Filter Program | Clean Water for Haiti

Haiti Post Irma & Ethical Fundraising

Sep 12, 2017

This past weekend I think we all anxiously kept eyes on Irma as she raked destruction through the Caribbean and Florida. I lost track of how often we refreshed the storm tracker sites that we follow. On Thursday and Friday we hung out at home just waiting to see what was going to be doled out to us. In all honesty it was a combination of stress that ended up being anti-climactic, and that was a very good thing.

Haiti is typically hard hit, but this time it was like watching a miracle unfold as Irma slightly bumped north. It was just enough to have it move past Haiti far enough out in the ocean that we experienced very little damage. In fact, it was weird how little damage Haiti experienced. I’ve been here for almost 12 years and we’ve had more rain and wind from smaller storms than the country experienced with Irma this weekend. We had more rain the previous weekend during normal rainy season weather. Again, we’re really grateful for that, especially after having Matthew make landfall last October. Typically storms that move to the north of the island bring a lot of rain and flooding, something that is very literally disastrous here where there are very few resources to deal with that. In years past it has meant almost 10 feet of mud sweeping through major cities and killing thousands.

As we all watched Irma make landfall in Cuba and then head north, I will not lie, we all breathed a sigh of relief because we were fully aware of how bad it could have been for Haiti. And we feel that tension between being very grateful, and yet grieving with those all through the Caribbean and Florida and the south eastern US who have lost so much right now.

As reports started coming in from around the country on Saturday in the networks that we’re part of everyone was surprised. Yes, there was some flooding in the north because of the amount of rain dumped on the Dominican Republic, causing rivers to swell. There definitely was some wind, but most reported a few trees down and the occasional tin missing. There were a few injuries, but nothing like in other places that experienced Irma.

In our specific area, which would also include the Artibonite Valley where the bulk of our filters go, we heard of some flooding when rivers and canals swelled with water from the rain in the Dominican Republic. We decided to wait until we came back to work yesterday and were able to start connecting with our Community Promoters in the areas that we serve to get on the ground reports of any damage. While some have had their gardens and crops flooded, we haven’t heard of situations where homes have been lost or where people are feeling there is a crisis.

As an organization funding is always at the forefront of our minds because it enables us to do what we do. We also want to be able to respond in the best way possible when there is a need here in Haiti. For us that means knowing what we do, and what the best application is for our filters that will lead to the greatest impact over time. Over the years we’ve learned that we are not a relief organization, we are a development organization. After a crisis where assistance is needed, we are better suited to be in the second wave that comes as people are rebuilding their lives, so we can help to give them tools for the long term.

In 2010 Cholera was introduced to Haiti, and it has been an ongoing battle ever since. When the rainy season hits we see spikes in cases, especially in the area that we serve the most. We are very aware that many of the families affected by Cholera are in very rural areas, too far away from medical resources. Cholera, in a weakened immune system, can kill in 48 hours, and yet is completely preventable and treatable. As an organization we have focused on providing a tool for families to use to prevent the spread of Cholera so they don’t get sick in the first place. Every person drinking treated water exclusively is cutting off the spread of disease.

A canal in the Artibonite Valley.

This week we are seeing the long term impact of all the work that we do as an organization. This morning I spoke with Richard, our delivery co-ordinator that works with all of our Community Promoters to make sure that we’re meeting the demand for filters. The Promoters that he’s been in contact with over the weekend have reported that while some have lost gardens, there are a lot of people who now want filters because they know the threat of Cholera is very real and they’ve seen how those that have filters are not getting sick. Because there are few sanitation facilities, flooding leads to the spread of feces, the greatest contributor to the spread of Cholera and water borne disease. Those that have filters are not afraid for their health right now, because they know that they have a very effective way of protecting themselves.

As an organization we will always put a priority on being transparent and ethical in our fundraising efforts. We will always be honest with you about the reality, not exaggerating things just to raise funds. So, I am here being very honest with you right now in Irma’s wake – Haiti is not in crisis. We don’t need relief money right now. Not on the level that other countries do right now. Yes, there may be some communities that have had some impact, but it is not wide spread, and it is not a crisis. There might be some people or organizations that won’t like that I just said that, but I’m okay with that because it’s the honest truth.

We WILL tell you that we are hurting right now for finances because of a slump in donations, and that we would really appreciate your support as we continue to help families take control over their health. Your gifts WILL be effectively used. We’re seeing that this week as those families that would normally be heavily impacted by not having a source for clean water are drinking safe, clean water this week. It’s taken years to get here, but we’re rejoicing right now because we’re seeing all that hard work pay off.

