We were also able to visit a rather remote village called Savanette near to the border with the Dominican Republic. It took us a nearly a half of a day to travel the 20 miles on the absolute worst road, actually just bouldered runs through the mountains, that I have ever experienced. I recall that immediately after my return to my home of Arlington, WA in the U.S. that my neighbor met me and complained about the deteriorating condition of the 1/4 mile of gravel road immediately prior to our homes. I almost broke into hysterical laughter over the absurdity of the complaint, since I also had complained of the 20 or so potholes along that 1/4 mile.
Heidi was able to get a book for me just before I left on this trip that I was looking for suggested by a service desk person at the Hertz auto rental agency while attending the Nethope conference last week. It is called "Mountains Beyond Mountains, which is a Haitian saying that after one steep mountain is crossed in peril, another mountain awaits. A reference to the uninterrupted travails of the people of Haiti. It is about a doctor from America, Dr. Paul Farmer, spending his life treating infectious diseases here, having established a hospital where thousands walked for many miles and even weeks on the poor roads for treatment.
On this visit I will assist the Country Office (CO) here of Save the Children to begin using their 5 sets of PDA's to be used for mobile data collection. Laptops are expensive and limited by but a couple of hours of battery life in these areas of non-existent electricity at the points of the data sources - the people and beneficiaries of Save the Childrens' programs. Currently, Save coordinated the printing, distributing and collection of data on paper survey forms in order to obtain information of their programs effects. I have seen this same scenario all over the world in their country offices. I am also aware that other non-governmental organizations (NGO's) that I have become acquainted with through Nethope (http://www.nethope.org) also endure the same non-value added costs and logistics to carry information to a from remote field locations in developing countries.
Late last year, I was asked by my Save manager, Lee Steuber in our home office in Westport, Connecticut, if some PDA's became available on a donation basis, which CO could most benefit. I immediately had Haiti come to mind, as it is the most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere, and Save's programs are in the most impoverished area in Haiti. So, the PDA's have awaited until I could schedule a visit to assist them in developing their mobile data collection project towards usability.
I always look forward with excited - and dread - arriving at airports in developing countries. Customs and Immigration is always a challenge, and often I am trying to "bring in" some PDA's for an implementation. Usually, once that you clear customs, you have your American sense of order and nice airport facilities challenged by throngs of people on the other side of security just outside the airport doors. Walls of people pressing forward looking for arriving family members, and the heat and humidity, all the while desperately hanging onto your luggage and trying ot ward off, with a smile, the army of persons looking to carry your luggage (to where, I am never sure!) to your vehicle for a small sum for maybe 100 feet.
I recall last time when arriving at the Haitian airport to depart for the U.S., I had to become equally physical with my elbows and hips to enter the airport security area. It can be a bit unnerving, but I am reminded that we Americans represent unbelievable wealth to them, and awaiting incoming foreign visitors affords a possible opportunity to extend their meager income. I, of course, am always met by a Save representative to conduct me to my comfortable, secure hotel. I have it so easy....
It was especially easy for this arrival to Haiti. My pre-departure information sent advised that I would be met by an airport official upon disembarking the plane and be conducted to the Salon Diplomatique where an official would take my passport, customs and immigration forms and process them along with my luggage while I waited up stairs in an opulent area reserved for VIP's and diplomats. This was actually very nice, but it made me uncomfortable due to it all being done for me, but security concerns, I am sure, dictated this new procedure.
I am now in the Hotel Montana in an area called Petitone-Ville, a very upscale area of Port au Prince, high up on a mountain overlooking the harbour and the city. It is a very beautiful, yet extremely expensive hotel (I hate hotels, I'd much rather stay with a staffer) with many armed guards patrolling the grounds and surround by a 12 foot tall steel plate fence. I recall on my last visit after my days' work at Save, I would sit out on my balcony and watch the United nations troop carriers pull into the hotel compound after their daily police action in the city below (national police security it seems is mostly absent). Then, about the time the troops arrived for safe abode, I noticed fires begin to erupt in the city below, near the harbor area. Upon inquiry, I was told that it could be vandals looting warehouses after to troops left. Desperation is everywhere. I would probably do the same thing if my family was in need, perhaps....I sense that the situation has improved, in part from my security review email to me prior to my departure.
So, I was up about 30 hours, but I feel refreshed, considering there is only a two time zone difference here from my home (GMT-6). Tomorrow, I will prepare for my weeks work in more detail based on the Scope of work that I sent to most always-smiling host, Roseval Supreme, the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) manager. He indicated that we might not be able ot get out to the field (where I always want to go, cubicle-designed PDA solutions do not always work under field conditions, I have found), due ot unavailability of transportation. That's okay, we spent a lot of time there on my last trip, and I understand the context of their M&E activities from then. Now, for a shower and watch the sunset over the Caribbean from my balcony. I have it so easy....
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