Haiti Water Relief

WaterBrick Attends MPHISE summit in Haiti

December 1, 2011  (Grand’Anse, Haiti) – Wendell Adams, founder of WaterBrick International joined Dr. Michael McDonald, the Coordinator for Haiti MPHISE and the President & Executive Director of Global Health Initiatives, Inc., and numerous other teams members focusing on presenting a sustainable solution to their water filtration, water storage and overall initiative to stop the spread of the Cholera epidemic.  Numerous solutions were successfully demonstrated and well received by various local officials.  See picture of one demonstration.

The feedback from these demonstrations was reported back to the U.S. Congressional sub-committee for Haiti by Dr. McDonald on December 7, 2011 and was well received.

MPHISE and WaterBrick: Haiti Cholera Epidemic Update

January 17, 2012 (Grand’Anse, Haiti) - The cholera epidemic in the Pestel commune in Grand’Anse has produced a significant and growing number of severe Cholera cases resulting in death.  This specific cholera outbreak is concentrated in the mountain region above the town of Pestel and has gained recognition of several aid organizations.  MPHISE is currently organizing a Phase II Cholera Epidemic Management Initiative working to turn around a moribund “hospital” in Pestel.

According to Dr. Michael McDonald, “the number of people being infected has also dropped significantly along with the mild cases of diarrhea (and potential mild cholera cases), due to household water purification and safe water storage due to WaterBrick water containers.  WaterBrick water containers have a critical role to play in this element of the Phase II interventions.”

Dr. McDonald continues by saying, “Unless the Phase II Cholera Epidemic Management Initiative can be engaged sustainably country-wide, Haiti will continue to fail to manage its deadly epidemic.  Easily a million more Haitians could be infected and thousands of lives lost in the fourth, fifth, and sixth waves of the epidemic, if the same epidemic management and governance approaches that were used in the first three waves of the epidemic continue.”

Dow Chemical and WaterBrick: Helping MPHISE with Cholera Treatment Test Pilots

February 3, 2012 (Grand’Anse, Haiti) – The MPHISE Phase II Cholera Epidemic Management Initiative has recently started four new Cholera Treatment Centers in the mountainous villages above Pestel.  WaterBrick International is partnering with Dow Chemical to produce WaterBrick containers for these four villages that will be used as a model for a larger scale initiative for the entire country.   Dow will be funding resin for the test pilot to produce these WaterBrick containers and continue with our shared humanitarian efforts.

According to Joe Loeffler, the Vice President with Dow Chemical, “…we are confident that very good WaterBricks can be made from this resin to service the needs of getting clean water to areas of need.”

WaterBrick International will continue to work with Dow Chemical to support the MPHISE Phase II Initiative and stop the spread of Cholera in Haiti.

Links:

• WaterBrick Website
• MPHISE Website

Since the Haiti earthquake, WaterBrick was focused on helping with the immediate needs.  We are excited about helping in a more sustainable way now.  We are partnering with MPhise (http://haiti.mphise.net/) and We Advance (http://weadvance.org/) along with our partnership with Dow Chemical (see Dow Partner Report link attached) to assist in a larger initiative of water sustainability as MPhise states "the mission of the Water Working Group is to provide potable water to Haiti in a manner that will reduce, and eventually largely eradicate water-borne disease in Haiti".

But fighting disease is more than just fighting it at the water source.  Helping to provide basic housing to the nearly 1 million displaced Haitians also helps with disease and other social injustices.  As Mphise said on their site, "We heard testimonies of the many diseases contracted by people living under tarps, of the pain of women suffering from all kinds of violence, and of children who cannot attend school or plan for their futures in these conditions. We see how the planned camps (like Corail) have become hell and do not offer conditions within which life can flourish."  To read more on their report, click on the MPhise Report link attached.

WaterBrick is working on the final development to provide a 10 foot by 12 foot house in a box that meets the needs of the Haitian people.  We will provide more once this is finalized.

In the meantime, I am leaving for Haiti Friday November 25th for 5 days to participate in a Water Initiative project with MPhise and in a demonstration for the United Nations.  We will provide a better update on this as we have more to report.

If you'd like to help in more ways that just in donations, help comes in many forms.  E-mail us your thoughts at info@waterbrick.org.

Links:

• MPhise Report
• Dow Partner Report

It is absolutely crucial to work with humanitarian agencies on the ground in Haiti that can assist with distribution.  Convoy of Hope is yet another humanitarian partner to help us in Haiti.  We will provide more pictures as we receive them back from the field.

There is also still a huge need for bleach as they continue to fight cholera and it will be an ongoing battle for years to come.  The need for clean drinking containers continues as well as they have to retrieve and store water as the standard tap we are accustomed to is not an option.

We thank you for your continued support.  Any help you can still provide, including telling friends about our work, would be greatly appreciated.

Links:

• Our FaceBook Fan Page
• Our Website
• Convoy of Hope Website