top gear-esque

At the last minute I took a call from one of our partners, Walkabout Foundation.  They had someone in town who could collect ‘some’ wheelchairs.  The process had not been finalised yet and we (evidently) were not ready but could I please sort it.  Yes, “pa gen pwoblem” (no problem), I said.  Little did I know…  So the trucker turned up just as I got a whatsapp with the requirement, 120 chairs in 5 sizes.  OK, good so far but the chairs were randomly packed into a room beside the ER.  Anyway I got stuck in, fishing them out, ticking them off on my cribsheet.  Then I got a tap on the shoulder, due to my developing Creole pointing and gestures was the order of the day.  It soon became clear that the driver was on the clock and wanted to go.  We had about 90 of the 120 out but he wanted to leave…  I suppose he was only the middle man, and maybe he would get paid to come back again for the rest, but we persevered and convinced him to wait for the last few.  A great result, 120 wheelchairs, but it was hard work.  And once again continued my education into Haitian culture.

The VV is right next to the former UN base.  In fact we have a door through to it.  Affectionately we call it the key to Narnia as every visit is some sort of adventure, even just ‘up-cycling’ some abandoned equipment.  The base was abandoned about 3 years ago and most of the kit they took.  Of what’s left most of that has already been pilfered (despite the security guards on site).  However occasionally we find something we can re-use.  One such visit helped us identify some modular housing units; once cleaned up (the goats had been in) they could make storage and possibly an accommodation block for hospital visitors.  When I say visitors I mean parents of those in NICU or the Paediatric Ward.  At the moment, they sleep right outside the ward on the floor.  As ever in the Third World (or Low Resource Country as I am reminded) you make do and mend, or beg.  We blagged the use of a forklift and driver from the local DIY store, but unfortunately it didn’t end well, as the video demonstrates.  But we are still after those units and have another crazy plan in the making…