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Haven Newsletter

Congratulations to each and every one of the Haven volunteers who successfully completed our inaugural Build it Week.

In spite of a long journey and overwhelming heat, all of the volunteers were ready for action on the first day on-site in Ouanaminthe.

Issue 04 November 2009

The temperatures, which rose steadily throughout the week, were no match for the determination of the volunteers whose main aim was to achieve the considerable targets presented to them:

40 new homesA central playgroundA new classroom and basketball court for the local school

Our volunteers met and exceeded those targets with 41 houses and all the community facilities built. Well done.

We hope that you will agree that Build it Week 2009 was a resounding success. This was made possible by the volunteer efforts.

Your decision to join us on this incredible journey has made an immeasurable difference to the 41 families who will have a home for the first time this Christmas thanks to you. We were also thrilled to discover that so many of our volunteers have hidden talents which kept us entertained in the evenings. Kieran Cummins with his rendition of ‘Angels’, The Finishers talent for singing and stripping, Jim Dowling’s new found love of salsa and dresses, and the poetic engagement of our first Haven couple, David and June. We loved the attitude of our volunteers – getting stuck into all aspects of the week.

The next stage of our journey starts now. We have already started recruiting volunteers for 2010.

Hand over day: Haven volunteers, founder Leslie Buckley and new home owners the Valcourt family on the last day of Build it Week.

There will be two Build it Weeks next year: one at the end of April and one at the end of October. We are looking for 250 volunteers for each trip. We know it is a big commitment but we would be thrilled if you could join us on one of these trips. Now that you are

familiar with the mechanics of the project on the ground in Haiti, you would be an invaluable resource to us on future Build it Weeks. If you can’t make it perhaps you could help us recruit more volunteers from your local community, your family, friends or your


workplace. We will be scheduling a series of information evenings nationwide in January and February. If you know of an event or venue that you think we should attend please feel free to contact [email protected] or tel 01 433 3930.

You may have noticed that our website has recently undergone a transformation, please feel free to send us any photos you may have of Build it Week and we can display them.

Build it Week is about you, the volunteers. If you have any suggestions on how we could improve the experience, please feel free to email us at [email protected]

Congratulations again to all of the 260 volunteers. What you managed to achieve in one week is truly inspirational. You have changed the lives of many people in Ouanaminthe who had lost hope that they would ever live in a decent home. Your generosity to the children in the local school and orphanage will also certainly dramatically improve their lives.

Orphanage update

Many of the volunteers were incredibly moved by the visit to Mauviette’s orphanage in the nearby town of Ouanaminthe. Mauviette and the committee set up to look after the children, CEVINO, ensured that all visitors were given a huge Haitian welcome as the children sang and danced for all visitors.

Some of you have donated cash to the orphanage via Haven. You gave a total of €3,090. We want you to be assured that your donations will go to caring for these children. Haven has promised Mauviette that we will help her to rent a house in Ouanaminthe to care for the estimated 60 orphans who have nowhere to sleep at night. We are also going to help her with the legal process of ensuring that she and CEVINO are registered with the authorities to care for these children.

The wheels of the law grind slowly in Haiti, so it may take us some time to ensure Mauviette’s orphanage is properly registered and lawfully able to mind the orphans of Ouanaminthe. Until then, we will continue to provide assistance to her and the kids and look for an appropriate building to rent for her. We will provide you with updates through the newsletter, or feel free to contact us in the office for news.

Never doubt that a small group of thought-ful, committed citizens can change the world. They are the only thing that ever has.

- Margaret Meade, Anthropologist

Some of Haven’s enthusiastic Haitian workforce.


Volunteers’ look back at Build it WeekDeirdre ConroyPainting

You know you’ve lost the plot when you take your paintbrush and tray home at night. But you learn quickly on Build it Week, and while we thought we were prepared, nothing can quite prepare you for the real thing. While we painters were thought to have been given the soft jobs – it was tough, that rollin, rollin, rollin down in Haiti. Our twenty-seven strong team didn’t have the easiest start, with a shortage of equipment and paint, but we got stuck in with whatever we could find. Though, the sight of row upon row of unpainted houses was daunting in that heat on our first Monday morning, we had one house finished in the first hour, such was the enthusiasm and jostling for position to get a wall in the shade.

