Independent journalists Ruxandra Guidi and Roberto ('Bear') Guerra have reported from around the world, bringing important local and international stories to light. They combine images, writing and multimedia to show how poverty, climate change, health care and other international issues affect people's lives. This week, they visited us for our Lunch and Learn session to share their work from a reporting trip to Haiti in Fall 2008. Bear returned to Haiti shortly after this year's quake, and they both plan to go back for a three-week trip in July.

Right before they traveled to Haiti in 2008, a string of hurricanes had just hit the country. They saw it as a great opportunity to examine foreign aid. Bear and Ruxandra said the lack of functional infrastructure was just one example of what wasn't working.

We've talked before about transitional schools but by far the largest recovery effort in Haiti right now is transitional housing. "T-housing" is temporary buildings for folks waiting for any number of things precluding permanent construction.

An adviser from the United States Agency for International Development and Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA...what'd I tell you about soups!) visited our headquarters last week to give us the run-down on shelter relief in Haiti. There are more than a few misconceptions, as well as plenty of potential for great success of creative design solutions.

Local Architects Thorsten Nolte and Nanda Eskes are finalizing drawings for the Homeless World Cup legacy center in Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the Homeless World Cup and Instituto Bola Pra Frente. The team is pushing towards groundbreaking in July and completion by the Homeless World Cup in September.

Chuck Setchell with the USAID Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) visited us during our weekly Lunch and Learn session. He is preparing to return to Haiti and wanted to share with us how the agency is helping Haitians find shelter. He talked about some of the challenges to resettlement efforts, which include the vast amount of rubble left over by the earthquake, land tenure issues and the lack of recovery plans by the Haitian government.

Chuck said that past experience suggests that the population in Port au Prince and other cities will increase, not decrease, so aid groups needs to 'think big' to help the affected population. For now, the agency is assessing emergency shelters in affected areas to prepare for the hurricane season.

Here are some interesting facts from his presentation as collected by Cameron on his twitter account:

Last week, the Architecture for Humanity team in Haiti put down their office tools to build a platform for a clinic for fellow NGO, Jenkins Penn H/RO, in Pétionville, Port-au-Prince.

The original clinic was under threat of flooding as the structures were set up on the bare ground. Completion was delayed several days due to rain but the clinic is now operating at a higher level.

Local help was recruited for the construction, which included concrete foundations and a raised wood floor. Architecture for Humanity volunteer and seasoned builder Tommy Stewart of Ft. Worth gave an impromptu lesson on stair framing and all participants finished the project with a better sense of how everything comes together.

Do you need a dynamic and open office space with good karma* to run your small non-profit or business in San Francisco?  If so, Collaborate might be the place for you!

Collaborate offers many perks: 

Scalable: Rent one desk, several, or an entire area.

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Conference room space: Both large and small room reservations included.

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Affordable: Yeah the big Q. It's only $350/month per desk and right in the heart of SOMA. We are across from the Twitter HQ.

Imagine using your education and passion to breathe new life into a neighborhood in need.

The Enterprise Bart Harvey Fellowship − named for former Enterprise CEO Bart Harvey, who drew inspiration from Enterprise co-founders Jim & Patty Rouse − helps fellows use their talents to make real, practical change in low-income communities. By working with Enterprise’s executive leadership, fellows cultivate relationships, develop leadership skills and learn how to effectively manage an organization while navigating the challenges of affordable housing and community development finance. The Enterprise Bart Harvey Fellowship can transform a drive to serve into a meaningful career.

Apply online. Applications are due June 17.