Clean Water-Sanitation Initiative for Rural Haiti

Bonjou Global Giving Family!  I hope you all had a wonderful new year and entered 2019 strong and rejuvenated.  New year, new opportunities, new and greater results. When we last wrote to you in November 2018, we shared the progress made on our Latrine Initiative and how many more we have left to complete Phase 2.  We also informed you of our December Year End Partner Community Visit, where we would be meeting with the Peasant Associations of the communities we work with, along with community members, to hear how they felt about the work and progress made in 2018 and how they want to proceed moving into the new year.  We got great feedback from the Peasant Association, who continues to report that no instances of cholera have returned since C2C began the Latrine Initiative with the community and the matriarch of the family, featured in previous reports, on the status of the latrines said, “Before it was difficult for us as a family of seven to use our old plastic latrine (an old porta-potty).  With this latrine that my husband and I have built, a burden has been lifted. This latrine is good for our health.”  During the community driven meeting, we learned the health within the community has significantly improved with the growing number of latrines for the families. There has been a particular increase in children’s health, which is leading to more opportunities for the children to thrive in school.  So much so, that the community and Peasant Association proposed a new initiative they would like to pursue, a trade school. The community shared with us that even though education is critical, learning a trade to be able to get work once the children finish school, is even more beneficial. They want to provide both opportunities for their children. The trade school would focus on the following areas: plumbing, electrical work, sewing, landscaping, ceramics. This was very powerful for us because this suggestion could not have come about if the community did not have their health in order.  By addressing the first immediate need, health and sanitation, the possibilities are now limitless on what they can do because they are healthy enough to do it.  This is why completing the next 55 latrines is crucial. Our goal is to raise the next $12,000 for another 15 latrines. Our philanthropic investment in latrines today, results in economic development and self-sufficient individuals and communities in the near future.   

Until next time...