With 2012 ahead, there are already wells in the process of being drilled. There are still many people across Haiti without clean drinking water. With your help, you can provide clean drinking water to these communities in Haiti.

The island of La Gonâve is the largest Island of Haiti. It is located in the West department, 59 km of Port-Au-Prince, the principal city of the Republic of Haiti. Its lack of roads, dry area, mountainous terrain, and required boat ride from the mainland make this island one of the most difficult areas of Haiti to drill for water.

One of the first wells completed in Lagonave was Palma (August 2010). In 2011, HWP completed five successful wells providing good water to these communities: Abricot, La Palmiste, Mon-Repos, Nan-Cafe , and Terre-Seche. Because they are now able to walk just a few minutes away to get water from the well at the church, Haiti Water Project, Pastors, Christians, Students, Merchants and people in these communities couldn’t be more excited!

A few Pastors and people have expressed their joy in saying:

Water is life.  The water well brings life to people in these communities.

In the past, because of difficulties to get water within walking distance, pupils and Christians arrive late at school and church. Now they arrive on time at school and church because they are able to walk just a few minutes to get water.

The well prevents people in the community quarreling for water.

Cholera can happen through drinking contaminated water. Now people have the possibility to get good drinking water from the well.

Finally, Pastors have said, “Christian people, pupils and people in the communities cannot find words to thank God, donors and well drillers for these precious wells. They are the greatest gift to us because in the past, we have had a lot of difficulties to get water. Now, we find good water within walking distance. Only Jesus can reward them for these wells.”

Water is vital: the human body contains 50% to 60% water and a child’s body contains 75%. A person can live several weeks without food, but he cannot live without water for more than a few days.

However, 880 million people in the world lack access to drinking water.

Consequently, every year more than 1.6 million people, mostly children, die from diseases related to contaminated water.

In the midst of these disasters, Haiti is no exception.

As pointed out by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), some 47% of the estimated 9,000,000 people in Haiti have no access to drinking water.

The cholera epidemic has killed nearly 5,000 people across the country since mid-October 2010, according to the latest report from the Ministry of Public Health and Population. Since the arrival of the rainy season, the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince and several towns across the country are facing serious leaps of cholera.

Everyone knows that “water is life”, but water can also cause death if it is contaminated. The recent outbreak of cholera has painfully reminded us of that.

This critical situation makes us aware that the majority of the Haitian people lack access to clean water.

With 27 wells completed, 25 cisterns built and about 359 biosand filters installed in 9 out of 10 departments in Haiti, HWP is empowering the Haitian people to meet the needs around them.

In the next few months, HWP will drill more wells and build more cisterns in Lagonave, Port-au-Prince, South, Southeast, North and Artibonite.

HWP is not only providing clear water from cisterns and wells, but also safe drinking water from filters. To keep responding to the cholera outbreak, HWP aims to reinforce the water filter program in the communities throughout Haiti.

Each time we distribute filters, build a cistern or drill a well, we know that it has been a partnership between our donors, the HWP, the people of Haiti and God. Today we thank you for your part in this great work and we ask you to join us in praying that God will help the Haitian people to have easy access to clean water.

For each well drilled, cistern built or filter installed HWP saves the lives of more than a thousand Haitians!

–Piard Alcegaire

The community of Virgile is located in Aquin , a commune in the South department of Haiti.

We had a lot of difficulties to make a road that allowed the rig to reach the property of the local church, but we are excited to let you know there is a well giving fresh water and life to more than 600 families in Virgile.

The Pastor said, “the well is an advantage because, as you know, water is life; so the well is providing water to the community, this is life for people”.

Our work is only possible through your generous support. Thank YOU for your part in making a difference in the lives of people in Virgile.

Check out Flickr for more photos from Virgile

Dano is a small community in Grand-Goave, a commune in the Ouest Department of southwestern Haiti.

Before Haiti Water Project was able to drill the well on the property of the local church, residents had difficult time finding water. They would walk approximately an hour round trip to get water from a stream.  Now people are able to walk just a few minutes to get water from the well at the Dano church.

