Steve Mona, Bill Keegan and Jack Quigley with the Haitian apprentices
A H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 team, headed by Board President Bill Keegan and joined by H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 members Steve Mona and Jack Quigley, has returned from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 ‘s three-day visit was a fact-finding mission to help us with project selection for our continuing response at the Jesuit Novitiate Complex. H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 already has re-established water systems and completed many infrastructure repairs, while training local community members of the Novitiate in various building trade skills. The education of these young Haitians is allowing them to join in the reconstruction of their country as gainfully employed skilled craftsmen.
This H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 team also conducted a security analysis at the Jesuit Novitiate Complex. Bill Keegan said, “We are addressing the security issues with a few simple common sense fixes which will limit access to the complex. Use of identification cards and basic protocols will insure that the community can pursues its work peacefully”.
H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 addressed the growing Cholera outbreak threatening the Port-au-Prince community with local community leaders and the risk associated with bringing H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 volunteers back to Haiti. For this reason, Dr. Victor Politi, our H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 Medical Director, has been tasked with monitoring the outbreak and its progress in the region. He is doing so in consultation with the federal government’s US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the coming weeks, H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 plans the deployment of professional Trade Union H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 members in November and December to complete the rebuilding of dormitories. Upon completion of the living quarters, H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 will then begin the “Green School” project. Prior to the January 12, 2010 earthquake this school served 1,800 students. It is critical to the well being of the community and its future to reopen the doors of this school as quickly as possible. As with other H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 projects, our professionals will train on-site local volunteers, men and women, in skills they can then use to continue rebuilding their country and help them get paid jobs to improve their quality of life.
Bill Keegan urges all H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 members interested in participating to regularly view the www.heart911.org website for further information regarding these important deployments. The completion of these projects will require many members with skills ranging from professional level to novice. There will be work for everyone regardless of skill level. Ask your friends and community contacts to join H.E.A.R.T. 9/11. Invite them to join our mailing list by registering at: www.HEART911.org or by joining our group page on Facebook, look for H.E.A.R.T. 9/11, where we will post updates as well.
The Staff at H.E.A.R.T. 9/11