Konbit Shelter : Blog

SOFT SPOKEN SMILE

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:31:00 -0600

In my time working in Haiti as a part of Konbit Shelter, one of the nicest, hardest working and responsible people I met was Duckens Sanon. He was the soft-spoken bilingual mastermind behind a lot of Konbit Shelter’s success. We would often talk of trying to set up a larger version of Konbit Shelter in Haiti, run by and for Haitians, and Duckens was our pick to head this theoretical project. So it has been very upsetting that I just learned that he was killed in a motorcycle accident with a bus this past weekend. My heart goes out to his family, especially his brothers (one who is still in intensive care from the accident) and father, who also were a huge part of Konbit Shelter. Rest in peace Duckens, your smile will be missed.

—Tod

Words Return

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 13:54:00 -0600

Moses, Craig, and myself left Haiti about a week and a half ago. The final week there was so frantic and felt so successful that when it was time to go catch our flights, none of us were ready. We were no longer needed essentially, but the dome had become our baby. It was hard to let go. We woke up early as usual on that final day, and drove to the dome to say our farewells.

Ducken had already talked with us the day before and knew everything that he and the others needed to accomplish in our absence, but we tarried at the site a while longer anyway. We took some final photos, looking one more time at the beautiful wind scoops, the stone steps, the intricately carved doors, the windows and awnings. Had we stayed much longer our flight would have left without us, so we shook hands and gave hugs with the people who had influenced us so deeply. Then we drove away.

By now Monique and the kids are living in the house and the builders have moved on to their normal occupations.

I have tried to write this blog post every day since leaving. After confronting Miami International Airport and then my home city (San Francisco), I come up short on words to describe the whole experience. There were such beautiful moments; so many incredible people thriving in a culture that welds friend to family. I had arrived with the intention of teaching and sharing my skills, and now return to find that I know nothing about living. I had known nothing about living, but Barrier Jeudi, Dufort, Ducken, Jean-Gardie, Guypson, and everyone on the Konbit Shelter team helped to enlighten me to the vast possibilities in life.

Please share your interest in Konbit Shelter with the world around you so that we may all learn more about what Haiti has to offer.

—James

Love From Afar

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:38:00 -0600

Craig says “oui” in the most tired voice when I ask him wassup.

We went to Jacmel today and met with a guy who wants to do an eco resort out of earthbags. He asked us to stay for three more months. We said “No, thank you.”

The cistern is done, with a working pump and covered in concrete. Got a guy landscaping to cover the pipe. It’s sweet.

Jean Gardie keeps trying to hook me up with ladies.

The internet connection is sooooo slow. So very slow.

Mosey’s leg got better. Woo! Triumph for Cipro.

We finished the steps up to the shmig. Um, the uhm, the loft. Yeah that’s what it’s called.

Spent three hours and seven sheets of paper figuring out the moneys for this week and next. We’re leaving Duycken in charge (as if he wasn’t already)

Carpenter Frantz finished all the stuff. We had the hardest time explaining to him why a curved door won’t open in an arch. But he figured it out.

Plaster is done on the outside. These people got skillzzz. They work so so hard. We can hardly keep up.

I learned two new words “enfam” (it’s good) and, well I guess I only learned that one. Oh yeah, and “korem” (respect). Larcol says something to me every day. He refuses to stop smiling.

I’m Zoblod everywhere now. They shout it at me all day. ZOBLOD!!

—James

Nighttime Remembrances

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 18:50:52 -0600

All Things Concerned

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 10:00:00 -0600

The finish line is in sight. Craig Maldonado is not only a gifted architect, he is also an inspired site leader. He has kept the crew, Moses, and myself on track and ahead of schedule with cool rapport. We have completed the dome structure and removed the forms from the wind scoops. A leap in progress that has allowed Dyucken’s crew to get a ‘scratch coat’ of plaster on the entire building. Tomorrow we will begin to ‘finish coat’ from the top down.

Our carpenter Franz and his assistant have installed awnings above ground level windows (The door frame is in, as is the last awning. Do you dig the picture of us flattening metal with the truck. Yeah- … yeah), while the painter Lakol follows close behind accentuating the detailed carvings that adorn them. Callie’s and KT’s designs are present in every facet of the mud smeared dome.

SOMEBODY ATE OUR BREAD!!! We’re low on snacks again, but who cares, right?

Everyone loves to shout “Zoblod” at me on the site. It’s cool. I speak creole. The people at the Western Union place were shocked. Jean Gardie is awesome. Titin is awesome. Paul, awesome— It’s all good in Du Fort, Haiti.

We project to be on the final leg of the dome by the end of next week. Keep reading.

