Hands Helping Haiti Water Project

Recent Work

October 2010 Update

 

Despite the earthquake in January, we’ve been able to get begin production of biosand water filters in the Jacmel area.  Nearly 100 filters have been constructed so far this year and approximately half have been installed.

 

During October, Pat visited and reviewed production and installation activities, verifying that the team is providing a top notch filter that is providing good clean water filtration wherever it is installed.  During the year and the October trip, several key partnerships have been formed, including the Jacmel-Haiti Rotary Club, the Chillicothe-Illinois Rotary Club, Green Cross Canada and Water Without Borders.

 

Our biggest challenge right now is transporting the filters.  By the end of the year we would like to have a four wheel drive pick-up on the ground delivering ten filters per day.  We are looking into purchasing a truck in Haiti or getting one donated here and shipping to Haiti.  The amount of money we need for this is $5,000 to $15,000 depending on which way we do it.

 

We are temporarily building and staging filters from the Hands Helping Haiti School Grounds.  We are able to function this way, but as soon as possible we need to get our production facility built.  This will improve our efficiency greatly and give the kids their playground back.

 

The expected cost for the production facility is $15,000 to $20,000, including a compound fence, secure building, concrete working slab with shade, and a cistern for the water we need for mixing concrete and washing sand for the filter media.

Thank you to all who been able to provide support for our efforts to date.  We reached very important milestones by being to produce filters on an on-going basis, established partners and are able to raise our current financial operational requirements of $1,000 per month.  Our own challenges of needing a truck and production facility seem quite small when compared to the challenge people are facing everyday with poor water quality and the resulting disease.

 

The international media has picked up on some of the need recently by covering the cholera epidemic.  Within the country it is has heightened awareness even more on the clean water, sanitation and hygiene.  People are afraid for their families and we are not able to meet the current needs.

 

We are very proud of our staff.  They are doing an outstanding job dealing with our current limitations.  The improvements we described will help them double production within months and double again within 6 months.

 

 

Delivering filters with a rental truck

 

Left to right: Oberne, Elie, Hermone, Pat and Maximone

 

Our temporary production facility

 

Jacmel, Haiti

 

February 2011 Update

 

Our Biosand Water Filter Team is continuing to make improvements to the program and has increased our rate of production and installation to more than 25 filters per month.  A U.S. group visited in February to work with the Water Project and hold a Medical Clinic.  Pat worked with the Water Project Team to make improvements to the construction, distribution and installation of the biosand filters.  The medical team saw more than 800 patients.  Our Water Team in Haiti, Oberne, Maximon, Hermon and Ronald, are working full-time providing the much needed filters.

 

During the visit we tried out the new concrete vibrator, which provides a much better product, we improved the outreach and distribution system by adding health promoters in the community, solidified our relationship with the Jacmel Rotary, started important steps in becoming a Haiti organization and conducted quality assurance inspections for filter construction, installation and follow-up.

 

We have developed a temporary solution to our transportation problems by developing relationships with several “tap tap’s” who are willing to deliver filters for $5 each.  We are still looking for someone to donate an older 4-wheel drive Toyota pickup to use for small deliveries and materials other than sand and gravel.

 

We are still producing filters at the school site (notice our sand and gravel piles in the school yard), because we want to put our currently limited resources into installing filters in people’s homes.  Even though our current site is temporary, we’ve been able to provide over 1000 people access to continuous safe drinking water.  We are looking at relocating our production to Jacmel as soon a possible, which will help us have a much more efficient logistics and be able to increase production.

 

Some of our current needs are:

 

Donate the cost of one filter = $40.

Donate one month of operating cost = $1,500

Pickup Truck

New Facility Improvements = $25,000.

 

Please consider helping in whatever manner that you can and know that 100% of every contribution to our Water Project will be spent in providing clean water to families and alleviate many illnesses.  All contributions are tax deductible.

 

Thank you!  Pat Sloan and Elie Guerrier.