My mother had a saying: “If it’s not one thing, it’s another.” That pretty much describes our ongoing effort to get the pilot systems installed in Haiti.
I have been working with EarthSpark International to get all the equipment down to Haiti and was scheduled to do a two-week trip in March to supervise the local assembly and installation of the ten SUNSPOT™ pilot systems. The trip was on the verge of being postponed because of shipping delays on various components when a surge of political violence broke out just before the annual Kanaval (Carnival) celebration. Coupled with an increase in gang-related robberies and kidnappings, we decided to scrap my trip altogether.
Instead, we fabricated the wire harnesses here in the US and prepared a training video to show the local engineering staff and technicians how to assemble and install the systems. We have also prepared detailed written instructions and checklists for initial product Q/A, system assembly, pre-installation testing and installation QC procedures.
Our goal has always been to train local partners to assemble, install and maintain the systems, but this is little like “jumping in the deep end” when trying to learn how to swim. Fortunately, the EarthSpark engineers and technicians in Haiti are very capable and I am confident that things will work out well. I will update this blog when I have more information about the progress they are making.