SmartLink by Weathermatic   |    Catalogs    |    Support

CATALOGS   |   SUPPORT SmartLink by Weathermatic

Papa Andre, Haiti

In the community of Papa Andre, an escalating water crisis threatened the livelihood of the residents. The community relied on a single well as their primary water source and was engulfed in numerous health challenges. This well, essential to daily life, had never been cleaned through shock chlorination. It had become a breeding ground for waterborne diseases, causing health issues such as skin illnesses, diarrhea, and typhoid fever. The deteriorating situation loomed over the community, making the already challenging lives of the people even more strenuous.

Women and children, who are traditionally responsible for collecting water, were primarily affected by the dysfunctional state of the well. The old hand pump had ceased functioning, leaving the community in despair. Women had to grapple with the overwhelming task of collecting water from distant and often unreliable sources, thus exposing themselves to further risks and vulnerabilities. Children often had to help their families gather water, which took valuable time from their education and personal development.

The severity of the water crisis in Papa Andre had community leaders searching for a solution. When they heard of our work in the region, they reached out for help. Our team responded by surveying the situation. The staff determined that rehabilitating their old well was the best solution, so they cleaned the well, treated it with shock chlorination, repaired the existing borehole, and installed a new hand pump. Papa Andre had found a solution to their water woes and now had access to a reliable, safe water source!

COMMUNITY DETAILS

Exact Coordinates: Latitude: 19.397607
Longitude: -71.769157
Previous Water:Hand Pump
Total Users:300
Main Water Collectors:Women and children

CONSTRUCTION DETAILS

Pump Type:Hand pump
Depth of Well:26 m
Coliform Bacteria:Absent
Saintilbert Dieudonné, a resident, shared his community’s story of transformation:
“The situation was very bad. This water source is the life of the community. The community was sick. The well had never been cleaned, so it caused skin illness, diarrhea, and typhoid. Now, life has returned to the community. The rehabilitation of this water source is deliverance for community members.”
Saintilbert [left] shares how the water crisis impacted the community with a staff member.
Since its construction, this water source was never cleaned, making the water unsafe for drinking and hygienic use. Residents were forced to stop using it and search for water elsewhere.
Residents gather at a sanitation and hygiene activity to learn how to prevent disease spread. The community members are now equipped with the knowledge to safeguard their health.
Our staff begins the process of rehabilitating the existing water source. Watching construction happen restored hope for community members since they would soon have a new, safe water source.
A resident is overjoyed to collect safe water from the new hand pump. With the new safe water source, community members can reduce the number of illnesses due to waterborne diseases.
These residents will serve on the water committee, which was created to oversee the well. The committee will collect small fees to ensure long-term access to safe and easily accessible water.
Go to Top