I spent four days in Haiti this January and felt safe and welcome at a fairly new facility called Haiti Communitere. Designed by volunteers in the wake of the 2010 Earthquake, the residential and industrial compound near the airport has served hundreds of groups who are helping the people of Haiti. Many people want to help here, but resources are thin, so when you are organizing a project, where do you house your volunteers? Where can they work safely and efficiently? Visit our Hispaniola Media Room for a photo slideshow on Haiti Communitere. | Haiti Communitere offers rooms, bunks and tents, potable water, privacy, security, meals and more. The shop has tools for metal and wood construction, and the office and staff have important resources to help keep a project moving forward. With so much need in this country and so much waste, people have asked me how, if they want to donate money or time to help a project, which organization is best, or most needy, or worthy? Well, efforts given to HC are very valuable to Haiti in that they help volunteers dramatically with their efforts, and they will continue helping for years to come. Inside the secure walls of the compound, several dozen volunteers organize, work, eat, rest and network with each other. The strength of the facility is magnified and multiplied by their strength, and their ability to better focus on their tasks and to work and mend a country in need. After roaming around Hispaniola for weeks and trying to build this website out of hotel rooms, I realized the importance of a secure and stable place to work, and I sent Laura Puts, the Belgian director of H.C., this email. Visit our Hispaniola Media Room for photos, videos and links to H.C. and some of their projects. |