Water Well in Haiti
The community members of Pierre Ambeau in the Pont Sondé region of the Artibonite Valley in Haiti now have access to safe water thanks to the support of the Rotary Club of Winnipeg-Charleswood. The club provided the $5000 of funding required for one well which was part of a larger project in the region described here by Julie Truelove, Program Manager at Ryan's Well, who along with the Rotary Club of Ancaster were our partners in this project.
The original Phase 3 project included twelve new wells for Pont Sondé but this was increased to 17 wells as the project progressed. Since that time, the people of the Artibonite Valley have faced hurricanes, political instability and an outbreak of cholera. Our partners at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer have continued to provide outstanding care for the people of the region along with continued work towards increasing access to safe water and sanitation. Dawn Johnson, Technical Coordinator at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer has been in constant contact with us providing immediate information for us to learn more about events as they occur and to spread the message that Haiti needs our continued support.
"Pont Sondé is right in the center of the worst hit area of the cholera outbreak. The 17-well project is certainly going to be a tremendous help right now to the beneficiaries. Thanks again IMMENSELY for your help in getting these wells done – now is the kind of situation where they really save lives" – Dawn Johnson.
Thanks to your support along with the commitment and expertise of our partners in Haiti, the seventeen new wells are now providing for over 5,250 families and over 9,000 people from neighbouring communities. We are now in the midst of the Phase 4 project for Pont Sondé with construction of 100 latrines.
As we start 2011, and look back at one year since the devastating earthquake and the many crises that followed, we are reaching forward with our next steps towards improving lives for the people of the Artibonite Valley and Jeremie, another of our project regions in Haiti.
We thank you once again for supporting safe water and sanitation for all and improving the lives of so many people in Haiti.
Sincerely,
Julie Truelove
Program Manager