GUIBERT, Haiti — Sinclair Senon stands at the top of a ladder on a Monday morning in May drilling screws into a sheet of metal. The sun beats down in 90-degree temperatures, but an occasional breeze cools the work site.
Under the shade of a nearby banana tree a woman nurses her baby while another washes clothes in a dishpan. They are part of an extended family that will live in the 360-square-foot home when it is complete.
This is the fourth roof placed during a week-long visit in May on concrete block homes in Guibert, Haiti, by a group of volunteers from Central Texas.
Senon, who coordinates the rebuilding effort here, has lived in a tent since the Jan. 12 earthquake that rocked his mountainside village and devastated the country. He says he’s okay with living in a tent. He believes God’s desire is for him to help his neighbors get into their homes before building one for himself.
The 10 volunteers are with Hope for the Hungry, a Belton interdenominational organization that has helped children worldwide for almost 30 years. They arrived in the country May 4 and stayed through May 11, building the roofs and helping with other construction projects in the Kenscoff mountains region of Haiti.
Jean-Alix Paul, director of Spirit of Truth ministries, which partners with Hope for the Hungry, says they will have 12 homes in Guibert completed by June — including these four — and a total of 30 in the country finished by July.
"I’ve been all over Haiti and we’re the only ones doing this right now," he said of building homes that can withstand both hurricanes and earthquakes. He’d like to see 100 homes built, but says, "we could build 1,000."
Cost of the homes is about $7,800 each, according to Jen Sutton, a team leader and director of children’s services for Hope for the Hungry.
Mornings start early for the Central Texas volunteer team with a 30-minute drive to the boys’ home and school supported by Hope for the Hungry.
The team, with the help of Senon and other nationals, stacks 2x6s and metal sheets, along with tools that will be needed. Those materials are taken to the day’s work site, either carried by the volunteers or hauled in a tap-tap, a jeep-type vehicle used for public transportation in Haiti.
Along the walk, the Texans pass children in freshly laundered uniforms on their way to school, as well as locals headed to the community water pump or the market. The local residents are friendly, always responding to "bonjour" or "good morning" and asking the volunteers how they are doing.
The rugged, steep mountainside makes getting to each site a bit of a challenge. But by mid-morning, work has started and local Haitians — mostly men and teenage boys — have made their way to the site to help raise the roof.
The goal each day is to have the 2x6s installed on concrete beams by midday. After lunch, the metal sheeting is installed, with screws drilled into place, securing the metal to the 2x6 beams.
The day ends with the team having a prayer of dedication with the family that will live in the home. Family members express gratitude with hugs, handshakes and "God bless you" spoken in the local Creole language.
Concrete will be poured over the metal roof, and doors and windows still need to be installed, but as many as 30 people were expected to stay in the house of Joseph Masillon that had the roof completed by the team May 8. Another roof finished May 7 allowed its owner to bring home his wife and daughter home, who’ve lived out of the area since the earthquake.
"Our team works together so well," team leader Jeff Sutton wrote on a blog. "Everyone has been so joyful in every single task they have been given. It’s been so sweet to watch our team minister to their Haitian brothers and sisters."
About 80 percent of the residents of Guibert — with a population of approximately 800 — lost their homes in the 7.0-magnitude quake that killed an estimated 250,000 people, and left 1.5 million homeless across Haiti, according to Associated Press reports.
Although there were no deaths reported in Guibert, Paul said the scope of the tragedy continues to unfold.
"Almost everyday I hear about someone else who died," he said.
Since the earthquake, Hope for the Hungry officials have made several trips to Haiti — first to assess damage and deliver tents, food and basic supplies, then to help pour foundations for the houses, and construct temporary classrooms at the school.
Brittney King, 18, of Arlington, a University of Mary Hardin-Baylor student, recommends others take part in similar opportunities to serve.
"Haiti is a country that is in much need and being able to be a part of the rebuilding of homes and of lives was such a privilege," King said. "I believe that it is very important to help our brothers and sisters in Christ especially in a country that has experienced this devastation."
The recent trip ended with an exhausted team saying their good-byes to new friends and heading back to Texas. Another team is scheduled to travel to Haiti in late May, with a plan to roof more homes.
