We have come a long way since last year! Our staff and health agents traveled long distances, up and down mountains to reach people in even the most remote communities. As a result of their efforts, we sold 50,069 bottles of chlorine in 2014 – enough to treat 25 million liters of water and save an estimated 185 lives.
We expanded into communes that neighbor our central office, including areas of Gressier and Grand Goave. In 2014, 386 individuals earned income by selling locally produced Gadyen Dlo brand (“Water Guardian”) chlorine in their local communities and teaching their neighbors about important health practices. We encouraged our top agents with prizes, and many of them received signs to attract new families to use chlorine.
We look forward to continuing to recruit new health agents, and we have plans to make more buckets available to families who need them. We look forward to an even more productive 2015!
Where there is water....there is life!
Deep Springs International spent the first few months of 2014 developing a new strategic direction in Leogane. We were thrilled to see that in March, the first month of fully implementing this new approach, that we had the best month in a year and a half. The new strategy includes new promotion methods, new agents, and a new credit system.
New Promotion Method: The biggest change in methodology was the suspension of household visits. Traditionally, this has been our primary method of reaching families in need of health education, water-purification products, and encouragement to consistently and properly treat their drinking water. However, in Leogane, for various reasons, this method was decreasing in effectiveness.
The new method involves community meetings instead of household visits. This approach is more cost-effective, but it seems to also be more effective in terms of education and behavior modification – as families who attend receive a lot of “positive peer pressure” from their friends and neighbors who share openly why they sacrifice their pennies (gourdes) to treat their water, and the health benefits they have seen.
Transitioning away from household visits has also led to our sales agents now working strictly on a commission basis. Agents always received a margin for sales of chlorine, but those who conducted household visits used to receive additional compensation. The new approach based solely on commission places even greater incentives on chlorine sales, which is our key indicator for both health impact and financial sustainability.
New Agents: Much of our efforts in January and February focused on recruiting and training new sales agents. We have recruited and trained over 40 new sales agents in 2014. In addition to an almost all-new sales team, the new method encourages sales via a variety of retail outlets such as pharmacies, boutiques, and schools. We even have sales points in previously unreached areas in the neighboring commune of Grand Goave.
New Credit System. We also launched a system of providing chlorine to new sales agents on credit. 28 new agents have paid for their initial stock and purchased more. The current sales numbers only include chlorine that has been paid for, which doesn’t account for an additional 1,000 bottles of chlorine that have been provided on credit. We expect to receive payment for most of those bottles this month, which would make May another high-sales month similar to March, which was our highest-selling month in at least a year and a half.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a toolkit on monitoring and evaluation for household water treatment efforts. 
The worldwide water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns. (UNDP)
Ashley Aakesson Ashley Aakesson is a nutrition, food security, and development leader with 15 years of experience working with vulnerable groups in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean to improve their health and well-being. Ashley joined the SPRING Project in 2013 as a Social and Behavior Change Communication Advisor. She has worked with PATH and Save the Children. From 2006 to 2010 she served as Executive Director of the Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti, which partnered with DeepSprings before and after the earthquake of 2010. Ashley holds an MA in Applied Anthropology from the University of Maryland and a BA in Anthropology from Miami University in Ohio.
Our sustainable approach of selling the locally produced Gadyen Dlo brand chlorine is working! So far this year sales have topped $90,500 and have really helped push us towards our goal.Links:
Many people who know about Haiti or who have worked in Haiti are aware of chronic problems with the Haitian government - inefficiency, corruption, violent elections and coups, etc. However, we are happy to report that we have enjoyed a very positive and productive relationship with DINEPA, the Haitian Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Partly due to the fact that it is a relatively new and small department, DINEPA is very focused on its mission and has been able avoid corruption.
the use of the system.
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Annual Campaign Launched
Lead Gift of $239,000 pledged!
Soon after launching our 2013 Campaign in late May, we got the very exciting news that an international organization has committed to a $239,000 project. This was more than double the $100,000 that we had planned for the top campaign donation - and really propels us quickly towards our goal of $650,000!
If you or your company or organization have not yet had time to respond, please contact us at your earliest convenience.
To discuss campaign options (including PR options for organizations), please contact Development Director Steve Bostian at 828.773.7242. Make an online donation with option of monthly or quarterly gifts or contact us at partnership@deepspringsinternational.org to get a copy of the pledge form and pledge reminder emailed to you.
Water Economy Network selects Deep Springs as official Global Partner
The Water Economy Network – WEN - is a new Western PA regional organization that helps water sector stakeholders access water-sector business opportunities, encourages start-up company formation through innovative technology development and deployment, and attracts both national and international water related industry to the region.
As WEN developed, they realized that their impact can be more than just regional. As they bring water industries to Western PA, they will have a national influence. But extending even further, WEN can use its expertise and resources to have a global impact. Recently they selected Deep Springs International because it is an organization birthed out of Grove City College which has strong connections with Pittsburgh and the region.
By having an official Global Partner, WEN can help Network Members also develop Corporate Social Responsibility programs that include global impact. We are excited about this new opportunity and look forward to working with the companies of the Water Economy Network!
Did You Know....?
HAITI FACT
More than 10% of Haitian children die before the age of 5.
WATER FACT
Half of the world's hospital beds are occupied with people with an easily preventable waterborne disease; such as typhoid, cholera and dysentery.
(foodandwaterwatch.org)
National Leadership Conference a Success
From May 9 to 10, the leaders of Deep Springs convened in Leogane for two days of training, planning and strategizing. Leaders came from all corners of Haiti: Jolivert, Leogane, Milot, Plaine du Nord and Fonds Verrettes.
Some of the activities and topics included: a review of last year's achievements, new innnovations, monitoring methods, sales management techniques, review of recent research, and options for new products.
Goal-setting was done at the national, regional, and personal levels, using a new methodology. The staff was excited to learn that one of their own (Madame Eveline) will be receiving the coveted Gangarosa Sustainability Award.
The team in Haiti is very committed to improving health nationwide through production and distribution of the local Gadyen Dlo brand chlorine and our Buckets of Life . It was very exciting to hear them express their desire to see every family in their country helped through proper water treatment!
The Buckets are Here!
We are so excited to be launching our new program, Buckets of Life! At just $34, this is a simple and affordable way for individuals, families, and even groups like classes, scout troops, etc. to help struggling families with water purification systems they need to improve their health.
So start saving those pennies... because it only cost 3 cents a day to provide safe water for a family!!!
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