

Wilfully accommodated by the hospital corridors, a cascade of dirty river water greeted us on arrival. The American was there pacing about incandescent with rage at the situation, lost for words, other than to curse the inability of his Haitian colleagues to grasp the seriousness of the situation.

He refused any offer of help, arguing that it was up to those who worked in the hospital to take responsibility for what had happened. Having put in place a prevention plan, one week prior to the hurricane, he told us how no one had turned up to work on Friday, nor had they worked on his plan to put in place sandbags, move vital equipment or take any such preventative measure to sure up the hospital. Only one doctor, out of all the staff arrived to help on Saturday.

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The hurricane

Expectant for the approaching weather system, it dawned upon me that our preparations were cold comfort when put into context. We live, fortunately, in a sturdily built home, with ample protection from the onrushing storm. The same cannot be said for the vast majority of the population in Leogane.

When it arrived for twenty-four hours it was no more explosive than a torrential downpour typical of England. However, for the hundreds and thousands living in cramped conditions in poorly constructed corrugated iron housing, let alone the tented IDP camps, it was a crushing blow. Considering all that has befallen Haiti in such a short space of time, this was just one of many disasters that the communities have had to face. Standing out above all else is the stark contrast between our complete safety and the destruction wrought by flash flooding in the communities. As with the earthquake a complete lack of infrastructure and adequate housing has threatened the vast majority. This time, fortunately, it seems that the loss of life may only reach single figures.

To add some colour to the picture of devastation, it is worth understanding a bit about those we are in contact with from the area. Guilou, our house manager, a lady of about forty, spends her days working to support her entire family; herself, four children, two step children, her mother and blind father, her aunt, her partner and her great uncle. This is not unusual in a population where sixty percent are unemployed. She called that morning to ask for our assistance in evacuating her home as it became inundated with floodwaters. Her family were relocated to our ample space and she came to work for us after, in vain, trying to save the contents of her home.

Flooding is nothing new for Haiti, nor to Britain. What is striking, though, in contrast to our experience, is the immanent risk of flash flooding in a country where basic housing is a luxury, where flood defences are non-existent, where riverbanks burst and flow with impunity into the heart of heavily populated areas. If there is one thing that this episode proves, it is that, in order to avoid further damage in future, it would take a Herculean effort to focus attention on improved infrastructure and to deal with, once and for all, the IDP camps in a humane and novel way.

Manna from heaven

For many in low income countries the most preventable of gastrointestinal illnesses and infections related to poor living conditions are still a persistent threat. So it was hoped that a campaign involving education in the villages in which we are working on a “Hygiene Day” would serve as a basis for health improvements.

The mothers of the three villages were invited to participate in a lecture for which they would receive a gift in return. I observed the situation in a village of approximately two hundred families near the city. The day consisted of a talk by a local nurse who explained how mothers could help to prevent the spread of disease with some simple techniques. Literature was handed out to remind the mothers for when they returned home about what they had learnt. Finally, boxes with sanitation products were handed out.

What code, moral, economic or political, should serve as a basis for intervention? Is this ever a question worth asking; for if we have a sense of empathy with all the peoples of this world, then we may believe that working in low income countries is no different to social action in our own. Yet there is a difference which will be left unsolved unless we probe the intricacies of each case on its own merit.

I want to concentrate on two interrelated issues surrounding the hand-out of ‘aid’ boxes with the UNICEF logo. First, as a small organization which intends to provide for long-term and sustainable solutions, was this damaging to the communities for which we work? And second, is the work we are trying to do to educate villagers any more welcome and suitable than handouts?

Building trust within a community is always difficult – it is a process which takes time yet, just as one bad experience can colour future judgement, so too can a negative event. The sight of queues of mothers waiting for UNICEF aid boxes, only to be turned away left a feeling of discomfort in me. People fought over boxes and children commandeered condoms to play with as party balloons; this all added to the sense that damage might have been caused by our activities. Alas, as an outsider to the project, I cannot be so sure that we have been guilty of producing  lasting damage but I hope not.

Just what happened is not quite clear. Was the UNICEF puppet master pulling our strings, using us as its emissary to the communities; or were we more than just complicit in this situation but ultimately culpable. In return, I am sure we will receive some realizable linkages with the UN organizations that will be beneficial in the long term. However, that Manichean process in which we are now caught may affect our long-term goals. So was I worth giving the hygeiene kits? Some may call what we did pragmatism, others may argue that we were deviating from our goals to provide a platform for self-sufficiency as opposed to dependency. As always, the answer is far from simple.

