Deployment diary day 29: Tuesday 16th February

I'm happy to report the success of the 2nd half of the food distribution to the camp today. Another 170,000 meals distributed this morning takes our total to date past the 2 million mark. The most rewarding aspect of today's distribution was that it went very smoothly. When we started working in the camp we knew that we must find a way to work with the local leaders. Having worked largely in Africa I have been used to asking a community to identify their 'elders'. Usually old in age and regarded as significant for their wisdom, I regularly sought their counsel about their community.

When arriving in Haiti I enquired how I might contact the elders and wad told, 'we don't have elders - we have youngers!'. It's the young, the strong and the survivors that take the lead here. They have led tough lives - as a meeting with our committee here will readily reveal. Faces bear testimony to fights and attacks. I'm not ashamed to say we were a little nervous about meeting with them and apprehensive about developing a relationship. Damaris, who is taking the role of camp manager, meets with the committee most days. Although not much older than they are, she speaks to them like a mother - telling them off when they misbehave and chiding them if they make her life difficult. But she's won them over. Their day was made yesterday when I went with her and presented the committee members with red, high visibility jackets (vests) with The Salvation Army logo plastered large on the back. They will wear them when they patrol the camp at night and keep an eye on security.

I suppose it makes them feel that they belong - they are one with us and one of us.

We often speak of building on local capacity when we conduct training courses. I suppose we have in our mind the engineers, doctors, teachers that might be pillars of the community. Here in Haiti we are working with leaders that don't fit our usual mould - but they are doing well. It's their support that helped the distribution go smoothly this morning.

Life is hard for the young here - employment opportunities are limited and now most of the education institutes have collapsed. I hope our time here will give them a measure of hope as they demonstrate their leadership. Pray for Damaris, Agnes and Rodney as they work to improve life in the camp.