Wahooo! Today is water day after over 2 weeks and one church seminar without water to bath or drink. The generator has needed expensive repair three times in the last several weeks and some of the 
committee are calling the technician "slick". They believe he gets it running but
leaves things that will break soon so he can charge more.
There has been no water at Sousafilip, Port a Bonheur or Non Sema for over
4 weeks and people just go on about their business and don't drink, bath in a
cup or glass of water and shake clothing hard to get the dust out before
wearing for the third, forth or 6th day.
Joe swatted a fly on his leg today and a cloud of dust made us both sneeze!
Water has been an issue in Haiti forever! I can't count the number of NGO's who drill wells and either go through the crust or leave to return to broken or damaged equipment or stolen or poorly maintained generators.
When it rains, which is much less often on the island of la gonave than the mainland, it pours!! Cisterns overfill, especially during the hurricanes that come every year, then either leak or just explode! Last 4 storms were helped by a small earthquake (I am told) so every private cistern now leaks and everyone is asking for "just need 4 bags of cement, that's all" to repair cracks. When it is dry, as now, the wind blows hard. From the north it is the Norde that makes everyone sick and sucks the moisture from everything, including skin. At least NO MOQUITOES! Plenty of other bugs as replacements, including scorpions that seek shelter in rotting wood out of the wind..like our latrine!
Soon we begin work on the well at Dent Grien that has not worked since the second well was drilled in 2002. The windmill will be replaced by solar panels that will pump the well during the day and a small wind generator to pump, more slowly at night. It will provide water for at least four communities. AND it will have a committee with a plan! A plan to sell water and provide regular care and maintanence on all equipment. The agreement is, if the plan is not followed, after a couple of warnings the solar equipment will be removed. Harsh? We really want people to have water, year after year after year.
After Dent Griern we will move west to the forgotten high place, where burros die carrying many gallons of water up the mountains on very hot days. Haiti Outreach will drill a well as far west as we can find water and if 200 ft a hand pump will suffice. If it is necessary to go deeper we will again consider solar or wind, or perhaps a generator. Same plan, same requirement, same reason.
A grant from GBGM is providing most of the funding for the two wells with significant matching funds from Kansas East Conference. IF .. big word, there are by chance any remaining funds we would address the repair of broken cisterns that sit dry in every community. AND if there is even more funds "left over" the critical water issue of sanitation will be addressed.
Most communities have no latrines...toilets!! None! Zip! Cistern water is not only contaminated by goat poop but human waste is found near every wall or fence or bush. Latrines are hard to dig in rock! In communities where markets are held every week, a thousand people or more leave behind a lot of trash and some contaminate for the water supply.
Hooray! Today we are selling water in Sousafilip and at the well to Dent Griern! Soon, we pray, it will be everyday, some way, someplace.
Shirley, Sousafilip
committee are calling the technician "slick". They believe he gets it running but
leaves things that will break soon so he can charge more.
There has been no water at Sousafilip, Port a Bonheur or Non Sema for over
4 weeks and people just go on about their business and don't drink, bath in a
cup or glass of water and shake clothing hard to get the dust out before
wearing for the third, forth or 6th day.
Joe swatted a fly on his leg today and a cloud of dust made us both sneeze!
Water has been an issue in Haiti forever! I can't count the number of NGO's who drill wells and either go through the crust or leave to return to broken or damaged equipment or stolen or poorly maintained generators.
When it rains, which is much less often on the island of la gonave than the mainland, it pours!! Cisterns overfill, especially during the hurricanes that come every year, then either leak or just explode! Last 4 storms were helped by a small earthquake (I am told) so every private cistern now leaks and everyone is asking for "just need 4 bags of cement, that's all" to repair cracks. When it is dry, as now, the wind blows hard. From the north it is the Norde that makes everyone sick and sucks the moisture from everything, including skin. At least NO MOQUITOES! Plenty of other bugs as replacements, including scorpions that seek shelter in rotting wood out of the wind..like our latrine!
Soon we begin work on the well at Dent Grien that has not worked since the second well was drilled in 2002. The windmill will be replaced by solar panels that will pump the well during the day and a small wind generator to pump, more slowly at night. It will provide water for at least four communities. AND it will have a committee with a plan! A plan to sell water and provide regular care and maintanence on all equipment. The agreement is, if the plan is not followed, after a couple of warnings the solar equipment will be removed. Harsh? We really want people to have water, year after year after year.
After Dent Griern we will move west to the forgotten high place, where burros die carrying many gallons of water up the mountains on very hot days. Haiti Outreach will drill a well as far west as we can find water and if 200 ft a hand pump will suffice. If it is necessary to go deeper we will again consider solar or wind, or perhaps a generator. Same plan, same requirement, same reason.
A grant from GBGM is providing most of the funding for the two wells with significant matching funds from Kansas East Conference. IF .. big word, there are by chance any remaining funds we would address the repair of broken cisterns that sit dry in every community. AND if there is even more funds "left over" the critical water issue of sanitation will be addressed.
Most communities have no latrines...toilets!! None! Zip! Cistern water is not only contaminated by goat poop but human waste is found near every wall or fence or bush. Latrines are hard to dig in rock! In communities where markets are held every week, a thousand people or more leave behind a lot of trash and some contaminate for the water supply.
Hooray! Today we are selling water in Sousafilip and at the well to Dent Griern! Soon, we pray, it will be everyday, some way, someplace.
Shirley, Sousafilip
this is what the NGO's do in the poor island, they are pretending helping but solving the problem they won't exist.those people need a plan solve those kind of problem.can someone stop that non sens on the island.they make their fortune,they steal in the name of those people.
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