December 2010
6 posts
From Shelter To Center
Upon our return, the community center was a structure, by definition. It sheltered it’s interiors from rain, it allowed for blown breeze and shone sun to pass in and across. It’s earth walls kept the three rooms cool in the hot days and it’s sturdy doors allowed for safe storage of goods. Even the drainage pipe, soon to be rain harvest, was flowing when rains fell.
But the...
Design Details
We designed the house for Monique with her specific needs, as a mother of two young girls, in mind. Then interior diameter of the main space is 18.5 feet with a 9.25 ft radius and scalloped partial circles that extend to an 11.25 ft interior radius (see above photo of foundation layout). Also there is a conical back room that has a 5ft radius that will abut the main structure and stand at 8ft...
It Starts On A Good Foundation...
With the holidays at our heels and Haitian Independence Day (January 1st) around the corner, we are fully under way on building the first Konbit house, for Monique and her two daughters .
In case you don’t remember, konbit [pronounced kon-beet] means “working together,” or “shared labor” in Kreyol.
Several of our evenings were spent building forms for the new...
Support Konbit's Return
Our return to Bigones has been a fantastic one. We feel a great sense of connection and positivity with the people of Bigones. We are very excited to be completing the community center with touches of paint and other final elements, while also starting to build the first Konbit house in Bigones.
We have gotten this far with the generous support of all of our friends and family, so please...
Ceremony Of Sounds
Late on the eve of Christmas, our ramshackle group of six drove under the clear night sky from our house in Dufort to Bigones. Along the way, the normal experiences of roadside laughter, dogs sprinting in all directions, and the symphony of horns and yells were all gone. There was a calmness to the streets and paths that we had yet experienced.
As we turned from the paved highway to the dusty...
Back In Bigones!
Back in Haiti
When we left Bigones, blistered, broke, and delirious with exhaustion, we gave a million hugs and kisses and promised we would return. The months that followed saw us slowly recovering our minds, our health, and our finances, and wondering how on earth we would keep that promise. We knew we wanted to return in December, but had to admit to a deep uncertainty about whether we...