—James

Whittlin' Away

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 09:25:48 -0600

Schmiggeties

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:44:11 -0600

The end of day shmiggeties have made me weary, but that doesn’t mean that the during day shmiggeties weren’t awesome.

Franz finished building the awnings and the door frame. We installed the door frame at the end of the day today. It’s pretty. Awnings will be hung tomorrow.

Craig oversaw the installation of plaster inside and with the help of Gypson, Vixon, and others it’s really looking great. They’ve nearly finished sculpting in the windows, being sure to keep the wood clean. All the lines look sweet. Sweeet.

I have been working with Dyucken and two others to complete the barrel vaults. Would have finished today if not for lack of sewn bags. I taught them how to say squinches. They talked politics all day with some plaster guys lower down on the dome. Taught me how to say “Mwen ta renlem pale creole” (I wanna speak creole!) That progress feels really good.

Moses finished the roof!!!! (sort of.) It’s been making him insane, but his meticulousness is paying off. It will look awesome and keep people dry and not fall apart - ever. We’re going to haul up the generator tomorrow so that he can cut metal more precisely and nicely with the zip discs on the grinder.

Some guys cleared out a lot of trees and shrubs behind the house. Don’t know what that’s all about, but they didn’t clear-cut, just thinned out. Now I know what voodoo rock you were talking about Callie.

I took off a lot of the plywood that kept the windows in their shapes. The windows let in a lot of light now, and I have a feeling that when it’s painted it will be a bright home. Everyone is getting along, and someone finally put a titty in that baby’s mouth. The crying has been minimal.

Peanut butter is still cute. Cookie monster is barking again, and there is a cow in the back yard who wants something.

—James

Life Goes On And Things Are Good

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:41:00 -0600

Cookie Monster barked all night last night, again. Moses adopted four kids. Tod left. Craig bought food and sheet metal and found a place where cement was 50 gourd cheaper. We also got paint, a broom, and hinges for windows.

Got toilet paper. Nobody has the shits.

The windows are in. The first coat of plaster is finished on the inside. Lakol is painting windows, and they look great.

Moses has figured out the roof on the back room. Tomorrow he’ll finish it.

I’m finishing the upper dome with the translator Robinson, Duycken, Gybson and others. Robinson rocks. He works harder, translates better, and is cool. He can have a conversation in English.
A-mazing.

Jean Gaudy is our driver again. He hit somebody in Port au Prince today. Started three fights. We love him.

Craig found pastrami in Port au Prince and brought me honey nut cheerios. We have no Coca-Cola. NO COLA! But there is coffee.

Rode on the back of a motorcycle twice today. It’s fun, don’t do it unless you’re done living. Things could end badly.

We went to the river today and scored some flat rocks for the steps to the loft. They’re not so big, but several laid out per step should look good. Gonna save that project for a Sunday after the inside is coated and painted. Still have to install the cistern at the community center.

Out of builder bars.
Meh. Life goes on and things are good.

—James

Video

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 22:52:24 -0600

Rising

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:29:22 -0600

Opening The Doors!

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 19:09:00 -0600

The last two days saw the first real inauguration of the community center with workshops and events brought by Ayiti Resurrect and Ayiti Cherie Healing. Here is what Naima wrote about their work here:

“This week the community center and surrounding grounds were lit up by the faces of over 120 participants who took part in 2 days of expressive arts workshops, cultural activities and mental wellness programs. Ayiti Resurrect and Ayiti Cherie Healing Project were immensely honored to help inaugurate the community center by hosting the first programming to take place within its freshly painted walls.

As a team of visionary artists, community builders, and holistic healers with bloodlines in Haiti and the African Diaspora, we have been organizing ourselves as a grassroots delegation working in collaboration with local Haitian organizations to promote psychological and spiritual healing for earthquake-survivors based on principles of solidarity, creativity, and collective resilience. Ayiti Resurrect and Ayiti Cherie Healing Project partnered with the Mango Growers Association to support survivors in Bigones in releasing grief, reclaiming control of their lives, and regaining confidence to resolve the problems they face.

Part of this mission came to fruition this week at the center. 14 local artists and 3 artists from the diaspora lead workshops with youth, using salvaged, recycled and natural resources to unlock creativity and ingenuity, creating something out of “nothing” with their own hands: masks out of calabash and brown paper mache, lanterns out of punctured tin and glass jars, bracelets woven from banana leaf, tin can maracas, plastic bottle toy cars, and river stone carvings. We also had song and drum circles, and a group went into the hillside to learn planting techniques and reforestation principles. Dr. Robert and Madame Wilner of Haitian-based Ujamaa Works, who specialize in natural traditional health practices, consulted people free of charge in a mental wellness clinic inside the center. And Samson Berlus from Nouvelle Vie facilitated a “Breath Water Sound” workshop teaching powerful breathing, sound and meditation techniques which eliminate stress from the system and promote emotional freedom from traumatic events.