Water sources like this are what most people have available to them in the Artibonite Valley.

We want to reach those families that are needing and wanting filters now, that don’t have another way to treat their water. But, we need your help. We would love it if you would donate so that the next time Haiti goes through a natural disaster, because we know that day will come again, those families will be equipped to care for themselves. Together we can help eliminate Cholera in Haiti. We’re on the way.

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$100 will help provide a filter for a home. That filter will typically provide clean water, every single day, for 5-10 people. We visit each filter we install 3 times in the first year, and have just started 5 year visits. We know that over 95% of our filters will still be in use after the first year. That means that this time next year over 95 homes will still be using their filter in every 100 that we serve. In people that means over 475-950 people will daily have clean water available to them in their homes. They don’t have to buy it. They don’t have to worry that the water treatment boutique they might buy from, if they have money, isn’t working at 100%. They don’t have to worry that they only have canal water that looks like a mud puddle will be their only source. They will have control over the water they drink indefinitely for $100. $10-20 per person for long term life change. Seems like a great investment to me.

~Leslie

Hurricane Matthew – Does It Make A Difference?

Oct 15, 2016

It’s been over a week since Hurricane Matthew blasted through Haiti. There are so many feelings and thoughts swirling around in my head and heart, and it’s been hard to sort it all out. I don’t think I have yet, and I don’t know when I will. Little nuggets keep popping to the surface, and I’m thankful that they’re small because that’s what I can digest right now. Like so many here, I’ve been seeing posts from friends and other organizations on the ground that are helping with relief work down south. It’s devastating. Heartbreaking. I wish we could be there and on the ground, but I know that’s not our role in this.

It all feels overwhelming at times.

Yesterday I was thinking about the clash of emotions and thoughts. The conversations in my head where I would remind myself that we do something really well, and we’ve had experience with this kind of thing and know how we can best be supporting relief efforts right now. And yet, I would daydream about what other things we could be doing. Then I would remind myself that I needed to get filter forms prepared for another delivery day and get stuff ready for the guys to take out. That tomorrow we would be building filters again and preparing stuff for the next batch of installations that are most likely happening on Monday. That there’s a Community Promoter taking orders and collecting the co-pay that we require from each household so they invest in their filter and care for it well. All of these pieces working together like a well oiled machine, because it is. We know how to do this well from many years of trial and error, from making mistakes, from working with the local community and our Haitian staff, and we keep tweaking. Always trying to do it better.

I think about the press notes released from the WHO (World Health Organization) this week. The documented cases of Cholera throughout the country are starting to climb. The numbers grow most rapidly in the south, but the Artibonite is in there too. It’s several departments away from the southern regions, but showing the third highest increases in the country. This is our area. This is where we’ve been working for years.

I feel overwhelmed again because Cholera brings with it a sense of immediacy. For those with weakened immune systems, it can kill in 24 hours. The Artibonite is the area that has been most affected by this stealer of life since 2010 when cases were first reported. I want to shift into high gear. To get out there faster. To push harder.

But then I remember that this is not who we are. It’s not what we do.

No. Harder and faster is not the way we work. We work steady. We work calculated. We work in a way that means we can provide the follow up and care in line with our initial output of filters. Our whole goal is to be a constant presence for the long term. We’re not running a sprint, we’re running the marathon. We know how to do this well, and the answer right now, no matter how much we might feel we could be doing, is to stick with what we know works. What others have affirmed works.

I find my thoughts shifting from what I wish we could do, to what we have done.

And then I feel the conversation turn a bit.

We have been working in the Artibonite for years. We have been working in the Artibonite for years.

We have installed thousands of filters there. We have installed THOUSANDS of filters there.

I think of the number of new Cholera cases again. And I remember when the outbreak started back in 2010. The cases climbed by the hundreds every week. It was out of control. It came so fast, and so hard, that people were blindsided. Running to try and catch up. Running to try and save lives. To educated people on how to protect themselves. To provide access to medicine, water treatment, help…

And I think about the numbers slowly going up. No case is a good case, but what if those thousands of bio-sand filters weren’t there this week? Would the numbers be going up by the hundreds again?

And I feel overwhelmed.

The full weight of what we’ve been working so hard for, of everything we do here at Clean Water for Haiti hits me like a wall.

It’s working.

