The Magnitude of Work

The photos illustrate before and after cleaning up of the rubble from Jean Wisly Antoine's (1999 LCS Graduate) house. No one was hurt in the collapse, but Wisly and his family lost their home. Through relief support, we provided Wisly with labor from the Santo Trash Company as well as the LCS staff, students, and volunteers to clean the space. Patrick Brun arranged for the trucks to haul away the rubble. It became a monument for how our physical work can change a situation for the better and nature will not control us.

It’s hard to even imagine, let alone accurately calculate, the amount of human work that it is going to take to clean up the thousands of small, medium, and large buildings that have fallen during the earthquake.  To give you a sense of scale, it took fifteen workers 2 days, shoveling 8 hours per day, and sending out twelve 5-ton trucks to clear one small one-family house that was across the street from our school.  At the Cathedral, we worked for a week with heavy equipment and trucks 5 times larger than what we used at Wisly’s and we were able to clear only 75 % of the rubble from just the Cathedral’s office building.  We hope to finish that job this week.  There are definitely collapsed buildings larger than the Archdiocesan office building and ones smaller than Wisly’s house, but that should give you some sense of the sheer magnitude of work it is will take just to clean the Port au Prince area, let alone rebuild it.  This work is something that Louverturians not only know, but are prepared to do, because we have always seen and understood that Human work is essential for Haiti’s progress. 

There is a certain complexity to human work, especially very difficult and physical human work, in a people that has suffered—first under slavery and then later under political oppression.  The past makes suspect the requirement of work, and casts a dehumanizing pall over it.  Fortunately, at Louverture Cleary School we’ve been able to emancipate work.  We’ve been able to find in it, especially that which we do for others (no matter how dirty or difficult), true dignity.  Through work we become more human ourselves as we make the circumstances for others more humane

Still, there is an amazing amount of work to be done.  

Other Updates:

Our nine volunteers from the U.S. are now on a 3-day retreat so that they may be spiritually and physically renewed before entering back into the work that lays ahead.  We have also been joined by John DiTillo, who was a THP/LCS Volunteer last year.  John gave a quick and heart-felt “yes” to the idea of returning to Haiti last week and staying through June. He is a great addition to a team he already knows well as he teaches and offers experienced support through the end of the school year.

Louverture Cleary School continues to operate without any significant problems related to our water, electricity or food supply.  We are grateful for the countless people who participated in funding and installing such strong water and solar electric systems.

We plan to resume as normal as possible classes on Monday, February 21^st.  This week will be somewhat slower since it is a customary national vacation time in Haiti.  In our community we will strike a balance between work and vacation so that those working hard will find the rest they need before classes resume.

Patrick Brun and I are working with the Nuncio for the reopening of Saint Louis de Gonzague School, which serves a large population in Haiti.  If we are successful, Saint Louis de Gonzague will be able open their doors to not only their own 1200 students but also 3500 other students collected from a number of other schools affected by the earthquake.

LCS’s full reopening will certainly be a joyous day, but Patrick Brun and I almost look forward to the reopening of Saint Louis de Gonzague as much as our own school.  It will certainly be something to celebrate for the city of Port au Prince. 

Peace,

Patrick