In Haiti, they have a great word — “dégagé” — which means “figure it out and make it work with whatever you have on hand.” This often requires impressive ingenuity and innovation.
In 2010, a well was drilled in Haiti in memory of Katie, a Canadian water expert who died in the earthquake. The community was very poor, but had been asked to build a fence around the well to keep cows and goats from depositing dung by the well and causing damage by rubbing up against the pump.
When Lifewater volunteers went back the following year to audit this project, they could not get to the well until they found the caretaker. He had carefully transplanted cactus plants in a circle around the well, and then used a few boards to install a lockable gate. Site access was most definitely controlled without placing an inordinate financial burden on the community.
May we all be inspired to practice “dégagé” to make our development work more innovative and affordable!