The Painting Team had more than its fair share of girls which we hope the lads appreciated, it certainly came in handy for the choreography, the Painting Team were the fearless openers of Haven’s Got Talent, and it was looking real good until The Finishers stole the whole show.

I know our patient foreman, Ian, will have despaired at my lack of skill at the beginning, who would have thought you could splash and spray so much?? With the tutelage of Brendan and Jim, techniques like ‘cutting in’ were honed and suddenly by Thursday with

At the end of Build it Week, our volunteers handed over five houses, the playground, school classroom and basketball court. But, our community worker Farah has been hard at work since our departure handing over the other homes which were ready for their new owners.

As of the middle of November, there are now 91 families living in the houses built by both our volunteers and our Haitian workforce. It is our target to have all 200 Haven homes completed and handed over by the end of this year – we don’t think there is a better Christmas present for our beneficiaries.

A human chain forms to deliver 10,000 bottles of water across the site.

Deirdre Conroy does her thing under the watchful eye of UN peacekeepers.

an abundance of paint there was a sunny disposition on the walls of the Haven village, courtesy of the Painters. We also had the privilege of handing over the first house, wonderfully customised by our talented crew, a moving moment for us and no doubt more so for Anouse Emmanuelle, Elien Nelson and their three daughters.


With so much good will and ‘can do’ attitudes, it’s no wonder that some of our volunteers got involved in extra projects during Build it Week.

Jerry O’Leary, a popular volunteer, put forward the idea of rebuilding the toilets at the local school, which were in terrible disrepair.

From there, this idea grew legs and totally driven by the volunteers through voluntary donations, a fund was started to try to

raise enough money for the toilets and a generator to power the wells and electricity to the Haven homes. A total of €5,041 was given by generous volunteers. Marcel, our Haitian contractor, has offered to donate the septic tanks needed and came in with a very reasonable quote for the toilets.

Haven’s founder Leslie Buckley then agreed that the charity would make up any shortfall in funding needed to build the toilets and install the generator.

These donations will mean that by the end of the year, Wilson Pierre’s school will have a new toilet block, water will be pumped to it and all 200 Haven homes via the generator and from 4:30 until 9:30pm electricity will be available in all the homes.

The volunteers said, “Let there be light” and there was light… and water… and toilets. Another amazing story from Build it Week.

Volunteer Initiative to Rebuild School Toilets

Jean on her water round.

“Work hard, play hard,” as a certain Irish contrac-tor puts it and we certainly did! The blood and the sweat were followed by inevita-ble tears on “Hand-Over” day.

amongst the warmest and most generous people I have ever met, representing all ages and walks of life. United by one resounding goal, to build 40 houses in one week, we broke into teams lead by capable individuals. Time was not on our side so everybody maintained focus on his/her task and the bond which formed so early on prevented anyone from letting the team down. It was hard but exceptionally rewarding work. We had great fun on the water team ably lead by Sarah and ensured that the heat and humidity did not lead to dehydration of the volunteers and our Haitian colleagues. The joy of waking up to the Haitian dawn, healthy and fit, in the company of new friends with tasks to be done will remain with me forever. Laughs abounded and craic was had particularly at the wonderful and varied evening entertainment. I never imagined I would enjoy my week in Haiti to the extent that I did, it was enriching, memorable and rewarding – it was a real privilege to be part of a truly wonderful team and project, it is without any hesitation that I would recommend anyone to become part of this evolving journey.

Jean Van Sinderen-Law Water

I decided to become a volunteer when I heard about the plight of people in Haiti who due to poverty and lack of support were unable to protect their children by providing them with a secure home. As a parent I empathised with those in Haiti who like parents all over the world so badly want the best for their children.