The road

As I have stated previously, the Presidential elections will be held on the 28th November. There are almost 20 candidate vying for the top job in Haiti but what is of greater interest to me is how events revolving around Port-au-Prince affect provincial towns such as Leogane.

One has also to remember that this is hardly the only contest of import going on in Haiti at the moment. As I wrote in my last post, the civil servants of the Civil Protection Authority (DPC), whose role is to coordinate emergency relief for its people, are also up for ‘re-election’ by their association with Rene Preval and his hand-picked successor, Jude Celestin. Patronage is a crucial facet of the Haitian state and the need in election year to demonstrate an ability to finesse concrete improvements out of NGOs and the Haitian state is vital for their survival.

Last week the bridge connecting one of the large NGOs in Leogane to the city was destroyed as a protest by the citizenry. Since the earthquake, the government has failed to resurface or level any of the roads. This is an acute situation felt daily by the residents. The trucks make it worse and the lack of drainage fills the holes with rainwater, creating a quagmire that leads to extensive disruption. At least either by mototaxi, on foot or by 4x4 this is manageable. However, when as a protest the people collapse a small bridge connecting the city to the more provincial areas where three or four NGOs live, including ourselves, this becomes an unmanageable issue.

A solution was found at a meeting chaired by our organization to reconstruct the bridge with NGO money and local contributions. In addition, the community ought to provide some volunteer work for the process. Never wishing to be accused of cynicism, I wait with intrigue for donations and volunteers to materialise.

What is certain is the project will be completed under the auspices of the mayoralty, thus ensuring they take the credit for what was essentially a protest by the people.  I welcome the protest, so long as it is peaceful and achieves results; however, this adroit piece of vandalism by the community put the NGO community in an unmanageable position. The NGOs had no option other than to succumb to political pressure.

It is an uncomfortable place to be kicked around like a political football between the people and its representatives. On the positive side, we should now receive better access to the centre. However, I can’t say that I look forward to further examples of international cooperation on infrastructure in Leogane.

The destruction

The drive from the airport, come to think of it, any drive, is filled with a patchwork of internally displaced person (IDP) camps, piles of rubble, condemned and collapsed homes. Even a photograph of the scenery could not do justice to the reality of life in Haiti. An album might begin to offer a fair record of the completeness of the destruction; film might begin to show something of the disaster. Yet, truly to begin to understand Haiti, one has to make the journey to the country to experience first-hand what 1000 posts of a blog fail to do justice to.
It strikes me that this contribution to the WEP may mark a high watermark in my sensitivity to all that I see around me. One of my fellow volunteers is a professional photographer charged with keeping a photo record of the work we are doing. He refused the opportunity to photograph a flattened car still lying in state at the burial site that was dug for it nine months ago.
You see destruction in Technicolor that you can have only encountered in the comfort of a cinema. This was not the first time I had seen the flattened carcass of a Chevrolet, having experienced the thrill-ride beamed into countless cinemas across the world in the guise of a scene from a Hollywood blockbuster.
For a moment, on encountering it for the first time in Haiti, I allowed myself to imagine a masked avenger chasing his long-time adversary to what would become the point of the final stand-off. Pursued to the top of a high rise, our villain eventually plunges to his death onto a car below, shattered glass gives way to the screech of car alarm until the battle for life I lost by it and its newest passenger. With the dastardly criminal dead and buried, all that is left is the Chevy – abandoned.
Yet this scene in front of me was not thought up in the mind of a scriptwriter shot at great cost onto 8mm celluloid. It was a scene that must have been repeated time and again across the country when buildings collapsed crushing all in their wake on January 12th 2010 when the earthquake struck. Nearly nine months following the premiere, that particular film and its aftermath is still being screened across the country. It won’t win an Oscar, but perhaps it should merit more international attention.

