Clean Water story continued...
The water is cool, clear and does not have a foul taste when they drink it. The new, clean water well in the village means people do not have to drink the water from the near-by stream where people wash their clothes and animals roam freely.
Why Clean Water Drives Us
The water in the Cotes-de-Fer region causes many child borne diseases and vaginal infections in young women.
Diseases such as typhoid and chronic diarrhea as well as Cholera during the rainy season make the children’s mortality rate the highest in the western hemisphere.
Accomplishments
Government supplied water in Cotes-de-Fer and the community of Mayette is not safe to drink as received. Three-stage filter systems were installed at each location. These systems supply St. Joseph school and rectory with clean, safe water while also making water available to the community.
Donations allow Helping Hugs, Inc. to support three schools. Two of those schools are in remote villages not accessible by four-wheel vehicles. A LifeStraw Community filter system has been placed in each school. This state-of-the-art filter system allows river water to be made safe to drink. In other communities clean water wells are being drilled to supply water to families for drinking, cooking and for livestock. The well and reservoir located in the community have become gathering spots for the residents to meet and mingle.
Future Plans
With Donor support Helping Hugs, Inc. will continue to supply water to the remaining villages. We are dedicated to the wellbeing of the people of the Cotes-de-Fer region. Since 2016 Helping Hugs, Inc. has utilized the United Nations WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) program. This is an education program that teaches people the value of hand washing and hygiene in their daily lives. In 2020, with Covid, it was easy to get people to wash their hands. The practice is reinforced in schools and villages. Helping Hugs for Haiti embraces the WHO Sustainability Program. Our plans are to have clean water systems in all communities by 2030.