People have filters. Not everyone, but thousands upon thousands do. They’re getting clean water. They know how to protect themselves from this killer. We have communities waiting for filters because they’ve seen their friends and family and neighbours with one and they know it works. People who have filters aren’t getting Cholera. Plain fact.

We’ve done this thing, pushed at it and worked so hard for so many years because we know it works. But in that, we don’t get to see every life affected. We don’t because those people don’t get sick. We can’t count numbers of people that are protected because of the work we do, because it’s not possible. You can only count the ones that aren’t, the ones that don’t make it. We often talk about the fact that we will never truly know how many lives we’ve helped save because of what we do, simply because those people are still walking around today, healthy. Those kids might be going to school and sassing their parents. Moms might get to see their babies grow up, and grandparents live into old age. Dads might be out working in the fields to provide for their families. We will never know how many.

My heart feels so overwhelmed right now, but it’s not from feeling helpless this time, it’s from gratitude.

Gratitude that we get to be part of this. Gratitude that all the hard work, the worry, the sweat, and even the tears over the years has been worth it. So very worth it.

It settles in. This deep knowing.

There are thousands of people at work in the south right now helping in relief. This is their role. They are saving lives after this disaster.

And we are here. This is our role. Continuing to do what we’ve been doing all along – preventing a different kind of disaster.

So does it make a difference? This work we do? The support you give? All the dollars sent and used here in Haiti over the years?

I know it does. Thousands upon thousands in homes all through the Artibonite know it does.

Thank you for supporting the work we’re doing, whether you’re sharing about us with people in your circle or sending your hard earned finances. You are helping us save lives here. That isn’t an exaggeration, that is a fact.

~Leslie

Hurricane Matthew – How To Help

Oct 5, 2016

Reports have started coming in from all around Haiti to the expat/missionary network that we’re a part of. The damage in the south is BAD. There are no other words for it. Last night as it got dark and I had to run out and turn off the generator, I waded through 2 inch deep water running down our driveway. The rain kept coming and I was sure that we were going to wake up to reports of flooding in Gonaives, a city about 45 minutes north of us that has flooded badly, twice, in the past 12 years. Thankfully all the canals held and the city is just fine.

image source

As we’ve waited to hear news of the areas that would need the most help, Chris and I have been able to talk a bit about how Clean Water for Haiti can best be involved in the coming weeks and months.

Here’s the bottom line – we’re a development organization. And as much as we want to jump in and help with relief efforts, we know from experience that that isn’t our strong suit. Where we shine as an organization is in the long term. When everyone else pulls out and is done with the immediate needs, we follow behind and help families move to that next level, to being independent and caring for their own needs.

We know that one of the major needs after a natural disaster of this nature is clean water. But, aside from the fact that roads and bridges are out, we just aren’t the people to provide that in the south of Haiti. Our filters need to be installed in established households and we need to be able to provide multiple follow up visits through the first year. We can’t get to where the greatest need is right now, and it’s not the right time even if we could.

So, how can Clean Water for Haiti be involved right now?

By continuing to do what we do well.

It’s a fact that after a natural disaster of this kind there are spikes in water borne disease. Sanitation facilities, if they exist, are destroyed. Flooding can spread things like Cholera from one water source to many others. People who have been displaced may be carriers, so they carry the disease from one location to another. This is going to be a reality in the coming weeks and months here in Haiti. Many have already started talking about the issue as reality.

This is where we come in.

By continuing to work with our network of Community Promoters in the places where we already have an established presence, we’re going to be able to further strengthen communities. Rather than responding to a Cholera spike, we’re already working to help prevent a further spread. Families who already have filters in times like these become first responders to their friends and neighbours, which is a beautiful thing. It’s Haitians being strong and helping themselves, which is what we’re all about.

Now, this is where YOU come in.

There will be a huge need for relief support for Haiti in the coming weeks, but if you would rather think long term with us and support lasting investment in Haiti we would love it if you would choose to support the work of Clean Water for Haiti. $100 will provide the funding needed to build, deliver, install and follow up on a filter for a Haitian family. We are also desperately in need of a new truck to help meet the demand for filters.

DONATE NOW

If you are interested in supporting some kind of specific relief work we would encourage you to be very intentional about which organization(s) you support. Much was learned after the earthquake here, and I’m sure we can all think of articles we’ve read or things we’ve seen or heard on the news about aid done poorly in Haiti. When you consider who to support, please give to smaller, grass roots organizations that have people here on the ground full time. These organizations are already established, they have relationships within the communities they serve, they have an understanding of the culture that will allow them to be more effective, often their overhead is lower, and they will know how to work more effectively with the communities they want to serve.