The Haven project promised to provide homes for hundreds of people, many of them children. With support from those who provided the funds as well as from my family I embarked on this journey with a sense of trepidation, not knowing what lay ahead. The magnitude of the project really only truly dawned on me as we crossed the Dominican Republic - Haitian border in the dark of late evening time and were greeted by a UN convoy to lead us safely to Ouanaminthe.

What began that night could truly be described as an enriching experience and a unique adventure. The volunteers were


Tom Tannion Plumbing and Electrics

I enjoyed writing the blog whilst we were in Haiti. The adventure was a tangible opportunity to make a bit of difference in the lives of very poor people. Some weeks on, I still find it difficult to talk about certain incidents without becoming emotional:

*The random group of people in a truck who stopped and serenaded our team as we worked on the project at the school;

* The children singing and dancing for us at the orphanage;

* Seeing first hand, the sorts of houses families actually live in – and of course the handover ceremonies.

The week carried an immense amount of laughter, banter, good humour and very, very hard work. We were a self-contained community living and working in and around a small compound. A dedicated team prepared our meals. With little structure and a lot of creativity we made our own entertainment and we quickly became cohesive teams intent on meeting the goals that had been set. When I described our achievements to an American colleague he said: “Wow! Sounds like ‘Habitat for Humanity’ on steroids!” That’s fairly apt.

Other than the aches and pains of hard work and fitful nights of sleeping in the heat, I suffered little. A fungal infection of my foot (“very common” said the on-site doctor) and scalded knees from going to the toilet at lunchtime – taller volunteers will know what I mean! I thank and applaud the generosity of spirit of all who went to Haiti and for those who provided sponsorship. My verdict? I’ve already got the Haiti October 2010 week in my diary – guess that says it all.

David Sorohan Masonry

My cunning plan to arrive a little late for check in at Dublin airport worked a treat as I was handed a boarding card for first class (bonus!). A few hours later the coach trip through The Dominican Republic (Dom Rep) brought me back to earth with a bang, how six buses managed to weave their way through five-man mopeds and over-laden pick-ups, whilst driving around monster pot-holes into on coming traffic is beyond me. As poor as The Dom Rep appeared, it was no preparation for what awaited us on the far side of the Haitian border. Our convoy (under armed U.N. protection) crawled through local crowds, who were out in force to greet us, as it slowly dawned on us that the reason it was so dark was that these people were living with no electricity! They sat by candle-light, waving up at us from small tables by the side of the road.

After our first night under our carefully tucked-in mosquito nets it was off to work. Clearly word had spread that I had snagged a 1st class seat on the flight and it was time

for some pay back! I don’t know where Mr. Buckley found the plastering sand but it was certainly a devious mind that decided that it would all have to be sifted/riddled by hand in 40 degree plus heat. It was indeed the no.1 job to be avoided – some of us (James, Michael, Brian, Owen, myself) were a little slower than most to figure this out but on the upside we won’t need to be investing in an ab-king-pro anytime soon!

The water flowed all day and the beers started to flow well into the night, a lot of work done while the sun was up, backed up by a lot of sh**e talked while it was down. There were stories of giant tarantulas to be avoided on late night toilet runs, a lad getting a three am alarm call only to wake up staring into the eyes of a goat and not forgetting a certain foreman (name withheld for legal reasons) who we found asleep, standing up in the

corner of our front room at 4:30am after the first day of work/beer!

“Work hard, play hard” as a certain Irish contractor puts it and we certainly did! The blood and the sweat were followed by inevitable tears on “Hand-Over” day. To witness the joy on the faces of the families as they received the keys to their new homes and to hear the laughter of the children as they burst through the gates to their playground has to be one of the most rewarding experiences anyone could ever have.

Thanks to the Buckley family, the fantastic Haven staff and all the volunteers for a life changing week.

Building bridges between Ireland and Haiti. Owen Cleary and David Sorohan with some new Haitian friends.

Finbar Cahill, Emma Kennedy and Tom Tannion from the P&E team.

task, we had a team meeting and began to organise for breakfast on Monday morning. Roles were allocated with Alan taking charge of the Kitchen group and John Brennan taking charge of what we described as “front of house”.