The roads to Port au Prince

Field trip

The Organization for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(Ocha) invited us to collaborate on an evaluation of health needs for people affected by recent flooding. I attended a meeting at which it was decided that we would be part of a field trip to visit flood-affected areas along the riverbanks of Leogane. The purpose of our visit, or so I believed, was to report on whether it was necessary to provide emergency relief for the affected areas. We were working in consultation with the Haitian government office, the DPC(Civil and Public Works Department) whose remit it is to evaluate and respond to humanitarian disasters.
On arrival, two things became clear; firstly, this was not a humanitarian disaster – flooding is a chronic issue for many Haitians living in low-lying areas. It may be more precise, therefore, to call this a chronic ecological problem. Second, the CPD made it quite clear that we ought to provide more by way of aid and relief to those affected.
Flooding is apparent in the districts we visited; however, we were only able to visit three quartier due to disagreement between NGOs and the Haitian government. The situation became tense and it was felt that our presence as a convoy of 4x4s navigating through side roads was damaging. First, the DPC asked what the communities ‘needed’ and, as pointed out by a veteran with more than twenty years of experience in Haiti, this was no way to work on an independent evaluation. Second, our mere presence inferred that this first stage would lead to more support for the communities. Moreover, we had bypassed local ties, lacked sensitivity and had no planning for evaluation in each of the communities; this was a recipe for mismanagement in what turned out to be a difficult situation.
So, I made the decision to leave; we got back in the car and returned to the safety of the UN base. In an air-conditioned meeting room, we spent an hour discussing what we had seen. It was agreed that, though living conditions are unconscionably tough, the communities have learnt to cope with intermittent flooding as part of their lives. This is sad and, ideally, would change. Yet, it would take years of meticulous planning, developing the necessary skills to allow the communities to improve drainage, secure uncontaminated sources of water from wells. This would be complemented by long-term ecological projects to reduce flooding. Solutions take time and expertise; however, providing money for clean water, replacing lost possessions and cleaning pre-existing open wells which were inundated by floodwaters was not a long-term solution.
The meeting became heated as it became apparent that the NGOs would recommend no short-term action to provide aid to the affected areas. One expert commented that this would be reported as another example of NGO inaction on local radio, building mistrust of their work. It would, however achieve a political purpose – to provide the government with someone else to blame for the persistent low living standards of many Haitians.
There was a mismatch between what the NGOs wanted to achieve today and what the Haitian government wanted to secure for the communities. On the one hand, the NGOs had intended to take a scientific approach to measuring the size of communities, the number of functioning wells, toilets and living conditions to assess whether a serious catastrophe had occurred. On the other hand, our hosts, were looking for cast-iron guarantees of support for the people. This was understandable; the DPC are appointed by politicians and so wanted to demonstrate three weeks before a Presidential election that they were adept at finessing aid from the international community.

Arts and crafts

I used to dread art class – little talent and a slapdash approach to
painting, drawing and every medium in between. So it was revelatory to
find out I was not alone in my disdain for all things creative.
Except, for the Haitian women involved in TBT’s income generation
project, in stark contrast to my childhood indiscipline, it may have
been the difference between success and failure.

I observed as our project leader, a talented artist from Israel tried
to maintain focus in a class of twenty women who, in vain, were trying
to get to grips with the fundamentals of papier mashe, drawing and
painting. Their age range spanned four decades from a twenty-something
with two young children to a widow etched with the seams of an arduous
existence. The purpose of the class was to inculcate a basic sense of
the work ethic of the factory and teach them to bring their newly
acquired skills to a level of self-sufficiency. With all the willing
in the world, this proved to be an unequivocal struggle.

The group seem not to understand the basis for their training period
which was, firstly, to ensure that whatever was produced was not
bought merely in sympathy, secondly, the product should meet some
minimum standard, third, money was not instantaneous. Having craved
the hand-outs which world attention brought following the earthquake,
along with an addiction to aid, the imperative of the project was to
decouple Haiti’s women from donor pledges, provide a long-term revenue
stream, and, if successful, to ensure that the women's cooperative
contributed to the community.

At this early stage, I have no idea as to whether this will be a
success. If one of you out there would like to buy some Christmas
decorations or religious designs, I can get you a good discount.

The heat

Package holiday firms have been known to offer part refunds if the
weather undershoots expectations. Though 28 degrees Celsius with air
almost saturated with humidity might not lead to a successful claim,
one might be excused for soliciting recompense. A holiday in such
climbs would be unbearable to even the most seasoned explorer.

