January 2011- DFTW Helps Expand Haiti’s Largest Orphanage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Carol Lanham
BWG Agency
972-814-6322

Domes for the World to Oversee Expansion of Haiti’s Largest Orphanage

ITALY, Texas (January 2011) – One year after a powerful earthquake left thousands of Haitian children orphaned, the non-profit foundation Domes for the World (DFTW) has reached an agreement to double the size of Haiti’s largest orphanage. The project , which will be completed in partnership with the non-profit MODDHA, will include construction of 88 EcoShell domes that will serve as dormitory-style residences as well as communal dining and sanitation facilities.

The construction will take place at Project Hope, or Pwoje Espwa in Creole, an orphanage founded in 1998 to provide food, shelter, schooling and vocational training to Haitian children.  Located on 125 acres about 20 minutes from the Haitian city of Les Cayes, the orphanage houses 750 children, and provides academic and vocational services to an additional 1,000 children from neighboring communities. Known as Hope Village, the orphanage’s facilities currently consist of xx dormitories, xx schools and a working farm. Three schools, dormitories

The expansion plans call for construction of eight pods of 11 EcoShell dome structures — steel-reinforced concrete buildings that are permanent, fireproof, and disaster-resistant and can be built entirely by hand in as little as four days. They also are eco-friendly, using 50 percent less concrete and reinforcing materials than traditional homes.

Each of the eight pods will consist of nine dormitory style EcoShells and two communal domes. One of the communal domes will serve as a community kitchen and dining facility. The second dome will serve as a sanitation/washing facility where residents can shower, bathe, and wash clothes.  The communal domes will have a sanitation system designed to take waste to a biomass system that will supply energy to the village through the conversion of organic waste.

Construction of the first pod will be funded by $60,000 from DFTW, and is projected to begin later this spring. The first pod will serve as a prototype for the additional seven pods. Local workers will be used to build the domes, using basic hand tools and other equipment available locally.

“Our hope is that the new village will not only be a permanent and disaster-resistant community, but will serve as a model for the rebuilding effort in Haiti,” said David B. South, chairman of DFTW. “We also are looking forward to teaching local workers how to build domes because we believe they will be able to use those skills in and around the country’s capital city for years to come.”

The new EcoShells will allow the orphanage to meet the growing needs in the wake of last year’s earthquake.  Although the area around Les Cayes was not directly affected by the quake, the need for services has increased because of the large influx of people who have moved to the area to escape the devastation of Haiti’s urban center.

“Even with billions of dollars in recovery money pledged, Haiti has made little progress in the last year,” said Andrew South, president of DFTW. “The poorest country in the western hemisphere before the quake has now become likely the most devastated of the world. This project represents a first step in meeting a dire need.”

DFTW previously completed a rebuilding project in an Indonesian village that was destroyed during the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the Island of Java in May 2006. DFTW built 71 EcoShell dome homes, six public lavatories, a mosque, a medical clinic and a kindergarten in 2007. DFTW has also been involved in projects in Ethiopia, Mongolia, Sudan, Sri Lanka and Bolivia.

About DFTW

Domes For The World (DFTW), is a U.S-based nonprofit foundation established in 2005 with a mission to improve the lives of people worldwide through the introduction and construction of Monolithic Domes and EcoShells.  EcoShells are a variation of the Monolithic Dome, a steel-reinforced,
insulated concrete structure known for its energy efficiency and ability to meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s criteria for near absolute protection from tornadoes and hurricanes. For more information about the project and Domes for the World, visit www.dftw.org

For more information about Monolithic Dome homes, visit HYPERLINK www.monolithic.com.

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