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161 Oak Tree BoulevardWinter Haven, FL 33880

gpowers@hhColminy.orgPhone : 614/615-0778www.hhColminy.org

September 2018

HHC Translators

EdlWadson

Water Station Success!When I first visited Colminy, I was disap­

pointed to see few people at the water station.So, I began asking all the women I saw,"Where do you get your water?" Withoutexception, each pointed toward the stationand smiled, "Sou la!" [Over there] Theylove it!

"Then why don't I see people there?""We drop off our empty buckets early,

then pick them up later after they're filled."Indeed, I'd only seen a few people, but

there had been plenty of buckets nearby.The only issue seems to be that the tank

water gets too hot. So, during our next trip,we plan to hire the Extollo gradsagain. This time to construct aroof to shade the tanks. Then thewater temps can never exceedthat of their warmest surround-

ding air.

Early in June, Winston and I (Glenda), moved to Floridato get closer to Haiti. Flights aren't just shorter from here, they'resooooo much cheaper! * And so, I took a quick trip in Septemberto ensure that Colminy's leaders and HHC were on the same pageand to grease the skids for when Win and I return in November.

Busy from the start! I met with Fonkoze on the way from theairport. The next day, at Destiny Village, I met separately with ourtranslators,Wadson and Edly. We laid out my schedule and review­ed their responsibilities -- Edly will be working with Colminy'swomen, Wadson is the major go-between HHC and Pastor Marc,the Extollo students, and Colminy's general population.

The next day, Wadson and I met with both Pastors Marc andMarcel. This was an essential meeting as there had been somemisunderstandings which, in the end, we all agreed were causedby communication problems. We then discussed future plansand desires for HHC's involvement in Colminy.**.

I moved to St. Marc for 3 days so that Edly could more easilymanage my transportation to and from Colminy. Each morning,she'd flag down a moto (motorcycle taxi). We'd hop on -- driverin front, me in the middle, Edly in the rear, and offwe'd go. ButI tell you, this trio was a head turner! The crowds nudged eachother, chuckling when they spotted this old, overweight,American female sandwiched beween two slim young Haitians,zig-zagging among their "moto swarms."

We soon transferred to a tap-tap (brightly decorated pick-ups that serve as buses along main roads within and betweencities), followed by a second moto ride, this timezig-zagging on Colminy's dirt road around rocks,ruts, and mud holes, past scrubland, womenladen with heavy loads, and uniformed kidsheading to school until, finally, we reached ourdestination. There we observed workthat had been accomplished (or not)and began building new relationships.

My Quick Trip

* Donatedfunds are never usedfor flightsto/from Haiti. ALL donations are usedto help bring Colminy 's people to Christand self-sustainability

**HHC 's plans discussed at these meet­ings are detailed on the reverse side.

*

Ending Desertification

Trial Waterboxx? PlantingsNovember 2018

Water Seedlings when Plantedthen Never Again!

Box enhances, collects, traps and wicksjust enough water

from each morning's dewto promote growthwww.groasis.com

Oct. 5 begins weekly Literacy Classesfor 15 uneducated women

taught by HHC's EdlyFree to Students

November 6 - 9 - Basic Business TrainingEssentials for Successful Micro-Entrepreneurship

teaching and evaluation by Fonkoze"Empowering Haitian Women, Lifting Families from Poverty"

15 Students @ $100/each. Student's portion: $5.00.HHC Seeks Sponsors for Students @ $25 per day

Cross Sectionofthe Waterboxxv

Observations:* Pastor Marc's schoolyard has 11 grow­

ing fruit-tree seedlings. (Some had diedby goat or drought).Now goat-protected!

* Although seedlings had been planted inthe school's filled arborloo pits, the arbor­loos haven't been replaced as intended.The school's sanitation system was gone!So, we hired a local resident to build 3.

Maguerite lives acrossthe street from PastorMarc's school. (Howshe loves that waterstation!) She's livedin Colminy her entire70 years, and tells ofwhen she was young,

when fields rich with com and melons linedboth sides of the road. Now dry and de­pleted, nothing but scrubland exists. Herlarge, extended family survives by making& selling charcoal and reselling assortedfoods bought in St. Marc. Something that'sremarkable is her family has built an arbor­100 of sorts -- the first household one I'maware of in Colminy. It's nearly full. So Icommitted to getting her a tree seedlingwhen we return.

* Only Rony (#1) of the Extollo graduateshas had a j ob using their newly acquiredskills since March. He was hired to weld.I gave them business cards and small,laminated photos of the water station they'dbuilt to give to potential employers. We dis­cussed employment possibilities and theneed for initiative vs. waiting for "someonethey know" to hire them. Most seemed tounderstand. Hopefully, others will soonfind paid work too. Vladimir Rony (#2)

These 2 young farmers havebeen added to our Extollograds. Technically, they didn'ttake a full course, but theydid attend a week-long work­shop in Aquaponics, and werevery excited about what they'dlearned. They long to returnfor a full course learningconstruction skills too.