Photo By Master Sgt. John Laughter | Seen through the rear-view mirror of a Center of National Equipment Caterpillar...... read more read more
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PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI — While driving the interstates of the U.S., it is common to pass a construction crew making repairs or building a new road. The majority of the crews are men, laboring through every type of weather imaginable to keep our roads clear. In Port-au-Prince there is something completely different occurring.
Removing the rubble of toppled buildings from the roadways, cleaning out drainage ditches, and smoothing dirt roads are just a few tasks the Haitian Government’s Center of National Equipment handles on a daily basis. The difference between Haiti and the U.S. is that behind the majority of those multi-ton earth-moving machines works a Haitian woman. It’s not uncommon to see a woman, with a look of relaxed determination in her eyes, operating her massive piece of equipment in the boiling Caribbean sun.
In the cockpit of her Caterpillar loader, Rose Saintilus, a ten year veteran of CNE operations, who hails from Port-au-Prince, nimbly operates the controls as if she’s done this a thousand times. She diligently works to change the streets of her city from what looks like a war zone, covered with the remnants of fallen buildings, into a clean thoroughfare open to traffic and trade. Across the city, Yvonne Jean-Gilles, another CNE operator from Port-au-Prince, operates a massive grader smoothing out recently dumped gravel to repair a worn road, returning it to daily use. These are just two of hundreds of scenes taking place across Haiti every day.
Hours after the devastating earthquake struck Haiti, Jan. 12, CNE was working to stem the tide of destruction and aiding to its fellow Haitians. There are images of CNE trucks packed with doctors, aid workers, and food flowing from the international airport into the city and images of huge loaders lifting survivors off the roofs of buildings. Today it’s almost impossible to take a drive in Port-au-Prince without seeing a convoy of CNE equipment working to clear away the rubble to restore Haiti.
Since the inception, CNE has hired women to operate and maintain its equipment. In the beginning about 15 percent of the CNE work force were women, but since then, that number has swelled to almost 60 percent. "The results [of hiring more women] were very positive," said Jude Celestin, CNE Director. "They take good care of the equipment and are always on time."
Upon joining the CNE work force, new employees undergo an intensive six-month program where they learn the basics of heavy machinery and engineering. They study subjects such as hydraulics, mechanics, engineering, and operation of the equipment, and are tested and evaluated in each, Celestin stated.
Jean-Gardy Ligonde, CNE technical director points out women hold many positions within the organization. With nearly 600 of the 1,000 jobs in CNE filled by women, they hold every position from mechanic to engineer team leader.
As engineers and operators, these women are also the heads of their households. After describing how she enjoys operating the machinery, Mona Dextra, from the Port-au-Prince area, has worked for CNE for over a year, she describes how her work to feeds her extended family. Ligonde adds, "The money they earn is spent in the household for food, clothing, and providing for the children. They have their liberty and are making money."
These women don’t just provide for their own families. With their equipment and skills they are on the forefront of the rebuilding mission in Haiti. Dextra put is, "[We are] ready to help and rebuild the country. That’s what this company [CNE] was made for."
CNE has worked non-stop, and often through the night, to clear rubble from the earthquake. In concert with international partners, CNE has cleared over 100 city blocks of rubble, restoring traffic routes and allowing businesses to reopen.
President Preval has stated that it will take a thousand trucks, a thousand days to clear the away the debris in Haiti. If it does, there is a good chance there will be a woman behind the wheel.
| Date Taken: | 03.10.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 03.10.2010 23:18 |
| Story ID: | 46490 |
| Location: | PORT-AU-PRINCE, HT |
| Web Views: | 672 |
| Downloads: | 256 |
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