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Water Projects Reveal Transformation

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Water projects a sign of community progress in Haiti

Nearly 40 communities across Haiti are participating in a unique water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) project funded by Samaritan’s Purse Canada.  At first glance, one can clearly see that the project helps address the desperate need for clean water and adequate sanitation that contributed to Haiti’s vulnerability when cholera appeared in late 2010. What may not be as obvious initially – even to the communities themselves – are the more subtle changes in the hearts and attitudes of the participants. And these are perhaps the most valuable outcomes of the project for the future of Haiti.

Community participation in planning, implementing, and even partially funding this project is essential to its long-term success. At the initial meeting in one community, the team began by saying “the solution is not Samaritan’s Purse, it is the people.”

Each of these communities has a wealth of resources, including existing knowledge and indigenous solutions to water and sanitation issues. When local leaders were asked to help brainstorm solutions for water problems they experience, ideas began to fly. Communities further demonstrated their desire to see the project succeed by actively participating in community meetings and by forming village water committees.

For the first time in many communities, a bank account is being set up – something that is nearly unheard for most Haitian families. The project requires each community to gather $200 in seed money for the water committee to use toward future maintenance and small projects. In a country with an estimated per capita income of just $100 per month, even an investment of a few dollars is significant. Yet communities have worked together to collect precious dollars from each household, further solidifying the community’s ownership of the project.

In the weeks and months ahead, a new well will be drilled in each of these communities to supply safe water for their daily needs. They will also help build latrines and shower houses that will provide dignity and security for community residents. Women will be able to use new laundry areas to access water without polluting the community’s drinking water. Without a doubt, positive changes will be visible in these communities.

In a remote mountain community near Petit Goave, one community member not only agreed to provide land for the community well, he also volunteered to close a latrine he had recently built on the site to protect the new well from contamination. This man’s level of self-sacrifice is uncommon in this society and was shocking to community members and project staff. His actions paved the way for the project to move forward and are also a clear indication of the changing attitudes this project is fostering.

The WASH project not only aims to help these communities to change their living situation, but also to see changes in their hearts. An intern who served alongside the team for three months said that “for the WASH team it is not enough to just provide clean water and hygiene education – they know the project will not be a success unless God is present and is transforming the hearts of the people.”

We are beginning to see this transformation and we rejoice in the impact this will have on Haiti’s future as more than 22,000 people benefit from the WASH project over the next year and a half. Not only will they have practical tools to stay healthy, but they will also have experienced the power of bringing together the diverse resources that they each possess for a common goal.

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Samaritan’s Purse responded immediately to the deadly January 12, 2010 earthquake. In the months since the tragedy, the largest response in the organization’s history has unfolded and more than 500,000 Haitians have been impacted by a variety of projects. Nearly 15,000 shelters have been built for displaced families, some 71,000 people have received medical care, and thousands of Haitians have been trained with income generating skills or have received seeds and tools to begin farming again. Additionally, 250,000 Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts have also been distributed through local church partners, reminding these precious children that God loves them.

We praise the Lord that nearly 15,000 men, women, and children have made decisions for Christ through the ministry of Samaritan’s Purse and our partnerships with local churches since the earthquake. Please join us in praying that these decisions will continue to lead to transformation in the lives of these individuals and in the nation of Haiti. 

Ways You Can Help
Pray Pray for the physical and spiritual needs of Haitians who are rebuilding their lives and for those who provide assistance in the Name of Jesus Christ.		Give Help Samaritan’s Purse continue to bring aid to victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Donate Here.