I have just returned from three weeks in Haiti. I had the ride of a lifetime! And getting to the airport in the back of a pick-up truck was just the tip of the iceberg.Every single moment was intense, every breath was fully alive and vibrant. It is hard to convey the reality of the experience with words, but I will try. Pictures help.
I returned to Haiti this year to continue the work I started in 2005 with a brief demonstration of APT.
This year, twenty people worked with me for 12 days to learn the basics of APT. They created many useful and beautiful items including two benches that can double as tables.
Here is the class with their diplomas - Level 1 A
PT. The workshop would not have been possible without Louise, she translated for me and helped with one of the groups while I was working with the other.Iliana took the learning to a new level, using her imagination and working at home on her own - she created some wonderful toys (airplane, boat, cars).
It is a new idea for most of these people, to pick up scrap cardboard from the street and use it to make useful and fun things. Iliana has every right to be proud of her accomplishment. I can hardly wait to go back next year to see what she has come up with next.
Here are the two groups with their benches. The pieces have been tied together with loops cut from pantyhose, then glued and strapped down with single cardboard (like cereal boxes), then layered three times with "three-layer" newspaper in three different directions. The layering adds strength, alternating directions ensures that the forces of "pull" as the piece dries will equal out and the piece will be less likely to warp.
Here is Erick with a collection of "simple" cardboard. It is important to find local sources of materials. Once the workshop participants knew what to look for, they quickly collected the materials needed to finish the benches.
One thing there is a lot of in Haiti is cement bags! Once the bags are collected, they have to be torn apart and made ready for use.
Large pieces will be used to laminate into layers, and then combined to make boards. It takes about 15 layers of cement bag (three groups of 5 layers each) to make a useful board. Smaller scraps will be used to cover the finished projects to give them a final layer that will dry tight and give a good surface for decorating.
Here are some projects set out to dry.
The group has formed a committee with the plan to continue working on cardboard projects over the next year. They have a small amount of seed money to help with the cost of supplies (like charcoal and amidon powder to make the glue) and materials. Some people are now selling cement bags for 1 gourd each, they used to just give them away. Next year they want to try a larger and more complicated project - an easy chair.
