"The idea is to train the locals in a different type of construction"

Published in the April edition of Engineering News Record, Tom Sawyer’s article, “Construction Contributions Drive Hospital’s Rise in Haiti,” describes the difficulty of training Haitian construction teams to assist in building Mirebalais Hospital.
 
“The idea is to train the locals in a different type of construction than they are used to and to use as little material as we could,” says John Looney, the structural engineer of Mirebalais Hospital.

Mirebalais hospital is one of the first major public-sector projects to start in Haiti since the earthquake. Partners In Health is hiring Haitian workers both to decrease labor costs and to further develop the skills of workers in the Mirebalais community.
 
“The first day we started to lay block,” explains Jim Ansara, PIH’s director of construction, “we had 1,500 to 1,800 men line up to see if they could get jobs.”
 
Ansara hopes that the Engineering News Record article not only raises awareness about the hospital, but also encourages skilled tradespeople from America to volunteer with complex construction and the training the Haitian staff.
 
“We have people who are really good at stone, masonry and tile,” Ansara says, but not so skilled in electrical systems, control wiring, acoustical ceilings and millwork. “We are desperately trying to gather volunteers willing to go to Haiti and work for a week.”
 
To learn more about the construction, read the piece in Engineering News Record.
 
Find out more about volunteering to work on Mirebalais hospital.