Saturday 06 February 2010
More tents needed before rain hits
Fifty Scouts from the West Department International Scouts d' Haiti work alongside the 82nd Airborne and set up 70 tents in four hours. Photograph: Mark Pearson
‘Everybody wants a ShelterBox tent and we’re bringing in as many as we can; there’s so many people needing help.’
These are the words of ShelterBox General Manager Lasse Petersen (UK) who has been in Port au Prince, Haiti for the past three weeks.
The need in Haiti remains huge and with the imminent onset of heavy rains, the Haitian people are crying out for shelter which can stand up to the elements.
Lasse said: ‘ What most people are sleeping under is cotton bed linen and sheeting which doesn’t provide any protection from the elements, just a little bit of shade.
‘Our intention is to replace as many of these as possible with ShelterBox tents.’
Haitian man, Antonio Florristale, said: ‘When it’s rainy, if you’re inside a ShelterBox tent, you cannot get wet, if the water comes you’ll not get wet.’
The following video is from Time magazine’s correspondents in Haiti and details ShelterBox’s work:
ShelterBox Response Team member Mark Pearson has been working with Scouts in Haiti to set up 210 ShelterBox tents.
ShelterBox is partnered with the Scout Association and Scouts have already helped ShelterBox in disaster zones across the globe. Now, thanks to Mark’s work, they are helping ShelterBox in Haiti.
Mark said: ‘I personally trained ten Scouts from Port au Prince at the 82nd Airborne HQ (US Military in Haiti). The scouts, after I did a first demo, then set up a tent to perfection in ten minutes.’
On Friday, February 5, fifty Haitian scouts set up 70 ShelterBox tents in the central Palace area where 3,000 people are homeless. They did it in less than four hours.
Mark added: ‘The Train the Trainer sessions paid off and all the Haitian people were so happy, it was a great day for all involved. We’re doing the same today with a further 140 ShelterBoxes.’
Alex George, President of West Department International Scouts d’Haiti, said: ‘Our Scouts are themselves homeless but in the traditional Scout tradition we are happy to help our people and feel good doing so with ShelterBox and the US military. ‘This is brilliant equipment and the tents are perfect for Haiti.’
See all of Mark's photos of ShelterBox and the Scouts working together in Haiti:
