Today, January 5, 2016, the Dlo Geri team split up into two groups again. The first group, comprised of Jessica, Nicole and the team’s groundwater expert Frank, went back to the hospital site to perform the hydrogeological test on well B, the last well, and do a percolation test for the soil. The second group, comprised of AJ, Evan, Nimah, Francesca and Shivangi (me), drove with Dr. Maklin through more of the communities that would be served by the hospital project  to talk to people and collect information.  We dropped the first group off at the hospital site, and addressed the first obstacle before splitting up: well B had a pump in it since the construction crew had been using the well while on site. The previous day, we tried to lift out the pump, but it seemed to be around 30 feet down in the well and we were nervous about breaking the PVC pipe due to bending while removing it.  AJ asked Dr. Maklin to drive his truck up to the well casing so that he could stand up on top of the truck and hold onto the pipe. We were able to lift the pump out of the well successfully and proceed with the day’s goals.

Shivangi taking water samples at the well.

The second group then departed the hospital site with Dr. Maklin and saw for ourselves the poor road conditions in the rural communities. We stopped in the small town of Duty, then drove to Grison Garde where we visited Dr. Maklin’s clinic in Tovar (part of Grinson Garde), the Robert Ford Haitian Orphanage and School, and a state run clinic where Dr. Maklin works part time. Dr. Maklin said he was interested in water treatment at his clinics, and the team assessed the water assets at 2 Grison Garde clinics. Dr. Maklin told us that Grison Garde continues further down the main road we were on, but we decided to turn back and head to La Bruyere so that we wouldn’t be too far from the hospital site when the first group finished up there. In La Bruyere, we saw a big group gathered at one of the many wells Dr. Maklin had installed. Women and children took turns pumping water into their buckets to carry home.  We wondered how far away home was for some of the children we saw walking away with their buckets of water balanced on their heads.

At each of the communities we went to that day, we had the opportunity to conduct a survey and gather some basic information about the size and population, local government structure, and some of the issues they face. We learned that all of the local clinics are for primary care, and the doctors refer patients to the hospital when their condition is more serious. Milot, the site of a renowned hospital with affordable care, is very difficult and time consuming to travel to for people living in these communities because of the poor road conditions. Another hospital in Cap Haitien is a little closer in location but unaffordable for most people.  We drove back to the HMBN hospital site that afternoon with a renewed sense of motivation, realizing what this hospital would mean to the people living in the surrounding communities.  

Community members bringing water from the wells to their homes.

The second team (AJ, Nimah, Evan, and Francesca) finished earlier then expected going around to the communities, and used the remainder of the afternoon to do a site survey of the Hospital site, did an as built of the Hospital building, and performed a structural assessment/photo log of the Hospital. As the two teams finished up their work,  some of the men that had been helping out with the well wanted to learn more about water supply, treatment, and sources. Class was in session, as AJ and Frank went into professor mode and gave a mini lecture on their respective areas of expertise in water. Very cool to see!

Professor Frank!

Professor AJ!

- Shivangi and Nicole