At Fontina - Part 1

Here's an summary of our week at Fontina.

Monday:
Although all travel in Haiti is "interesting", the trip from Anse-a-Galets to Fontina is in a class by itself.  After a stop to fill jugs with drinking water (from a reverse osmosis facility in town) we took an hour and a half ride in two pickup trucks (with worn out suspensions) up the mountain never reaching a speed of 10 MPH, and most  times traveling at less than 3 MPH. The "road" is rocky, bumpy, narrow, steep, rutted, uneven, unlevel, .....  Suffice it to say we were glad to have arrived.

The rest of the day was allocated to "settling in" to our accommodation for the next several days.  The folks of Fontina had prepared (were in the process of preparing) rooms for sleeping, eating and showering.  Air mattresses and mosquito nets were set up.  Four guys hung hammocks, and another pitched a tent in the church building.

Prior to our arrival work had been done to level the ground at the church building and pour a footer.  We were to later discover as we began to pour concrete, that the footer had not been made as level and smooth as we had expected.

Shortly after supper we were ready for bed.


Tuesday:
Several horizontal runs of rebar and the verticals with them had been installed by folks prior to our arrival.  Unfortunately, the last two horizontal rows had to be removed because they were not at the proper spacing.  The rebar is run on approximately 15" - 18" spacing and the intersections of horizontal and vertical are tie wrapped to keep them in place.  By end of day the rebar for the fist pour (lift) of concrete was ready, and much of that needed for the second lift was ready as well.

Although doors and windows will be iron (for security), wooden frames are used to define the locations during the pouring of concrete.  One door frame was built and set in place.  The Haitian crew leaders set the 4' x 8' plywood panels on either side of the posts as the forms for pouring concrete, and the panels were braced with 2x4s (or whatever was available) to prevent bulging.  The building has 6"x6" posts set on 8' centers so each lift results in a 4' high section of the wall.

Fortunately, we were able to have an ATV with us, and it was put to good use as we need additional fuel for the generator.


Wednesday:
Pouring of concrete began.  Two local laborers were hired to mix concrete (by hand). Another two general laborers were hired to help out.  Aggregate and sand were mixed in a flat area on the ground using shovels.  Cement was poured over the mix and all worked together.  Then water was added and mixing continued.  A bucket brigade consisting of many of the team members and several local folks who had gathered to watch the progress was used to transport the concrete to the needed location where the Haitian mason dumped it into the form and tapped down.  After 3 or 4 hours of curing in the hot sun, the concrete was set enough that the panels could be move to another section.  By end of day one end and one side had been poured.

The other 3 door frames were completed, and the building of window frames got underway.  Work on setting rebar on up the the walls continued.


Thursday:
Setting plywood panels and pouring of concrete continued.  By end of day the first lift was completed all around the building.

The building of window frames continued until all 2x6 material was used.  We learned later that there are more windows in this building than in others, and the lumber supplied was based on prior construction.

Junction boxes for outlets and switches will be installed around the building at the 4' level.  About half of the junction boxes have been set and conduit run up to the header plates in preparation for the second lift of concrete.  Although there is no city power in Fontina, they do have a generator that is run at times.

One of our team members could come for only one week; he left Fontina today to begin his trip to Port-au-Prince for his flight Saturday.

Tonight we had goat complements of Pastor Gesley, pastor of the congregation here in Fontina.  Madame Sammie, one of the cooks at the guest house, has come to Fontina with us.  As Pastor Dan Irvine told me as we were planning this trip, she can cook as well over charcoal as she can on a propane stove - and she can!  The food we have here is the same as what we're served at the mission station.


Friday:
Another window frame was built from lumber that was delivered yesterday.  The only available lumber was 2"x8" so it will have to ripped to 6".  Some of the rebar near the top had to be threaded through the braces so more holes had to be drilled.

The primary focus for this morning was the pouring the second lift in the back and left side panels that have windows.  This turned out to be a challenge because it seemed to take longer that it should to get plywood panels moved and concrete mixed.  However we persevered, and by 1:45 pm it was done.

Throughout the week  many of the folks from the community would gather to watch this groups of "blancs" work on their church.  The Pastor expressed to me the gratefulness of him and the congregation for our work on their church.  Several of the local folks, teens and adults, would join the bucket brigade and join in the call of "bucket, bucket" while waiting for the buckets to make their way along the line.  Even the Pastor and the Director of the school joined in.

Our tools were stored for the weekend, and we made the 1 1/2 hour trip down the mountain in 2 trucks and an ATV.  It will be very good to relax for a couple days.

Still working on some photos to upload; stay tuned.