Where we are

I meant to post some of these details before we left, but preparations were a bit frantic, so I'll just fill in some details as I go. We flew into Port-au-Prince, Haiti which is the capital of the country and one of the areas hardest hit by the quake. From the PAP airport, we had a two or three hour bus ride to the CODEP Compound, where we will stay all week. (CODEP Compound on Google Maps)

Relative to the surrounding area the compound is practically a mansion, although compared to American standards the living conditions on the compound are quite rustic. Its really not that bad, but you do have to be much more conscientious about conservation, since most of the normal utilities like electricity, water, trash disposal have to be dealt with on the compound due the lack of reliable infratructures in Haiti. Currently, the most obvious by-product of this self-sustainable environment is the strong sulferous odor of the water since the water-purification system was damaged in the earth quake and they haven't yet been able to get the parts needed to repair it.

Most of the work we will do this week will be on the compound itself. The buildings on the compound survived the earthquake with very minor damage and are still in very good shape. The majority of the damage was to the walls surrounding that surround the compound. For the last two days, we have been rebuilding the walls. We won't be here long enough to finish the walls, but we are hoping to complete certain key aspects of the process completed so that the Haitians can finish the work after we leave.