The first
morning: no one sleeps late, everyone wears a clear shirt. It was impossible to
sleep late at Camp CARE, but clean shirts became increasingly rare on following mornings.CAMP CARE
MARCOVIA, HONDURAS
MARCH, 1999
The first
morning: no one sleeps late, everyone wears a clear shirt. It was impossible to
sleep late at Camp CARE, but clean shirts became increasingly rare on following mornings.
Discussion
centers on how certain roosters might taste for breakfast. Several
insisted on exchanging challenges, beginning about 3 AM.
The line
of people seeking medical consults develops early and seems to get longer throughout the
day. Local entrepreneurs arrive with cold drinks and the local equivalent of
"fast food" to sell to hungry and thirsty women and children waiting for their
turn.
Boards and
cinder blocks make benches. One of 3 onsite water tanks (this one marked "OXFAM")
holds about 4000 gallons.
After 4
days of hard work, Toledo volunteers share their perspectives with CARE's representative.
There may be many better ways to accomplish this mission (building over 500 homes),
but it seems unlikely that major changes can occur during the one week remaining.
Tim
listens while Ted explains more efficient construction methods. One suggestion: even
if we can't do it with technology available in Toledo, we should see what other agencies
are doing to construct permanent resettlement housing in the area. There have to be
ways of speeding things up despite equipment and supply limitations!
Lunch by
Marcovia Catering. Rice, beans, tortillas, and scrambled eggs. Rickey Wright,
M.D., calculates the nutritional merits. Some fruit and vegetables would be nice!
John,
Mark, Ted, Ben, Jim, Tim, Robert and Gary pose with professional Honduran construction
workers and a CARE official, holding the plan for the village under construction.
School
children raising a cloud of dust as they match by. Shelagh must be
behind (or, in this case, in front of) this activity!
The water
wagon arrives to fill the water tanks. This water was used not only for making
mezcla and for other construction activities, it was also the only source of drinking and
washing water for the damnificados, those people made homeless
by Mitch.
Water tank
was supplied by OXFAM (your charity dollars at work). Barrels in
the foreground are recycled from a cane industry vehicle machine maintanance garage.
I hope the ants like heavy grease - else these barrels will be difficult to clean.
I have not seen a lot of detergent in camp.
View from
The Throne. Dawn was the best time of day for visiting the latrine. Things
heat up later in the day.
Our
latrine. Be careful when approaching in the dark, someone began another pit but has
not yet installed a slab, seat or frame with tapestries.
Another
view of the latrine (in case the first view is not satisfactory). All is quiet in
camp at 6 AM - except that %$@#!! rooster.
Four
showers - no waiting! Like the latrines, these facilities lack a
roof or ceiling. Shower by moonlight! If a breeze is blowing, more moons may
appear. The water was always warm - unlike the hotel where we
stayed the last night in Tegucigalpa.