Second Situation Report, February 9, 2010
From Jeffree Trudeau, WBO Special Projects Director

I would personally like to share my deepest gratitude to all who have come forward from the world of Bamboo, with donations ranging from money, to raw materials and finished products, to hands-on help on location.

WBO and Generation Bambou have taken the initiative to lead the way in this effort to mobilize the world of bamboo entrepreneurs and organizations worldwide with the goal to provide bamboo structures and plantations as one of the options in the rebuilding of housing and long range economic stability.

We are all aware that the first priorities are food, water and medical supplies. Given the overall situation that currently exists in Haiti, this is a formidable task in itself.

Our bamboo community has stepped up to the plate and the plate is full as we prepare to serve.

We also have commitments from INBAR (International Network of Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing) and CBTC (Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre, India) to support us in our efforts.

Generation Bambou set the team in motion on January 16th by sending Kasra Mofarah to assess the on-the-ground situation 4 days after the earthquake occurred. Xavier, Kasra and I reviewed the ground mission and discussed our strategy after Kasra’s return to France this past Monday. We have decided short term that our efforts are best used to organize the shipment of materials and funding before myself and others begin actual construction of homes for the Haitian people that have been permanently displaced.

Presently, we believe we can be most effective by simply working with the people of Haiti on the ground with local, as well as imported, bamboo that can be used with whatever else is available locally for materials. What has worked best from past experience is bamboo frames and lattice with mud or cement plaster walls and either grass or corrugated metal for roofing. We have met with 6 different local people that have existing bamboo growing; they are developing treatment technology to be used on site. These structures can then be made permanent, lifelong earthquake-proof dwellings, as materials and skilled labor become more available. As Susanne has previously mentioned, any contacts with anyone locally would be greatly appreciated as we expand our network and create a local team of people to use bamboo for housing and develop infrastructure for plantations and small scale production factories.

We will continue our efforts to organize the bamboo resources that have been offered by many worldwide, as we raise capital for short and long term pilot projects that will show what could be possible for those who are drawn to developing the potential of bamboo as one of the resources for a renewed economic support system.

Below are some segments from our recent reports:

After 10 days of action: We can observe that the advances are quite unbalanced (for different reasons, of course). The mission is going well with Kasra doing his best on the ground. Jeffree has received much support from the bamboo community (with an introduction letter from the WBO), and we mobilized some positive energy among us. However, we need an improved strategy in terms of fund-raising, donors approach and relations, NGOs partnership and positioning.

We are committed to the fact that bamboo can play a major role for Haiti, not only in the immediate response but also for a long term in order to build a genuinely sustainable development project which will take into account economical, social and environmental aspects.

Commitments from donors are coming; individual citizens, bambuseros, small businesses, large corporations, UNIDO, CTBC, and more. All moneys raised will go directly to the project costs = no salaries will be paid to the management team.

With full realization that not enough bamboo exists within Haiti, we feel that importing bamboo is not a bad thing; it is good. Compared to all other materials others will import, bamboo will be the best! We can import the poles, and start to develop the economy of bamboo utilization until our program of establishing plantations is underway. In the future, the people of Haiti will use the bamboo growing within Haiti. The bamboo will help in soil stabilization, water conservation, carbon recycling, a food source and of course, as a building material.

Jeffree Trudeau
Special Projects Director, World Bamboo Organization
www.worldbamboo.net

jeffree@worldbamboo.net
808-283-2033

First Situation Report, January 20, 2010

Bambou Generation’s Director of Field Operations, Kasra Mofarah arrived in Port au Prince Tuesday night. With the goal of assessing January 12th’s earthquake damage both at the epicenter and surrounding areas, he found scenes of pending calm, and chaos.

The border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic was a contrast in extremes. On one side peace and silence. The other, crowds, tension and misery. As bodies were collected from the street in hard-hit areas, shops were closed in less affected parts and people brought their things roadside to sell.

This morning Kasra woke at 6am to the sound of villager’s screams as they reacted to an aftershock with a magnitude of 6.1. The tremors shook already crumbling buildings and roads, and terrified survivors.

In evaluating the earthquake’s damage, Kasra can determine the need for implementation of Bamboo Evolution Shelter Technology (BEST). This sustainable, economical bamboo framework creates an emergency structure that is fast to assemble and can be easily covered by any fabric like a tent, thus creating urgently needed temporary shelter. As needs evolve the structure can be moved and rebuilt, expanded, or covered in a harder material to make long-term housing, school or medical clinic.

For Kasra the coming week includes meetings with the United Nations, NGOs, local authorities and bamboo producers in an effort to integrate bamboo technology into humanitarian missions.