Train four builders in Haiti to build safe homes

We thought you might enjoy reading about one of the builders we trained recently. This young woman, Widleine, has steadily built her skills and is currently taking classes to become a civil engineer.

“I want to advise other young women like me to not choose only nursing, accounting, or secretarial work. Dare yourself to learn other trades,” Widleine George says. She stands outside in her construction training station, where she demonstrates proper techniques to trainees and oversees the masons’ progress. “I receive a lot of respect because of my position, because it’s not typically a woman’s job,” she says.

Widleine comes from Carrefour-Feuilles, one of the areas of Port-au-Prince that was severely damaged areas by the earthquake in 2010. She started her masonry career as an apprentice, in an intensive six week training program run by Build Change in partnership with Centre d’Etude et de Coopération Internationale (CECI). After passing the exam at the end of her apprentice training, she began working as an intern under masons building in Carrefour-Feuilles. After this intern period of on-the-job training, she enrolled in our builder training program to become certified in safer building techniques. Very quickly, she managed her own team of construction workers. It wasn’t long before Build Change called her and asked her to lead the training program in which she had once been a student.

Builder training is available for masons who want help and practice in disaster-resistant building methods. Our training site has six stations, each one offering hands-on practice in a stage of construction (e.g., foundations, laying level concrete blocks for walls, etc.). After instruction, masons who pass our evaluation are certified and eligible to join REZO, a facilitative network of certified builders and block makers who can receive discounts on construction materials and support in finding clients and jobs.

“I’m very happy, and I feel good working in such a supportive environment,” says Widleine. “I’m looking ahead, beyond masonry,” she says. “I’m going to school on weekends to learn civil engineering.”

After her contract with Build Change is over, she will go to school full time. From masonry intern to certified builder to instructor, Widleine now plans to become a civil engineer. Perhaps she will find herself working with Build Change again, as an engineer.