We had a core group who stayed in the Catering team for most of the week while some volunteers took time out to get involved in the direct building work. Many volunteers joined the catering team as substitutes and this added to the fun in the kitchen.

George Hook described the catering crew as an eclectic group in his article in the Sunday Independent. He was so right. Starting with George himself, his fried eggs caused a real stir on the first day. Our core team in the kitchen along with Alan included Rosaleen, Rena, Tom, Vinnie (Amazing Grace), Joey and Hayley. The front of house team was led by John Brennan (How’s the water doing?), Mary (The Real Boss), Aoife (Up the Déise), Emer (I’m not actually from Paris), Dennis (I’m from Cork by the way) and myself.Who could forget the wonderful Crowley family of Geraldine, Jean and Bernard? We were also joined by Rita, Olive, Julie and Candice whose lunchtime gig went down very well. Of course we also had the surprise of the week when June and Dave became engaged. Many friendships were forged among the team and I expect many of the group back again with Haven. We may not have laid many blocks, plastered many walls or completed any roofs but we did feel that our role was very important to the overall Build it Week.

Mike Curran Carpentry

It’s been two weeks since our trip to Haiti. Over 280 people journeyed half way around the globe to help people less fortunate than themselves. The plan was to build 40 houses

Dr Ross Ardill Medical Team

The recent week in Ouanaminthe was a great success and enjoyable experience for all the Medical Team. This was partly due to the excellent preparation and provision by Drs Niall and Maria who had ‘begged, stole and borrowed’ very comprehensively to kit out our surgery extremely well. The personal responsibility taken by the majority of all the volunteers, regarding their health, also meant that the medical team were not overwhelmed with trivial or self inflicted complaints; this freed up the medical services for the purpose which we were there.

Finally the excellent standard of food and hygiene maintained by Alan and the catering team meant that the dreaded ‘gastro outbreak’ did not occur. Thankfully there were no major traumas or injuries during the week nor were there any serious medical emergencies – all who ventured out – returned.

Many of the Medical Team were therefore able to assist other teams for several days with us contributing to the Catering, Painting, Carpentry, Plumbing, Masonry and Water teams – an experience which was hopefully beneficial to both parties! Certainly the carpenters had a good laugh on several occasions at my expense and Cillian was the most auspicious apprentice the plumbers ever had! The overlap also meant that first aid / medical expertise was on hand throughout the site which was in retrospect, a good idea.We enjoyed the opportunity to contribute to and with the other ‘Build it Week’ teams to hopefully bettering the lives of some families in Haiti. We look forward to 2010.


Myles McHugh Catering

When we were told that we were allocated to the “Catering” team, many of us did not know what to expect. When we arrived at Ouanaminthe on the first night, we were immediately summoned to the kitchen where Alan Mc Kenna welcomed us. He told us that we had an immediate task to serve our fellow volunteers with food which had been prepared prior to our arrival. The first thing that I noticed was that the kitchen was very well equipped. Having carried out our first

So many of the Haven volunteers brought gifts and donations with them to Haiti. Thank you all so much for this extra generosity. We asked you to bring them to us so that we could ensure they were divided in an equitable way. Farah had the daunting, but most enjoyable task, of being Santa Claus on your behalf. Your gifts have helped in the following ways:

1,114 school pupils from four schools in the region received gift packs containing pens, pencils, notebooks and toys. Each school also got a football

Mauviette’s orphanage received masses of clothes, shoes, toys, colouring books, notebooks, toothbrushes, pens and pencils.

Seven beneficiary families who were visited during the daily tours received a gift bag including Haven T-shirts, children’s clothes, shoes, toothbrush, soap, school materials, radio, batteries, sheets and toys.

45 families living in the Bas Dillare region who are not getting a Haven house or upgrade got a similar gift pack

13 Haven committee members received a small bag with one notepad, two pens, two pencils, one t-shirt, radio or calculator, toothbrush and soap.

A Catholic Church group who cares for children during the day and after school received a large gift pack including 38 school bags, colouring books, pens, pencils, pencils sharpener, eraser, toys and a football.

