Combat Haiti's Spreading Cholera Crisis

This Holiday Season...

Join us in celebrating 2012! Our newly designed Chlorine Bank Network has the potential to provide all of Haiti with clean water for years to come. Furthermore, over the past year we have provided clean water to nearly 200,000 more Haitians with our chlorinators. That means that overall, 900,000 Haitians are leading healthier lives because of our efforts and your support.

And we hope to reach even more...

In 2013, we hope to bring 150,000 more Haitians clean water. In order to do this, we need to raise $50,000.

We are very happy that Father Dessalines, a very compassionate Haitian leader, brought to our attention that there are still 150,000 Haitians living in the Artibonite River Valley without access to clean water. He told us that cholera hit the area very hard and that because of contaminated water, intestinal worms and skin rashes are very common. We must act quickly, but we need your help.

From all of us at International Action, thank you for your tremendous support. Happy Holidays!

“One of the best days I can remember is when I discovered that the water station in my neighborhood had safe drinking water.”
-Rochelle, a nursing student, from Carrefour

Thanks to you, Rochelle’s community got the clean water they needed, but she and the 900,000 Haitians we serve want to ensure that they will be able to keep using their chlorinators. 

A locally run chlorine distribution system will make the chlorinators permanent. We call this system the Chlorine Bank Network and we need $100,000 to create it.

Before we installed chlorinators in Rochelle’s neighborhood, there was no safe water to drink.  Waterborne diseases including cholera, typhoid and chronic diarrhea were widespread.

One of Rochelle’s sisters had to stop going to school for two months because she had chronic diarrhea caused by contaminated water. Rochelle and her sisters had to purchase water for drinking, depleting money their parents had saved for school. 

Once there was clean water, life got better. 

Rochelle’s sister recovered and has not missed any school in two years. Rochelle will be starting nursing school in 2013, paid for by the money her family saved on water. 

There are 900,000 Haitians that have a story like Rochelle’s. This has been made possible by the chlorinators that you paid for.

Haitians like Rochelle and the 900,000 we serve are looking to improve their living standard. They are ready to take ownership of their chlorinators and wellbeing.     

Haitians want the Chlorine Bank Network. In fact, it was their idea. They have the tools, they just need our help and your support.

If you give $5,000, we will find four other donors to fund a Chlorine Bank at $20,000. If you give $50 we will 400 other supporters. The facility will serve 10,000 Haitians for many years to come. 

Please, do something amazing today, give the precious gift of clean water to more children and adults like Rochelle.

All the best,

The International Action Team

P.S.

The Chlorine Bank Network works as follows: 

1) There is a central chlorine bank located in Port-au-Prince. The Central Chlorine Bank purchases chlorine tablets 
2) The central bank then distributes the chlorine tablets to branch banks throughout Haiti 
3) Community leaders purchase chlorine tablets from the closest chlorine bank

Once the Chlorine Bank Network has been established, International Action will turn over operations to bank staff and the communities that the banks serve. Each community that buys chlorine tablets from the Chlorine Bank Network will have a representative on the board. This Chlorine Bank Network Board provides communities a voice. 

The network will grow to be a citizen advocate group. Chorine Bank Network members will be able to communicate directly with government officials and distant local leaders, providing a platform for communities to rally together. 
The Chlorine Bank Network runs democratically. All members will have an equal say and vote on Chlorine Bank Network matters. Collectively, they will determine the selling price of chlorine for all of the chlorine banks.

Our Chlorine Bank Network is sustainable. Funds for community leaders to purchase chlorine will come from their local water stations. People are charged 1 to 10 US¢ by water stations for every bucket they fill. Some of this money is used by the community leaders to buy more water, and the rest is spent on chlorine.

Initially there will be five banks each costing $20,000 to build, supply, and staff. 

The Chlorine Bank Network is an important initiative. It will:

• Offer better representation for communities

• Create jobs

• Give communities complete ownership of their chlorinators and water safety