Villages des Oliviers Community, Haiti

The water crisis was a daily reality for the Villages des Oliviers community. The residents had a borehole, but the parts had worn out over time, leaving the residents unable to access the water in the well. The residents were constantly searching for alternative water sources. They tried to rely on tap stands provided by the municipal government, but the water supply was intermittent and didn’t provide enough water for the 350 community members.

To make matters worse, many of the alternative water sources the residents had to use were unsafe. Water-related illnesses such as diarrhea, dysentery, and other waterborne diseases were common. Time spent recovering from these illnesses meant time away from work and school, making it difficult for the community members to move beyond reaction-based patterns of living. Ronsonel Phanord, a 65-year-old farmer in Villages des Oliviers, saw how the lack of safe water made it difficult for residents to escape from their poverty or even entertain the hope of a better future.

Ronsonel said, “The community suffered a lot after the pump broke two years ago.”

The community members remembered when water access was simple and safe. They wished they could fix their well but lacked the resources to do so. Therefore, they began to look for outside sources of help in ending their water crisis.

When the residents heard of our team’s work in the region, they requested a safe water project for their own community. The staff visited Villages des Oliviers to assess the situation. Once there, the team determined that the community’s current well could be rehabilitated.

Our team helped the Villages des Oliviers community establish sustainability practices to help ensure a future of safe water access, guiding them in the selection of a water committee to oversee the care and maintenance of the well. Our team will stay in contact with the community to support sustainability efforts and monitor the well’s functionality.

In order to help the Villages des Oliviers community members understand how to use the safe water you gave them as a means of improving their health, the staff held a hygiene and sanitation promotion activity. These interactive sessions included lessons on proper handwashing technique, how to care for the new hand pump, and safe transport and storage of water.

Ronsonel and his neighbors are thankful to have a working borehole in their community again. He exclaimed, “[The team] has changed everything. The community expresses its gratitude for the great service of this repair!”

Ronsonel and his neighbors know that safe water changes everything. They can now envision a future that isn’t marred by thirst or need. They take pride in their ability to implement community-driven solutions to prevent their well from falling into disrepair.

COMMUNITY DETAILS
Exact Coordinates:	Latitude: 19.5436316 | Longitude: -71.725936
Previous Water:	Tap stand
Source/Location:	Rural Community
Total Users:	350
Main Water Collectors:	Women and children
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
Pump Type:	Hand pump
Depth of Well:	19 m
Coliform Bacteria:	Absent