Sharing the bounty The gifts you gave during Build it Week

Myles McHugh and Haven founder Leslie Buckley hard at work on-site.


and by the end of the week that’s pretty much what we did, the job was done. But that’s only the headline story to what was an amazing experience for all those who took part. Many of those who travelled here may return next year, some may not, but I doubt if any will forget their week in Haiti.

I was part of the advance group of foremen who arrived a few days early to prepare for the arrival of the main group. We thought these few days would be about familiarising ourselves with the site, organising materials for the houses and a chance to work alongside the locals to get a feel for how the Haitians build houses. Little did we know, there was no time for any of that! The houses where the volunteers would be staying were far from ready. We spent those first few days checking and repairing plumbing and electrical, setting up beds, mattresses, pillows, mosquito nets and fans for each of the houses. The main site kitchen had yet to be set up and the equipment to be installed…as soon as the concrete floor had been poured! We had a mountain to climb and there were times I thought we weren’t going to make it. But with the help of the locals and the tireless Haven staff we managed to pull it together. Sunday came and the main group of volunteers arrived, oblivious to the chaos that went before, and took up residence in the houses as if to the manor born.

Monday came…. the first day of Build it Week, and I got to meet the carpentry team. Trish our team leader did the first roll call of the week – I should have known she was a teacher, it was such a breeze for her! She works with special needs children back home and she brought all of that warmth and good humour with her. Everyone loved her….if Carlsberg did team leaders…

The team was split into two groups. The first group started work on the roofs of two blocks of houses; within a couple of hours

things were running quite smoothly. Leaders emerged naturally; some of the guys were used to organising their own crews back home. It’s the people who never set foot on a building site before that really amaze; teachers, accountants, journalists and brokers carrying timber and galvanised sheeting all day in the blistering heat.

The second group of carpenters are working at the other end of the site building an extension to the local school as well as constructing a basketball and volleyball court. The mortar for the blocks and the concrete is all mixed by hand, all the sand for plastering is sieved by hand – its back-breaking work but nobody complains – they’re here to do whatever needs to be done.

In the evenings there’s time to relax and have a few beers. Team night out is dinner and drinks and we sing all the way there and all the way back on the bus. I’ve never seen a more united group. The following night is talent night and turns out these carpenters have got talent and it’s not just with timber.

Top foremen Mike Curran and Ronan Clarke.

Laura Turkington and Jenny Berkery putting the finish touches on the playground fence

The whole team turns into a dance troupe raising temperatures even higher with a brilliant version of YMCA coached by Laura a woodwork/dance teacher who has got the moves on the dance floor as well as on the roof.

The week goes by in a flash. All the roofs get finished. In five days, 17 roofs are completed, the school is plastered and painted and the kids are slam dunking on the basketball court. All the work has been carried out in temperatures of over 44 degrees, these are record highs even for Haiti! I still don’t know how the guys on the roof managed to work in that heat with no shade from the sun at any time of the day.

But the trip isn’t just about building houses - lifetime friendships have been forged between people who a few days before would never have known each other and but for the unique mix of Build it Week might never have met. They’ve sweated, laboured, laughed and danced together all week and all for the same reason – to help a little. The experience has touched each of us. Imagine – it’s a little slice of what Lennon was singing about…

Volunteer Reunion and Debrief

On Saturday the 5th of December Haven is holding a debriefing session for all volunteers on the 2009 Build it Week. This is a chance for you to catch up with the new friends you made, look back on the week and give us your honest feedback.

All Haven volunteers who attend will be in with a chance to win a luxury break in the Park Hotel, Kenmare.

Partners or spouses are welcome to join us at 4:30pm in the hotel bar.

Alexander Hotel, Fenian St, Dublin 2 (just off Merrion Square)

Date: Sat 5th DecemberTime: 11am for 11:30-4pm


Haven The Malthouse,South Block, Grand Canal QuayDublin 2, Ireland

Tel: +353 1 433 3930Fax: +353 1432 5959Email: [email protected]: www.havenpartnership.com CHY: 18494

Build it Week 2009For more adventures from Build it Week go to www.havenpartnership.com

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