HARD WORK AHEAD

Saturday marked the sixth day of work on reopening the Road to Frettas. The easy work if any work could be referred to as easy in this rugged mountain terrain and heat is now over. Several large rock outcropping need to be cut away to make the road passable for even one vehicle let alone two to pass through. The picture of the workers depicts the traditional method of manual labor in Haiti still in existence in most areas through out the country. A few basic tools quite possibly very similar to those used 300 years ago when the French plantation system existed are still in use today. Most mountain communities rely on the long handled hoe, the pick and the machete to work their fields, cut down trees, dig and maintain irrigation canals and much more. Enthusiasm still seems undiminished by the hard work that

still lays ahead in the days to come. We were honored by the presence of our district deputy to the 48th Legislature of the Republic of Haiti on Saturday. He came to inspect our work and thank us for our spirit of community involvement. We had requested his help in securing the use of a tractor and backhoe and like all good politicians in an election year he didn't come empty handed. Though he wouldn't be able to help us find a tractor he brought us two machetes, 6 shovels, 3 picks, 12 hoes and the promise to go with us on Tuesday to 3 humanitarian organizations to try and secure some help for the project. My hopes aren't too high that we will get any kind of assistance but possibly with the weight of his office behind us it's worth a try. In all likelihood and the mountain people know this better than anyone if they want something done there going to have to do it themselves. The government has it's hands full trying to take care of a deteriorating infrastructure and road system along the coastline and in the cities as it is. The mountain people remain as they have for generation after generation mostly cut off and isolated to a great extent from from the influences of the outside world. They are friendly, fun loving, independent and mostly self sufficient but most of all they are a hard working people.