October 2010- Yurts, Restaveks, new countries joining!

There is always, always more. And that's a great thing - keeps it all going. I never said 'running smoothly', just 'going'.
Last week I gave a PowerPoint presentation about OneBigBoost and its strides. This was given at the 65th celebration of the United Nations. The presentation(s) and gracious luncheon were held at the gorgeous old railroad station in Scranton. It was wonderful. I met some great people there and was excited to meet Marcus Robertson, who is the CEO of a company named Folded Homes. (Worth looking up!)
I had been anxious to meet him because we are trying to figure out a way for OBB to get him to let us have (complex issue) 10 of these yurts for Haiti, at the price you get for ordering 10 000! Hey...you never know and it looks like I might win this one! Transportation, at 92 lbs each, is another matter and cost. I'm trying to get them into Saint Marc's harbor, which is faster, lower harbor taxes and less palm greasing.

Then the question: what to do with them? We can't just plant them there (even though terribly badly needed since tents and tarps are deteriorating at high speed)
The need is endless. However, as always, we have to stick with our Mission Statement: One Time, One Place, To Serve Many. Just planting them there wouldn't be specific enough. Sound stupid? In a way it is, but we have made promises to those who support us...
It actually makes life much easier to have such a simple statement to draw from. At times limits are really wonderful - certainly in aid work.

Something always happens along the way - and here again one thing came from another.
I am in contact with two young women, one named Sasha (PhD), the other Leah. Wonderful people and I can't wait to meet them 'live'. Sasha, and her co-workers (another young woman and two guys), run a great NFP organization named SOIL. Their actions speak louder than words! They built tons of composting toilets where they are most needed (and were instrumental in providing aid and crucial information during this cholera tragedy) and intend to build beautiful gardens from this great, fertile (non-chemical!!!) waste.

Their blog starts with: "Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods (SOIL) is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting soil resources, empowering communities and transforming wastes into resources in Haiti."

So OBB wants to help by buying seeds and gardening implements to help start their 'model garden', which should begin late January or soon there-after. How incredibly exciting.

Back to the yurts.
We've all read about the Restavek (reste avec/ staying with) children, the young slaves who are interned by well-to-do families in Haiti (and other nations). Not all families treat them badly, but most,according to reports, are pretty horrible. Now these children have lost whatever little they had to call 'home' when these homes were destroyed and families who employed them have died. They, too, live in and around the camps but without anyone to belong to. They need a place, for the time being.

I'd like to build a little 'pod' of ten yurts, all connected into a circle with exits and entrance easily protected. The children, about 4+ to a yurt, have a safe, enclosed place to be in their circle of 'home'. Ideally some of the now single women, some of whom also have no place of their own, could stay with them in their own yurt/paart of the 'pod'.
And, when this comes to pass, we'll need a toilet so... I better talk to Leah about this! For now it is an effort of making contacts, getting things moved into place (all is oh-so-slow, simply because there is no way to do this faster or I would!!!) and then hope it will materialize.

Other great news:
Elina, the 16 yo daughter of our beloved Finnish Sari (our exchange student 1986/87) hopes to come to Haiti with me during her winter/spring break. I am/we are SO excited about this prospect. We'll have to give her an important role in the development of OneBigBoost-Finland! Beth, also wants to come and we'll bring some gardening/work gloves and get moving in that intense heat - even in February!

Closer even than that: as of yesterday our Lisa Walter, German exchange student (2003/4) has excitedly joined the ranks by being the main (and first) contact person for Germany!!! Lisa is currently pursuing her Masters Degree in International Relations and... well, she'll have to explain the rest of her complicated studies herself, because she will have her own page on the OBB website!

Since we are now Not-For Profit, people still have the opportunity to help put more into our bank account! The help and response has been absolutely overwhelming this year - but so are the number of places we can make a difference - perhaps small in the eyes of some, but HUGE IN THE EYES OF THE RECIPIENTS! That's the part to remember!

Please consider how else help can be brought through this little hole-in-the-wall organization! Love, Marianne