As you consider giving, I would also ask you to give much needed funding rather than collecting items for Haiti unless you have been given a specific needs list. Funding allows organizations on the ground to buy from local merchants, whether it’s a family selling shoes and clothing in the market, or local grocery stores and warehouses when buying food and materials to rebuild. Buying local does double duty – it meets a specific need, but also puts income back in the hands of the families that so desperately need it right now. When we want to help rebuild, we should want to do that in a way that truly loves people, even if it leaves us feeling a little less involved.

Lastly, while I know there is a huge desire to come and be “hands and feet” let’s remember that Haiti has over 10 million people on this tiny island. Let’s love people well by letting them have the opportunity to be employed by these local organizations as the cleaning and rebuilding happens. Let’s let men and women know the dignity of providing for their families and building into their communities. Let’s honor the skills that so many have and let them lead in the construction realm as this all unfolds. If you want to be “hands and feet” ask the organizations that are here on the ground how you can best do that, then do it, and do it with all your heart.

One of the beautiful things that has already come out of this disaster is that organizations and their staff all over Haiti are sharing one voice as we ask people to be deliberate, intentional, and thoughtful as they help. Let’s work together to come alongside the people of Haiti as we help them rebuild, and do it in a way that empowers them.

Thank you for your continued prayers in the past few days. Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti as they once again rise and show the world how strong they are.

~Leslie

Why We Need A New Truck

Aug 29, 2016

Everything that we do at Clean Water for Haiti requires a whole team of people working together to make it happen, whether it’s our staff in Haiti, board members across three countries, or volunteers scattered through North America to help with fundraising and promotion. That said, did you know that some of the hardest working members of our team aren’t actually people? Nope, they’re our big, beloved delivery trucks.

Most of the filters that we deliver go into very rural areas. When I say “rural” it has a very different meaning here in Haiti than it does in Canada or the US. In most cases rural areas in Canada and the US still have paved roads, or at least graded gravel roads, unless you’re really getting off the beaten track. Here in Haiti most of the places we go into are down dusty, gravel roads that have never seen a grader. They’re full of dips and holes that turn into mud pits during the rainy season. It’s essential that we have 4 wheel drive, but even with that there have been times where our trucks have been stuck up to the axels in mud, and our delivery crew have had to unload the entire load of filters, all the bags of sand and the rest of the stuff needed to install filters, dig the truck out, and then reload everything. Each filter, with no sand in it, weighs 165 lbs of solid concrete. Add 80 lbs of sand and about 10 pounds of gravel for each one and you can imaging how exhausting this whole process is.

Our trucks work hard. Did you know that every delivery day we do, with the exception of smaller local deliveries, sees 30 filters and all their installation goodies on the truck? That’s almost 5 tonnes of weight that they carry each time. When we’re working full steam ahead we typically see about 2 deliveries per week. When you think about that much weight moving over really bad roads you can imagine the wear and tear that our vehicles go through.

A couple of years ago our white delivery truck was feeling a bit off, so Chris did a thorough inspection and found that the frame, made of 6 inch steel beams, had cracked almost all the way through on both sides. There was only about an inch of steel left on each side that hadn’t cracked through. We were so thankful that we had found the damage when we did and that it didn’t result in a major accident. We were able to weld the frame back up and add in extra supports and put the truck back on the road. I would love to say that it was the first and last time that we’ve had to do extensive repairs like that to one of our work trucks, but I can’t because I would be lying.

Right now we have three vehicles in our fleet to do all the work we do in our filter program. Our old, old, old (did I mention old) blue Daihatsu truck is barely running most days, but when it is we try to send it out on local errands, or use it to do filter repairs and local deliveries. It’s in sad shape and basically needs to be sold for scrap, but we keep fixing it and using as much as we can.

Our red Daihatsu truck was purchased back in 2007 with a Rotary grant. It’s almost 10 years old, which seems crazy to me. It’s already had one transmission job, has gotten banged up, but we keep it running. It’s worked hard over the years, but really isn’t rated for the work that we need it to do now. Sadly, last week while it was out on deliveries because our white truck was having issues, the motor blew. It meant towing it into Port au Prince in the wee hours of the morning to get it to a mechanic who is now working on the motor rebuild. It doesn’t have 4 wheel drive, so when we send it on a delivery day we’re taking a big chance that the filters that need to get delivered won’t get where they need to go, depending on the recent weather and the conditions of the roads in the communities we’re working in that day. That can be incredibly frustrating and a big waste of resources if we can’t deliver all those filters and need to go back. Most of the time the communities we deliver to are about an hour and a half drive away.