The Konbit space is profoundly beautiful and awe-evoking, radiating with the energy of all the imagination, collaboration and dedicated work that created it. It was incredible to see its intention to serve as a gathering place for community events come to life. We are immensely grateful that Konbit’s inspired creation was home for this work. The center will also be where we will host a commemoration to honor the anniversary of the earthquake on January 12th. find out more at: www.ayitiresurrect.org and www.ayiticheriehealingproject.com.”

—Swoon

Pulley Our Own Weight

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:53:00 -0600

We have started using pulleys, at last! With a double pulley system we have cut our load in half. This freed up some extra hands that would otherwise be passing buckets on a ladder. Putting a loft inside the structure allowed us to make a sturdy platform for a support armature which in the past seemed a difficult option due to limited resources and the intention of using very little wood. Hurray for simple machines, neat fun!!

—KT

Today was another day of good work at the site. The builders...

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 21:19:00 -0600

Leveling the loft platform.

Carrying earth on the dome wall.

Today was another day of good work at the site. The builders have been honing their techniques on this complex structure as the design team has been working out details and looking forward to finishing touches. We are totally excited to work out the details of the entryway and of the framed loft that will also serve as a pulley scaffold during the the build.

—KT

Things are moving along really fast, and we’ve got a few...

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 22:00:00 -0600

Things are moving along really fast, and we’ve got a few good carpenters planning out the finishing touches far ahead of schedule. They have been planing rough cut, hardwood boards, then joining and bending them to create the shapes of the windows that will be installed when the rest of us finish the structure. These pictures are of Franz- a talented and methodical young man from Barrier Jeudi.

—KT

From Shelter To Center

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:30:00 -0600

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 vision of this project was never to make a cavern in which to stand from the rain. It was never our intention to make an elaborately constructed storage shed. And so we return, spending time finessing. Sculpting decorative window cornices, painting saturated layers of color, lathering the entire building in a sand and paint mixture, and soon to pour an earth/cement floor.

The crew is smaller and the motions are slower. There is a calmness to the productivity that lingers as we all absorb ourselves in each task. Occasionally, a burst of laughter will rupture from the low murmurs of conversation, a laughter that bounces off the curves of the dome and always seems to find a resting place in your ear. These final moments of curious children patiently watching us paint and sculpt, of calling each other over to see if it looks good, and of that crescendo from conversing to laughing, it all seems to allude to the transition of shelter to center. The transition of a sturdy place in which seek refuge to a beautiful place to seek community.

Design Details

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:16:00 -0600

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 plus a wood and metal roof. The main living space is entered from a north facing door way. Since the back of the dome is cut into the hillside there are three windows on the front placed at three feet above ground level and there are ten smaller windows placed higher on the dome with several on the back to catch a lot of light in both winter and summer.

Bisecting the main space there is a swooping wall which extends from the curve of a scallop and stands at 8ft. This stepped wall serves several functions: it forms a staircase that leads to a lofted space, it forms a privacy screen for the back room, and it acts as an internal buttress which will strengthen the the whole structure. We are excited about potential of the loft wall since it will create more vertical space and it should also reduce some of the echo acoustics of a dome space that are not preferable for living quarters.

While there are some built-in wooden counter tops in a few of the scallops, we did not decide to design a kitchen area in the house; because of the climate in Haiti and the prevalent cooking method, a three rock fire fueled with charcoal, most of the cooking is done outside. We are however looking to the possibility of using this opportunity to introduce some type of highly efficient rocket stove to the village.

In four days we managed to get the foundation dug out, built three courses to ground level, and back fill the foundation. We hope to progress now by completing four courses a day, with each course being approximately 7 inches tall, and to get to our finish height of 20 feet in nine days.

—KT

It Starts On A Good Foundation...

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 22:26:00 -0600

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 dome; and more than a few days were used to get supplies from the hectic maze of Port au Prince. During these preparations the local crew made excellent progress on the foundation under the leadership of Ducken [Deacon] and his brother Guypsun.

With the groundwork laid, Callie and KT were set to the task of turning a design into reality. As they planned the layout and rise of this earth bag shelter, the locals got into the rhythm of mixing stabilized earth. In just a few short hours they had completed the retaining wall below the house, and used the day’s portion of cement.

It is apparent that their skills are still sharp from the previous build, and that the process will progress by leaps and bounds.

Support Konbit's Return

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:54:00 -0600

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 cotinue to support us and make this project grow!

