A training began on March 5 at the Haiti Communitere base with the goal of empowering women from Cite Soleil with a new skill. Our 22 trainees come to HC every day eager to work and learn, and over the next four weeks they will learn the entire process of building with the Ubuntu method – from collecting and cleaning the Styrofoam, using that to make blocks, and then using the blocks to build a house. By the end of the training they will have completed a small home on the HC base out of Ubuntu-Blox.

The women arrive first thing in the morning and stay until 4:00, and not a minute is wasted. They are split into groups and take turns working at the different stations throughout the day. At this stage of the training, one group is cleaning and sanitizing, another is shredding the Styrofoam and making blocks, and another is out in the city collecting more Styrofoam. The women are constantly in motion. Their reply when told that they can take a break is “no, we want to work!” It’s inspiring to see their enthusiasm and we are almost as excited as the women to see what they do when they take this new knowledge home.