Lastly, our white truck. We bought our Mitsubishi Canter back in 2010 and were so excited to finally have our first 4×4 delivery truck. This thing is a beast. It’s high and I always feel like a boss when I’m driving it. (I always get a lot of double takes when I drive it because people aren’t used to white girls driving big trucks here.) This is the truck we prioritize for delivery days because of the 4 wheel drive. But, it just spent several weeks with a mechanic because the 4 wheel drive has been going out. We weren’t able to fix it the way it needs to work with a dash switch, but figured out a work around. The problem? Our drivers now need to stop the truck, crawl under it, and engage/disengage the 4×4 with a screw driver. I don’t know about you, but crawling under a vehicle with 5 tons of weight on it is not my idea of fun.

In Creole there’s a word, degaje (deh-gah-jzay) that means make it work. We’re really good at making things work, but at some point all that making things work starts to become work in and of itself, and ends up costing more. In 2015 we spent over $10,000 just in vehicle repairs. Do you know how many filters we could have built and installed for that amount of money? 100. 100 households could have gotten clean water. That translates to about 800-1000 people. It makes me sick to think of that.

As an organization we try to be good stewards of the tools and resources we have. That means fixing things and using them for as long as we can. But, it also means taking a good look at things and determining when fixing things is costing us more than replacing whatever it is we’re fixing.

We are at a place where we’re waving the white flag of surrender, and ~~begging~~ ~~pleading~~ asking people to come alongside Clean Water for Haiti to help us steward what we have well, and make the most impact that we can so more people can get access to clean water. The hard truth is that people are daily battling and dying from the microbes in their water, and we can help. We can stop that. But we need to be able to get filters to people.

We don’t ever want to be in a position where we have to tell people that we can’t do a delivery in a particular week because we don’t have any working vehicles, but sadly we’re encountering that scenario more and more often. I don’t even want to think about the number of down days we’ve had in the past year because we literally didn’t have a truck that could go.

So, how do we solve this problem?

We buy a new truck.

We desperately need to purchase a new 4×4 delivery truck. We need a truck that is even beefier than the current model that we have. Chris is big on doing research and finding the very best option for anything that we need at the mission, whether it’s a computer or a concrete vibrator or a vehicle. He’s spent over a year looking at all our options. This past week he went to the Isuzu dealer in Port au Prince and got a quote on a new truck. It’s rated for 4.5 tons, so much better than our current 3 ton trucks. It has a bigger motor and a better reliability rating than what we have now. It would be such a huge step up for us.

And now we need $52,450.00 US.

That number seems staggering, but if I know anything from the past decade of working with Clean Water for Haiti it is this – nothing is impossible. Nothing.

I have seen God move mountains through people and situations that at the time seemed crazy. If you’ve been reading our blogs, both mission and personal, for the past few years you’ve seen some of those stories play out. When we share the things that we have seen happen as front row witnesses it is staggering. So, even though I think that number is crazy, I know it is not impossible.

And I believe that it will happen.

I believe that because I know that the work we’re doing is saving lives every. single. day. And I know that people believe in loving people. The last time we needed a new truck we had one single donor who stepped up and wrote a check for the total. Done. I know this is not impossible, no matter how daunting it feels right now.

So I am asking you, with my heart wide open, to be part of moving another mountain. Not because you want to help us buy a vehicle, but because you want to love people you will never meet. Because you want to help moms and dads know that the water they’re giving their children isn’t going to kill them before they’ve had a chance to live. I want you to help because you believe in helping a nation rise up and care for themselves, because you want to come alongside us and help us tell people that they’re worth it and they can do it, and help them to step forward in controlling their own health.

I think we can do this. I really do. I believe it. I’m asking you to click on that button below, right now, and make a donation. Maybe you can give $10 or $25. But maybe you can give more. That button is going to take you right to our DONATE page, and it’s going to give you the choice of where to give your gift. Each option will let you choose to give specifically to our New Delivery Truck campaign. Please specify that when you donate so we know your gift is earmarked for this need.

DONATE NOW

Thank you. From all of us at Clean Water for Haiti, thank you.

~Leslie

What’s In A Phage?