In search of support, Swoon has teamed up with Upper Playground, to release the limited edition Walki print. The Walki print itself is an immediately touching portrait by Swoon of a boy named Walki who lives in Bigones and spent time with us at the building site this last summer. The print is made of a three-layer screenprint on handmade Indian jute paper measuring 13″ x 21″ and is limited at an edition of 300 signed and numbered prints.

The print will only be on sale for a limited time until January 1st and is priced affordably at $125 so that as many people as possible can be involved with this unique project. The print is available exclusively online at the Upper Playground Store.

BUY PRINT

Ceremony Of Sounds

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:22:00 -0600

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 roads and then to the river, we paused. A turn of the key, and with it, the engine and lights disappeared. The six of us gazing at the infinity of stars, listening to the steady river turning it’s stones like the food in our freshly fed bellies. The darkness in contrast to where the headlights just were, the stillness in contrast to where the rumbling engine just was, was expansive. We felt a heightened sense of awareness of all that was existing just outside our truck. We piled in once more, heading to Bigones, to find our friends and crew.

Arriving, uncertain exactly where to go, we wandered towards the glow of lights and rumble of a generator; which, in a village with no electricity, is easy to find. A group of people were gathered in and around a recently repaired house. We approached the doorways and as our curious faces were illuminated by the single bulb inside, we were quickly ushered into the gathering, given chairs and warm smiles.

The ceremony had already begun.

In the center of the dirt floor room sat a black tub covered with a brightly patterned cloth. Next to it sat a man with a lit candle at his feet and a machete stuck into the ground. He was leading the chants and songs, occasionally smacking his palm down onto the butt of the machete. As the songs continued four men came around the tub, emptying their pockets into the hands of a trustee and removing all articles of clothing, save for their pants. They overlapped their hands above the tub and the man sitting next to the tub then removed the cloth.

The singing never broke stride. An old container containing a clear liquid was brought from an unlit side room. The liquid was poured over the heads and faces of the four men, some taking large mouthfuls after it was poured over them. The singing was now joined with drumming, and the men slowly plunged their hands into the black tub, which was filled with leaves and liquid. They began tearing the leaves, ripping them, crushing them in their palms. Squatting around the black tub, shoulder to shoulder, each motion of their invisible hands was animated by the ripples sent across their backs and arms. Their motions grew more excited, and the four men moved side to side, pushing for space, edging shoulder against shoulder, while keeping their hands voraciously tearing and crushing.

An elderly man in the corner caught a spirit, which sent him flying for the tub, as if no physical barriers were between his neatly seated position and the leafy liquid in the center of the room. He shouldered his way in and plummeted his face into the hands foaming the liquid with all their movements, coming up again he twisted his body, and speaking in cycles, leaned backwards, without a care for where he may fall. His back being cradled by the backs of the four men, still crouched, tearing and crushing.

The following recordings are from that ceremony, which due to discretion, have no visual accompaniment.

Ceremony Audio

—Ben

Back In Bigones!

Sat, 25 Dec 2010 21:26:00 -0600

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 had the will or the means to do so.

Then a phone call from Creative Time asking if we planned to continue our work in Haiti, and if so, could we make use of a Rockefeller grant by December. It seemed slightly miraculous. All at once the wheels were turning again. When Upper Playground offered to donate all of their time and energy to distributing a fund raising print for us, we knew we were on solid ground.

Monique, the woman who had given birth to a baby girl during the building of the community center was, we knew, the first person we wanted to work with on a house. We sent word to her and her extended family that we would be returning and asking if indeed she would like to live in a house of the style we are creating, and if we could build on her families plot where her tent currently stands. The answer came back affirmative.

We gathered a team and set plans in motion to go, only to be halted by the riots and the shutting down of the airport. Waiting an extra week to get a feel for the situation, we arrived on December 22nd, just in time for the winter celebrations in Haiti.
We returned to even more hugs and kisses than when we left, and – another minor miracle – one of the village elders who tends to a lot of the spiritual life in Bigones, and who would never say good morning or acknowledge us on our first trip actually said hello back today! I guess with some people you don’t earn trust right away. This little bit of acknowledgement feels like a good sign.

Also amazing - when we arrived, Fritz and Ducken had already assembled a build team, selected a site, and started preparing it. It’s a beautiful spot right next to Monique’s tent in her families house cluster. It’s in the shade the whole day thanks to a small stand of trees, and seems a perfect place for Monique and her two girls, Bessie and Neika.

Yesterday we talked over some of Monique’s needs for a house, and today we introduced plans to the build crew and started plotting the foundation. Tonight, a Christmas Eve celebration.

Returning to a place that you know and that knows you is a wonderful feeling, as is setting your mind and skills to the challenges and necessities of building a home.

We are in high spirits today!