Combat Haiti's Spreading Cholera Crisis

The idea for the Chlorine Distibution Centre (CDC) arose back in 2012, as a way of ensuring the sustainability of the water stations International Action (IA) has helped develop in Port-au-Prince. The concept is simple: instead of relying on donations of chlorine tablets from IA, community-representatives can use funds from the water stations to buy more chlorine and store it at a central CDC. The CDC will be managed by a committee formed of one representative from each water station, from each community. In this way, water stations can function independantly of IA and be in charge of their own future. 

Anyone working in Haiti will quickly realise not everything is that simple in practise. It has taken years of discussions, planning, collaborating and eventually, training of the community representatives in business management. But we have made it. Finally we are ready to put preparation into ACTION. 

This month, Zach Brehmer, IA's Executive Director, will meet with the community representatives to finally hand over. Together they will come to an agreement, which will be signed by each member, acknowledging their responsibility and committment to the CDC scheme. IA has already agreed to donate one years supply chlorine tablets to the CDC, while enough funds are generated to buy the next shipment of chlorine. IA will also provide technical support the CDC for two years, with advice, expertise and knowledge when required. All that remains is for the Haitian communities to work together to ensure the continuing availability of clean drinking water.

This is what the Haitian people want -- to take charge of their own future and not be reliant on aid.

From the beginning it has been the Haitian people driving our efforts at IA. First, communities approached us to ask for help chlorinating their water supply, and we installed our chlorinators, a simple device which can be repaired easily by local engineers. Next, they wanted to be in charge of the chlorination and run it as a business to generate funds to pay for maintenance and future repairs. IA provided training in chlorination and how to test the level in the water, as well as finance. They were so successful at this that they found they had excess funds to put back into the community, and this has served as a model for another of IA's projects, creating rural water stations in the Artibone region (see project: Ensure sustainability of clean water in Haiti). Now they want to use some of these funds to buy their own chlorine. By working together, they can pool funds, order chlorine tablets in bulk, and store it in a common area through a process which is autonomous and self-regualted. We are confident they will step up to the challenge.

Links:

• information on our Chlorine Distribution Center Project

Thank you from all of us at International Action in DC and in Haiti for your help and support over the years. Together, we are really making a difference in Haiti and I’m very proud to be a part of it.

We have done so much, helping 380,000 people with every day access to clean, safe water, but I have to ask for your help again. We need your help to begin a vital, new project: The revitalization of the water stations in Haiti’s poorest neighborhood, Cite Soleil. 

1)    A Brief Summary of the Situation in Cite Soleil -- Cite Soleil is one of the most misunderstood and neglected communities in Haiti. Most of the residents are families that are stuck in the cycle of poverty in large part because of where they live. Unfortunately, Cite Soleil is known for its gang violence, though this violence does not define the vast majority of the community. Because of this reputation there are many people and institutions that overlook Cite Soleil as they presume any improvements will be short-lived. The community believes in itself. They belief that they will succeed if given the chance to. It is our duty to give the people of Cite Soleil this chance.

2)    Our New Project in Cite Soleil -- We have worked in Cite Soleil for many years, having installed eight chlorinators on government built water stations. Time, lack of resources and spurts of vandalism has caused many of these water stations to fall into disrepair with no plans from the government to rebuild. But the people will not give up. After talking with the community leaders of Cite Soleil we have decided to take action and fix the eight water stations, while installing a new chlorinator on a ninth. We need $46,000 to install the new pipes, concrete and protective coverings to provide clean, safe water to 11,500 of the most disadvantaged and forgotten people in the Western Hemisphere.

After these improvements are made and the people of Cite Soleil have consistent, ever day access to clean, safe water, they will be able to connect with our sustainability focused Chlorine Distribution Center. The whole point of this system is sustainability; communities transport and deliver the chlorine they need with their own resources, making the operation of the chlorinators completely sustainable. Once Cite Soleil has access to this system the people will not have to hope that someone will come and help them. They will be able to ensure that they have clean, safe water on their own.

With your support we can really make a difference for the people of Cite Soleil, for people like Lindsay (photo 1).

Lindsay wants to be an artist, making beautifully colorful Haitian birds out of metal and paint. Too much of her time, however, is spent making sure her family has safe water to drink.  She spends 20 hours per week collecting water from a clinic over a mile away from her home – even though there is a community water station two minutes from her home. The water station by her home leaks, and rarely works. When it is working, women and children line up and wait for hours as the water slowly pours out of one working tap (photo 2). Lindsay, like many of her neighbors, spends half of a normal working week collecting water instead of pursuing her dreams or doing the things she loves. This needs to change.

With your help, we can help people like Lindsay realize that they have not been forgotten, that there are people who care for them, and that they can be in control of their own lives.  Let’s start with the water that they drink, clean and bathe with every day. Please do take the time to look through the three pictures attached and the comparison of a thriving water station in another Port-au-Prince community to the ones in Cite Soleil. Thank you, again, for your continued support!