Hands On in Haiti

1. Haiti was mauled by four hurricanes an d tropical storms this season. An already poor country-- poorest in the hemisphere -- was savaged by severe flooding and wind. The city of Gonaives, on the west coast north of the capital Port au Prince (PaP), occupies the wide, flat Artibonite river valley and most of the city was flooded by the overflowing river to a depth of 6 or 7 feet. This left a half foot or a foot of mud in the streets and in people's homes.
   
   Hands On Disaster Response surveyed the area and chose Gonaives as the site of their latest project. Stef, Marc, and John spent several weeks readying our new base for occupancy. The project opened for business on Oct. 1oth and I was one of the first two volunteers to arrive.