In the United States, the availability of building materials, equipment, and hardware is often taken for granted. Ease of maintenance is seldom a concern here, where replacement parts for almost anything can be found locally, and skilled repair services are abundant.
On my first trip to Haiti to build a water system, I quickly understood the importance of packing sufficient tools and spare parts. When faced with a missing or broken PVC fitting, it was off to the nearest marketplace, where part availability is always a question. When lucky enough to find a required item, price gouging often occurs. Without replacement parts and/or available skilled labor in Haiti, many pieces of equipment prematurely become useless.
While in Haiti, I witnessed two young men working to remove an oil filter lodged in a truck using some form of a hacksaw. Given the variety of oil filter sizes for various makes and models, as well as limited availability of parts in Haiti, it is easy to imagine the challenge of conducting a simple oil change. Unfortunately, this often leads to poorly maintained and neglected equipment. Repair work in Haiti often requires improvising, and the work is not always of the highest quality or safety.
When Holy Spirit Haiti Mission (HSHM) sends equipment, (i.e., pumps, generators, and even vehicles), items must be carefully chosen to increase the odds of maintenance success in Haiti. While Brother Olizard helps to identify equipment brands and models most common to Haiti, this alone does not guarantee success. On many occasions, the HSHM has hand-delivered or shipped replacement items that would otherwise have been impossible to obtain in Haiti.
Unfortunately, water systems require a number of unique parts, and proper maintenance and supply inventory depends on HSHM. During my second trip to Haiti, the team established and organized a small supply warehouse. The HSHM has shipped items ranging from water filters to a donated Ford pick-up truck.
While impossible to plan for every conceivable situation in Haiti, good equipment planning goes a long way. And that means, packing takes forever, and the freight is always in danger of exceeding the weight limit.