Safe Water & On-going Relief in Haiti

DSI has always been committed to long-term impact and sustainability, and recently we have focused increasingly on investing in the human element of sustainability and promoting management by local staff.  For the first time, Field Supervisors from all around the country meet for a 3-day retreat in Jolivert (northwest Haiti) to share lessons learned and mentor each other as they develop strategy.  There were 14 attendees, and supervisors from each of four geographical sites presented how their project is structured to the rest of the group.  The Jolivert staff also gave a tour of their production facilities, as Jolivert was the first location that Gadyen Dlo was produced and has served as a reference point for other sites.  We also considered key performance indicators, discussed ideas for innovative approaches, and held a series of role play activities in which groups made presentations to each other.  The Supervisors said that they felt encouraged to meet each other and were energized to return to their programs and incorporate the concepts discussed.

DSI continues to expand in northern Haiti, particularly through our partnership with UNICEF and Cesvi.  We have trained 41 health agents about Gadyen Dlo who are part of the Ministry of Health network.  These agents have distributed bottles of Gadyen Dlo chlorine to over 11,000 families and are conducting household visits on an ongoing basis.  The focus in the months ahead is to distribute safe storage containers through a partnership with CDC, to transition from free distributions to sales of chlorine, and to increase visibility and promotion of Gadyen Dlo in the community.