Build 20 Water Cisterns for 1800 families in Haiti

Project Report | Sep 2, 2015
We Are Done But There Is More

By Marie Marthe Saint Cyr | Executive Director

preparing mortar

Three months ago, I told you that we had 10 more cisterns to go. Well we are done. People came together created hand in hand access to 315,000 gallons of water for 2222 families. It started long ago last year when the earth parched, the trees wilted; the leaves remaining became encrusted with a grayish cover thirsting for a drop of water. It has long past the four months that we named a dry season but this one continues and seven months later we had to admit we are in the middle of a drought but not one alert came from the institutions of care and not one bucket of water was brought in as an alternative or option, when the rivers stopped flowing.

In a country where people have been said to be "resilient", the most resilient people are not often visible. But they are thinking, on their feet, in remote villages formulting strategies that work. They came to Lambi Fund, in partnership, having defined their primary need: "access to water". It is their initiatives that build a bridge to survival.

We are so grateful that 133 persons joined you in partnership with the Lambi Fund of Haiti and made their effort possible with our collective resources. The communities of Mayotye, Lacoma and Dytiet have changed for the better because we unified forces and made it happen.

Peole in Lacoma are saying "Chapo ba" a term of reverence for the goodness of you and the sharing that it dignifies and the partnership that will sustain overtime.

Because of your generosity and the generosityFamily and the foundations that joined us, we are now adding 10 more to finish in November of this 2015. We are so grateful!

Thank you. Let us remain in partnership supporting creative local solutions in rural Haiti.

cisterns in construction

prepare mortar

finishing touches

complete and drying

Links:

Permalink

Jun 9, 2015
What People in Dityet Are Saying!

By Marie Marthe Saint Cyr | Executive Director

When the hands are many, the load is lighter!

A few months ago, women started gathering basic materials, small rocks and sandy soil and a committee of local managers began the purchasing of cement, iron for grids, blocks and PVC piping for the construction of ten more cisterns underway. I noted the involvement of women, since they are the initiators of the project, as a response to the extended drought in the northeast of Haiti.

This project which initiated last year is in its second phase. The residents of Lakoma have worked with Pro Consult, the engineering group, to complete the first ten cisterns. This phase is focused on the completion of 10 cisterns in Dityet. At the end of the month, we will have a total of 20 completed cisterns gathering thousands of gallons of water as the rain begins to fall.

People in Dityet are relieved and excited. I was talking to Marguerite, one of the women from the area of Jean Rabel where Dydiet is located, and her is what she said: "In our meetings, women are talking about saving." I asked in what way? She said "it saved the strength of women and girls who were carrying the water before the cisterns were built. Another thing is protection. The water we maintain in the cisterns is treated. As the rainy season begins, the rate of cholera is already increasing. So, treated water protects the most vulnerable, the elderly and the young ones."

She also added one element that did not occur readily to me. She said that pregnant women are especially protected with the addition of the cisterns. The vulnerability of the babies to Diahrea and other gastrointestinal issues, like worms, are greatly reduced.

I am elated, and you should be too, for having an active part in these changes. Having clean water and access are only two of the outcomes that are desirable but the impact over time will be a critical element for us to assess.

I am in Haiti and I am happy to have had internet access long enough to upload this report. Yesterday there was a conference for the students in school. It speaks to climate change, a world phenomenon. The drought is one aspect of growing concern in Haiti and now there is a projection of greater food insecurity as the drought continues to intensify, meaning longer dry periods. The cisterns are one aspect of the solution.

Thank you so much for your participation in making these 20 cisterns a reality. Ten more to go!.

A short musical interlude between the hard work

Some of the rocks gathered by the women

Links:

Permalink

Mar 24, 2015
10 completed, 10 in progress, 10 remaining!

By Marie Marthe Saint Cyr | Executive Director

cistern in construction

Time passes quickly. It seems that it was just a few days ago I was asking you to support the cistern to give life to those families facing drought in Jean rabel!

We are progressing to meet our goal as we are framing the contracts for the construction of the next set of ten.

I met Sonia no further than 20 feet from one of the 4500 gallon cisterns. She is much older than the women present in the open air meeting with our delegation of visitors. She decided to tell us her story. She started with a long statement on her gratefulness, and I was waiting to hear her since she is of the age when she can no longer tend to the goats and till her own soil. "I am old, too old to fetch water" She said "but I live so close to the cistern that I can wait and ask any of the neighbors or any of their children to pull me a pail of water." "They do it willingly," she continues. "When I think of the trip up the mountain to fetch water, how would I have survived without the cisterns? So I am so grateful. I have four children, you know, but the harshness of living has compelled them to go away to look for work to survive. Now I have no one near. Thank you for giving me water and for those who help me, thank you." She relayed this with so much passion that we were all in tears.

Thank you so much for assisting us in availing life-giving water to Sonia and thousands of others like her. Thanks to your generosity, we are able to add 10 more cisterns that will be constructed by the end of Spring!

The Lambi Fund coordinates visiting delegations where donors, supporters and advocates spend time with beneficiaries to share their life experiences and learn from their diligence and devotion to create change in their respective communities. We hope you will join us in the field in the future.

I look forward to reporting the completion of the cisterns before the fall of 2015.

Thank you.

just a pause

Strong foundations....

Everyone helps!

Links:

Permalink

‹ 1 2 3 4 ›

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.