Yet that is precisely the situation in which I find myself. For each
day is cool by the standards of the warmer climes that many a British
holidaymaker escapes to during the summer. Yet in Haiti the heat is
unimaginable until experienced. It is a good job that I am not here
for a holiday. Save for a cold shower, you would stay in an almost
permanent state of perspiration.

The daily struggle of work becomes more tiresome when the humidity
sets in. You cannot escape from it without the vast expense of air
conditioning. Supermarkets, therefore, are welcome relief from the
discomfort.

Sleeping in such heat becomes an achievement. The air is close and
soon your bed is utterly drenched with the balmy heat of the night.
There is no respite – no yearned for breeze to keep us going.

Always leaving you desperate for more

This is going to be short. I wanted to get the creative juices flowing and, in the first instance, to let you know I have arrived.

First, I must make an apology. As I have not set up internet and the likelihood of doing so in the near future is slim, posts may be mere scraps of information about what I am doing. Fear not, avid reader, however, for I have begun to compose a series of posts which will be released at regular intervals once I am connected in a more reliable way.

I am coming to you from the comfort of the cafe. Internet is snail-paced, there is no cafe and it's a touch loud for my liking. To reach it,I had the pleasure of my first journey on a mototaptap. I have quickly, in line with the most devout voodoo followers, become resigned to my fate. I will have to take, what is essentially a motocross bike for three wherever I travel within Leogane and that is that.

It is not for the faint hearted. Mindful that some of my closest friends and family (and girlfriend) may (if I am lucky) be concerned for my safety, I will not go into detail. All I will add, is that it is the safest and quickest way to travel save for a panzer tank on roads which are sometimes blocked with earthquake detritus, cows, goats and people.

I hope to post something more substantial very soon and can't wait to hear from a few more of you.

Tevel B'Tzedek

Machete in hand, shredding jungle foliage, thick and overgrown, like a lonely tramp in the wilderness. The wind whips up bristling through the trees bringing the sounds and smells of the surrounding hinterlands. Eventually, one emerges to find an untouched hamlet, still grieving, still rebuilding in the aftermath of disaster. The explorer, ashen-faced, walks purposefully to the nearest elder to pronounce, “it is ok, I am here to help”. As the gentle bubble of an oneiric thought bursts, I realise I have not arrived at this fabricated reality. Instead, I wake from a comfortable snooze, enveloped by soft, downy sheets.

Seven days prior to my arrival, and I am not sure what to expect. Indeed, in prejudging what I am about to embark upon, it would be just as futile to draw upon accumulated experience as dreams.

In writing, I have to thank an education as arbiter for my prejudice. I am also grateful to my brother for drawing my attention firstly, to the importance of the facts - which means a focus on the work I will be doing in country. Secondly, to how that may interact with a wider purpose - to improve the diurnal struggle that is life for all of us. I realise that it is a good job I won’t turn up alone, isolated and indifferent to the culture. There will be others to draw on for advice, namely the NGO for which I will be working, Tevel B’Tzedek.

TBT, is an Israeli NGO which acts in a simple yet revolutionary way in low income countries. Instead of promising the earth and delivering dust, TBT provides a framework for communities to help themselves. There is no cash for water pumps, no food aid for households, no bricks and mortar for schools. In place of one-off donations are time and expertise directed towards the needs of the community.

In a country that has just agreed a $10billion aid package with the United Nations (roughly equivalent to annual GDP), it is striking that an ‘aid’ organization spends nothing on hand outs. The objective of TBT’s work is to use technological know-how and human capital, coupled with an enthusiasm for local activism to unlock the potential of the community. I will be amongst eight volunteers, beginning our work in November following an intense introduction.

Conscious of a tendency to make premature comment, I will do my best not to reduce what is one of the most complex and difficult subjects, development, in one of the most complex countries, Haiti, to mere snippets of cumbersome prose. Therefore, I will say no more about the country which will become my home for four months or more; nor will I add my opinion to the subject of how to ‘fix’ Haiti as though it were as artless as replacing a snapped fan-belt.

To reiterate, if there ought to be a wider objective to this blog, perhaps it should be to ask whether TBT’s model of development will thrive in the unique surrounds of Haiti. This won’t be answered overnight; alas, it may take an entire career to begin to unpick the pitfalls of any ‘method’ of development. Moreover, in the final analysis, I can only interpret what I have seen through the lens of my own prejudice - for which I make no apology.