Aug 11, 2016

Our family was away on vacation for a while, but we’re back and everyone is back to work at the mission. I feel like August is the start of a new year for us because of our summer vacation, and I always come back feeling refreshed and ready to go again. Being away also gives me time to think about the different aspects of what we do at Clean Water for Haiti, and I find myself marvelling at all of them and feeling privileged to be part of something so important.

As an organization we find ourselves in a unique position that many other orgs don’t in that we have our roots in our faith and do what we do with purpose and that helps define us, but we work in the development/humanitarian sector and what we do is technical and has a lot of science behind it. Because of those things we essentially have a foot in both the missions community, and the development/humanitarian community. Having a foot in each world means that we get to meet all kinds of interesting people. People that genuinely want to help Haiti, and who come at it from all different approaches.

Over the years we’ve had the great privilege of supporting and helping research teams that want to look at Haiti’s water situation and see how they can fight different kinds of water-borne disease. Some of that research has centered around technologies, like the bio-sand water filters that we build and distribute, and how those technologies can be improved or implemented more effectively. Sometimes the research is about the program and education side of things where people look at the data and figure out what kinds of education and end user programs need to be developed to improve sanitation and hygiene education. And then there are the really technical research projects that look at things like the microbes that are causing sickness, different strains, and what can be done to eliminate them.

Today we got to meet Ben and Clare. Ben is actually Dr. Ben, and Dr. Ben works in the science world in the realm of bacterias and vaccine development. A few months ago Dr. Ben got in touch with us to see if we would help him with a research project. We had been recommended to him by past researchers who thought we could help him out. Clare is an ecologist and is helping Ben with his research.

Ben is looking at phages – strains of bacteria. Specifically he’s here to get samples from water sources filled with Cholera, which is, sadly, most of the water sources we find in Haiti.

The work that Ben is doing with this project is ridiculously important. His goal is to take water samples from Cholera filled sources, take them back to the US, isolate the Cholera bacteria, grow it in a petri dish, then start working on a vaccine bacteria that can kill it. Cholera is one of those bacteria that actually has two strains – one that can sit in your system and never cause you to have symptoms, and another that can make you so sick you can die. The goal is to eliminate the disease causing strain.

If I understood everything Ben was telling us correctly this morning, his ultimate goal is to develop a bacterial vaccine that could actually be released into water sources that could attack the disease causing strain, and in turn, eliminate it.

Let’s think about that for a second.

It’s huge.

You know what’s so impressive about this? Ben isn’t here on a research grant or any government funding. He’s funding his whole trip and the research out of pocket because he believes it’s that important.

When I say that we get to meet fascinating, passionate people doing what we do, this is what I’m talking about. People like Ben who want to make a difference so big it could change a nation, and even the world.

Eradicating disease is big work. As an organization we want to do what we can do to support big work like this. I love that we can use our people and their skills to do that. Today Ben gets to drive all over the Artibonite Valley of Haiti with Evens, one of our longest-standing filter technicians, who will direct him to communities and water sources where we know they’re battling Cholera. We know because we’ve gone into these same communities with bio-sand filters. We’ve had a chance to visit homes, to talk to people and hear their stories. Stories that tell of lives of friends and family lost because of contaminated water.

When you choose to support the work of Clean Water for Haiti I want you to know how far reaching that is. You may think that you’re just helping to pay for a water filter, but what you’re actually doing is helping us to train people. We train people to build, deliver, install and support our filters. They work directly with families to support and educate them about water-borne disease and good sanitation and hygiene practices in their home that will stop the spread of water-borne disease. That training and work that we provide our staff with, trickles over and helps them to become not just community health workers, but a valuable resource. Every time our staff go out on deliveries, follow-up visits, and to repair filters they’re building relationships within the communities we serve. In turn, those relationships can go a long way to help people like Ben who want to make a difference at a different level.

Would you consider making a donation to Clean Water for Haiti right now? You know what we would love even more than a one time gift? A smaller gift that you give each month. $10, $25, or $40 each month might not seem like a lot to you, but over time it will not only far exceed a one time donation and help us to do more of what we do so well. We love one time donations too! Whatever you can give right now will go a long way to helping families get clean water, whether it’s through a bio-sand filter, or whether it’s helping research like what Ben is doing.

To donate right now (or anytime!) visit our DONATE page (click the link) and make a donation through our secure giving options. You can even give a gift in honor or in memory of someone.

Every bit helps, whether it’s a donation, a filter that gets installed, a conversation our staff have with a family, or developing a phage.

~Leslie