Haiti Club Assembly and Task Force meeting

We had a successful trip to Haiti on Thursday arriving late afternoon. We went immediately to TortugAir to secure our tickets to Jeremie which had been reserved by PDG Amos. They were well oversold and after some time we were able to get the actual tickets in hand. From there on to the hotel Montana to meet with DG Nathan from 6910 who had been talking to the Canadian Consulate and the USAID people about the Sustainable Water Master plan Resolution that the Water Summit had passed.

Great progress was made on that. They are all very interested in Rotaries role and have confidence that we can bring a level of support and continuity to it that will integrate well with the International Governmental initiatives currently in place and or being discussed. The question is, How big a bite is this for Rotary, and is it a Zone 33 - 34 project, or International or local Task Force. My gut tells me today it is some of each.

We met with the US ambassador Friday morning before leaving for the Club Assembly in Jeremie and she reinforced the comments made at the previous two meetings. She again pledged the support we would be asking for. Given the limited clarity on the direction and magnitude of this it is not clear what help we need just yet other than advice and information.

Thursday night we met with Marlene and her team Brad and Earl for a quite dinner. We discuss the Matching Grant that they had proposed for Cap Haitien and how to proceed.

Mid afternoon Thursday we flew to Jeremie and met up with a great team of Rotarians led by ADG Robert, his wife Rotarian Rosa and President Gaiten and many local Rotarians. See the great welcome banner.

We went up to our Hotel, set high on a hill with a great view of the ocean. We enjoyed a nice local meal and some fellowship before e going to a private bar located about 20 minutes away. There we just enjoyed an evening of local talent and fun. The band that was due to play from port Au Prince did not arrive so everyone improvised by singing, telling stories, jokes (clean) and reciting poetry. Carla said it best as some of the most talented people we have ever seen, and all of them rotarians did their thing. She said "Do you see what happens when you don't have television" Her comments were a very real check on what we have in parts of the worls and what we don't, and the difference t makes in the society we live in. Haiti despite the shortcomings in development etc has the basics of true social art and culture that most countries and societies today could not find if they had to.

This is a shower facility built by the Rotary Club of Jeremie. They realy get good use of it and love it.
We had a club Assembly which was held at the Mormon church on Saturday. A great program and well attended. the Le Cayes and Aquin team left Les Cayes by car at 3:00 AM in the morning and arrived around 10:00 AM after a very rough trip because it rained and a flat tire. Do Rotarians in your clubs and communities have that commitment.

I had a number of things to accomplish. We had D7150 down trying to complete a Matching Grant. Marlene had put together a MG which they came to have signed. What they learned was that what they wanted to do and what the community wanted were two very different things. because Marlene and her team made the trip down to Haiti, saw the situation and met with the Club and Task force, she was able to modify her Matching Grant to meet the needs of a community and to do a Matching Grant with a Club in cap Haitien where the Club and its leadership had a total buy in with it. great job Marlene and thank you for doing it the right way.