Clean Drinking Water
[Above: two women who are preparing a meal for our group use the gift of the water system.] Much of the sickness and poor health in Haiti, as in all of the Third World countries, could be vastly improved with clean drinking water. Dr. Kelly McGuire has stated that worms are indicative of contaminated water. Father Canavera reported after the last trip that each time they see more cases of worms and try to treat as many as possible. (Part of the worm problem also stems from hunger and the need to eat something, so the kids eat more earth and "clay cakes" that are made and sold.) Most of the nine million people of Haiti do not have access to clean water. The mountain community of Mahotiere now has over 500 households that have the Gift of Water bucket system to purify water. Our teams now drink this water too. Gift of Water works by pouring 5 gallons of water in a bucket with 1 capful of bleach. This sits atop another 5 gallon jug with 5 drops of bleach. Between the jugs is a cotton and charcoal filter. Thomazeau is fortunate to have two fresh water springs. The top part is used for drinking water. Further down, people wash themselves and next wash clothes. Finally, at the bottom, animals drink and cool off. In Grand Boulage, children carry gallon jugs a half mile downhill to the stream and return several times a day. Adults carry 5 gallon pails. Water weights seven pounds per gallon. Young children and older adults are most endangered by unsafe drinking water. Efforts are being made to purchase filter systems, train the people in their use and build a partnership at the local level for testing and maintaining the systems. Currently we are researching an economical system and working in Haiti to get local involvement in administering the system. In Grand Boulage . . . After much fundraising and planning, the first steps in bringing water up to Grand Boulage were accomplished in fall of 2006. Water is lifted 400 feet up the mountain to a holding tank. They system can lift 300 gallons of water per hour. Filling the holding tank is done at night, when there aren't a lot of people at the spring. Three local men operate the system. One is at the pump, one fills containers, and one collects money and records sales. Income is about $10.00 per day - $4.00 for gas and $6.00 for labor and to build a reserve. About 1/3 of the people can currently be served. In anticipation of the October 2007 mission, two additional pumps and more piping and supplies are being readied, so a broader area of the mountain can be served. One pump will be backup so the system doesn't have down time. Continued training will also help the people who work on the water delivery to maintain the equipment.
|