Preparation

“So you are going to save the world.” How many times I have heard this uttered in an almost desultory tone - more of a statement than a question. Doubling up, pink and flustered, embarrassed at the mere thought that this is the reality of what I am about to begin. In ten days time, I will be leaving for Haiti to work in a community for what could be as long as two years and the notion that I could save anyone (let alone myself) could not be further from my mind.

Whether more by luck than good judgement, I have been invited to try my hand at development work. There are two things that come to mind when I think about my path from this point to a career: first, can I succeed in making a positive impact where many have failed; second, what on earth am I doing?

The first question is one I can not answer as yet – The most significant advice I have received is with two ears but one mouth, why not listen twice as much as you speak. Accept that you will face many setbacks but so long as you can focus on why you are doing what you are doing then most problems can be overcome. The rest will be up to my colleagues and the community in Leogane to decide.

This brings me on to the second part – focus. Why would I forego the career that most would crave, working in London, for an uncomfortable existence in one of the world’s toughest places? This is the simple part for me. It begins with my own upbringing which I will not bore you with. It ends, however, with a much more selfish aim – self-worth. If I am to be judged a success

This is a journey to a country that has been more unfortunate than most. As the world’s most affluent colony under the French, Saint-Dominigue, in the Western half of the island of Hispaniola, seemed destined for a bright future. However, following the first successful slave-led independence in 1803 from its former French colonial masters, Haiti was crippled by reparations that it would never be able to pay off. The residual of this unjust debt was still being paid until September 2009 when it was finally cancelled. Intermittently occupied by the US, with endemic corruption and negligent government under the dynastic reign of first ‘Papa Doc’ and then ‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier, the country suffered greatly. Latterly, led by Jean-Bertrande Aristide until a US backed coup in 2004, Haiti seemed in a terminal state of crisis. There was great hope for the democratically elected Rene Preval. Might I add, Haiti also suffers from a severe hurricane season. And of course, the town in which I will be working, Leogane, was the epicentre of a truly earth shuddering quake.

As I set off, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere with a GDP per capita equivalent to the absolute poverty line ($2 a day). Where over 200,000 children work as ‘restavecs’ (house servants), where 98% of forests have been destroyed, where more are illiterate then not, where a third of the national budget is aid, and where, since the earthquake made most homes uninhabitable, the majority of the population live in tented camps.

Until I arrive, I won’t be able to explain fully what I am doing and I hope to give you more detail soon. Needless to say, I have to prepare for a quite challenging work environment. I have brought everything I think will be necessary but have no idea how to prepare fully. If the malaria doesn’t get me, the heat may. If the dengue fever doesn’t fell me, rabies may. We are having, whilst working, to put in electricity, water and the internet. Let’s hope all goes to plan and I live in relative comfort.

The final problem I have had to navigate is judging exactly what I should bring to prepare for work. Feeling more like ‘Dora the Explorer’ than Ray Mears, I have looked at every gadget and gizmo under the sun. My cause is not helped by knowing that most of what I need I have to bring with me as it will not be easy to get hold of every day essentials such as shampoo. This would strike is an opportune moment to shed my shaggy locks and beard.

Speaking of vanity, I have been known to indulge in self-promoting bursts of writing. More I think, with distinct irony, to keep me grounded than as a true exercise in communication. What seems to end up happening is that I become particularly verbose and end up with few responses. This time, I hope to be a little different such that my new medium, the blog, will help to grease the wheels of your input. Again, as always, I look forward to hearing from any and all of you. I do treasure your responses, however brief they may be. I do not know how often I will be able to write but I will be able to see your comments. I may even take to the odd vlog.

So will I save the world? I hope not – it doesn’t need saving. Besides, brilliant minds have spent decades dreaming up miraculous panaceas for the billion malnourished, the two billion or more who lack basic services. I think it’s best if I do not add my perspective to some of the world’s most intractable issues.

Having written for a while about my previous adventures, this is the first time that I will truly have to prove myself as a mature adult. There is no safety net, I am too old to be mollycoddled, and this is the future I want to plan for myself. I hope that as I look back in four months, then four years, and four decades, I will see this first entry to ‘The Wide Eyed Pragmatist’ as the base camp before I begin the arduous climb. I look forward to the challenge.