Notes from my recent trip to Haiti

On May 2, 2011, I returned to Massachusetts from a seven-day visit in Haiti, on a 1000 Jobs/Haiti mission, along with my colleague, Joe Parenteau, 1000 Jobs/Haiti’s Director of Design and Construction.

We were in the Mirebalais area in with the objective to identify several potential sites where river sand can be used to fabricate blocks that respond to international construction codes, as part of the masonry module which will be taught at the Centre de Formation Fritz Lafontant (CFFL) that is due to be inaugurated in the fall of 2011 in Corporant (Mirebalais). Part of our visit included finalizing the steps towards the creation of 1000 Jobs/Haiti Contracting S.A., a parallel for-profit venture whose mission is to be involved in activities that will generate profit with 100% of it going to support non-profit programs, including the operation at CIAC, given that 1000 Jobs/Haiti is one of the Center’s founding organizations, along with Zanmi Lasante (Partners In Health’s sister organization), MASS Design Group.

On April 30th, several MASS team members joined us in Mirebalais for a visit of the city, and we had the privilege to be led by John Chew, Project Coordinator, on a special tour of the new PIH hospital; it was just amazing! Mr. Chew shared with us that the hospital will be the largest one in the entire Caribbean region in terms of square footage, with 329 beds, six operating rooms and tens of examination rooms. Its staff should be about 1,200 people!

A hospital of this magnitude will bring not just doctors and nurses to Mirebalais, but nurse’s assistants, medical students, medical technologists, teachers and visiting professors, thousands of patients and their relatives. Most of them will need a place to stay on a temporary or permanent basis; they will also need food, transportation, entertainment, and a host of other services.

Have you been thinking about investing in Haiti? Mirebalais may be the next place to explore.