ShelterBox and Scouts work side by side in Haiti
10/02/2010
Scouts have assisted ShelterBox on numerous deployments across the world, such as Kenya, Italy and The Philippines and the support that we have received from groups within the UK has been both overwhelming and inspiring. Most recently, Scouts in Haiti have gone above and beyond the call of duty in assisting ShelterBox to create a tent village. ShelterBox Response Team member Mark Pearson has been working with Scout groups in the earthquake stricken country to set up 210 ShelterBox tents.
Mark said: ‘I personally trained ten Scouts from Port au Prince at the 82nd Airborne HQ (US Military in Haiti). The scouts, after I did a first demo, then set up a tent to perfection in ten minutes.’
On Friday, February 5, fifty Haitian scouts set up 70 ShelterBox tents in the central Palace area where 3,000 people are homeless. They did it in less than four hours.
Mark added: ‘The Train the Trainer sessions paid off and all the Haitian people were so happy, it was a great day for all involved. We’re doing the same today with a further 140 ShelterBoxes.’
Alex George, President of West Department International Scouts d’Haiti, said: ‘Our Scouts are themselves homeless but in the traditional Scout tradition we are happy to help our people and feel good doing so with ShelterBox and the US military. ‘This is brilliant equipment and the tents are perfect for Haiti.’
See all of Mark's photos of ShelterBox and the Scouts working together in Haiti:
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