Human relations tend to be the basis of the success or failure of many projects. Personal harmony, mutual trust, the ability to delegate and/or assume responsibilities, commitment to the project, the word given, etc. they are values ​​that we believe are fundamental and that mark the future of many relationships. But everyone has a slightly different weighting as to the relative importance each value has to the others.

If we change continents and go to Haiti, this weighting changes radically, and more so when you deal with people with such a different educational background and social situation. In this context, it is important to keep in mind that the first person who must make the effort to understand the other party is you. You have just arrived in their country and you need understanding between both parties, to be able to advance the work and do it in an organized manner.

The first challenge of the work was to find staff: masons and formwork workers, initially. Electricians and tinsmiths, we would already be looking for them in a second or third phase. As soon as we spread the word that the work was starting, the queues of people interested in working there seemed to have no end. Unfortunately, out of every 25 people who came to us, 24 had never picked up a trowel or cut formwork. The language was not a problem, since many had learned Spanish working “whatever” in the Dominican Republic or Cuba, and Haitian Creole has a very clear francophone base. Cuban entrepreneurs who had left the island to try a business career outside their country also came out from under the rocks, but our intention was to hire as many Haitians as possible to achieve maximum integration and acceptance in the environment.

The drivers we hired initially, thanks to the people of the Spanish Red Cross outstanding in the country, acted as interpreters and advisers when it came to choosing collaborators for the work. After a short time, we also detected that their intentions were not limited to simple disinterested advice, but that they were also looking for some paid recognition among the locals we ended up hiring. It was necessary to be very attentive to these bad practices that could generate conflicts of interest and hierarchy within the group.

Once we were forming a team, we found that adopting work methods acceptable under our criteria would not be easy. And we’re not just talking about the level of quality and good execution required for the jobs done. In the field of Health and Safety, under no circumstances could we admit to working under different standards than our usual ones here, but making them understand the need to think about it and spend some time on it before starting to produce, no it was a simple task.

Although, on the other hand, it was commendable to see the ease and speed with which all staff integrated the use of the most basic PPE into the work. In fact, many of them left their homes already equipped with helmets, reflective overalls and gloves, and walked equipped to the construction site, as a sign of pride for getting a job.

fifth part

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