An estimated 1,000 families from this community and 300 students at the Nazarene church’s school are using this well.

The Pastor said, “Committee members, Christian people, pupils and people in the community cannot find words to thank donors for this precious well; this is a benefit for this community. In addition, we thank God who provided them money to donate to the Haiti Water project, which could then drill the well. May God bless them abundantly!”

Check out Flickr for more photos from Dano.

St-Michel is a community in Miragoâne, a coastal town in western Haïti, in Nippes Department.

Eight years before Haiti Water Project (HWP) installed the hand-pump, people in St-Michel had a lot of difficulties getting water from the hand dug well. Now more than 600 families and 950 students at the Nazarene church’s school are very happy to get water from the well. The hand-pump makes it easy.

The Pastor of the church, students and people in this community expressed their joy, “We thank God and donors for the well. It is a response to the cholera outbreak in this community. We just get water from the well and then purify it with aquatab. People now have access to drinking water.”

Check out Flickr for more photos from St-Michel.

Today we mourn the loss of 300,000 precious lives.

Lord, we ask that you will remain a constant source of comfort and hope to those who lost family and friends. Help us work through the grief and trauma and come to a place of healing. May these lives not be lost in vain, but may they motivate us to work together in love.

Today we honor the passionate work of so many following the earthquake.

Compassion filled the streets of Haiti in the days after the earthquake as everyone who was able worked tirelessly to remove victims from the rubble, share what food could be found and protect each other from the elements. Please remind us all of our shared humanity and bless the continued work of all involved in the reconstruction of Haiti.

Today we praise God for his provision in difficult times.

We do not understand why such tragedy has fallen on our struggling country, but we have seen your love in the midst of suffering. Thank you for sustaining us. Thank you for allowing Haiti Water Project to provide clean water to families. Please continue to strengthen us and provide what is needed to reach more people with clean water. Please continue to redeem Haiti with your love and beauty.

Amen.

Please take a moment to reflect with us, share our prayer with others and post your prayer below.

The PROUD LOOK of a compassionate pastor donating his land to the church
The small community of Boutin sits in desert-like flatlands and water is scarce. The closest source of water pours from an open gray pipe along the road nearly an hour’s walk away. The Nazarene church and school tried digging a well by hand, but found saltwater. The pastor was able to find good water on his land nearby, but does not have the resources to drill a well. In an effort to ensure wells will be maintained and stay open to the entire community, HWP only drills on Nazarene-owned land. Pastor Oriental’s response? “Water is life. Where there is no water, there is no life. I will gladly give land to the church so that our people can have water.”

The GRATEFUL HUG to a mother pouring safe water to her daughter
Hatte Grand-Mont sits in the cholera stricken Artibonite Valley. Residents were facing the epidemic alone. Families retrieved their drinking water from a spring at the nearest river, but the river was contaminated and many had fallen ill. HWP was able to drill a well to provide a source of safe water and stand in solidarity in the fight against cholera. The water committee said, “We thank God for this project and we appreciate HWP doing their best to help us get clean water.”

THANK YOU
Without your support, Haiti Water Project would not have been able to provide clean water and the smiles, pride, and hugs would never have been shared. Your giving allowed us to nearly triple the number of wells and cisterns we provided last year. HWP also started a new educational program to promote hand washing, a vital component to prevent the spread of disease.

Piard Alcegaire, of HWP, expressed our gratitude eloquently, “We will appreciate forever, dear partners, your precious collaborations and donations because without them HWP won’t be able to progress. Hand in hand, little by little, the great need for drinking water will be relieved.” Thank you for taking our hand, standing next to the Haitian people, and compassionately reaching out to those in need with a cup of clean water.

In His love,

Haiti Water Project Team

This Thanksgiving, we’re thankful for you and for the thousands of smiles you have given children and their families through the gift of clean water. Please take a moment to watch a few of them in this NEW video and then share it with friends and family, giving them one more reason to be grateful this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving!