One Team

On Monday, September 17th, 2012, for the first time in 2 years and half of project in Haiti, the 3 offices of JEN (Port-au-Prince, Leogane and Grand-Goave) gathered together. The meeting was held in Grand Goave compound. Not only because it is from far the nicer office we have in the country, but also because it is the place where works the bigger team.

[View from Grand Goave office]



Only a common objective: to ensure everybody, from the guards to the masons, from the hygiene promoters to the drivers, from the administrative assistant to the management team, feels that JEN in Haiti is one team.
The first ones arrived around noon. According to their activities, everybody join the gathering at the time it suited them. One request only: everybody comes with something, either cooked, or to drink. The best being something cooked personally to share with others.

We did talk about the anniversary of the first JEN team’s arrival in the country: Cyril and Olivier arrived exactly 32 months ago on the island;
We did talk about the birthday of Berlande, the most senior Haitian staff in JEN Haiti who got 29 on the 18th;
We did talk about the preparation day in Leogane, where the team gathered on Sunday to cook a very special meal for the others;

[The Leogane team’s meal under preparation]



We did hear many jokes and teasing all over the day, the funny team being led by the now famous “Ekip Kouyon”
We did thank the dedication of the staffs, from the oldest one Berlande, to the latest recruited Zephyr, to ensure the good work of JEN in Haiti for the support of the most affected Haitians;
We did laugh during the self-presentation of each member of the team to the others;
We did talk about the missing people: all international and national staff who left JEN for new challenges over these 2 years and half, or the guards of Port au Prince who had to stay there to keep the house safe;

[“Ekip Kouyon” without its leader]



We did listen about the poetry that has been written and declaimed by Fifi, a program assistant working for JEN since April 2010;
We did observe Marie-Louise, the Grand Goave office assistant, taking the lead to move on everybody in the same direction during the preparation.

[Food preparation during D day]











But if we have to remind only one thing from this special gathering it’s the work conducted altogether to ensure a full success of the day, the solidarity between all these people who did not knew each other so much the day before.

[JEN Haiti greeting JEN worldwide]



Here was one single JEN team on Monday!