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Special Projects - Haiti Solar Water Project
Posted 04/27/2012
Below is a travel-journal update from Darenda Lease,
who recently traveled to Haiti with her husband, Tim,
and fellow BHCC members Rick & Pat Jacobs, to forward the project's goals.
THERE IT WAS!
There was the answer to my nagging question,
“Can we possibly make a difference that really matters?”
Two things I was told to remember: “Tell your team to fill their water bottles before they board the airplane to Haiti, and go to the bathroom before you go to baggage claim in Haiti. You will not be able to do either of these for a while once you start the drive to Le Cayes.”
Getting to Haiti is relatively easy. Arriving in Haiti and going through customs was uneventful. Even getting past the many “red shirts,” those aggressive individuals permitted inside the airport to “help” with your luggage, although intimidating, was manageable. But the ride from Port Au Prince to Le Cayes was not so easy on the eyes or heart. The city was in shambles from the 2010 earthquake. Debris lined the streets and although much has been cleaned up in the past year, for the first time visitor it was a shocking sight. The number of people everywhere we went could become overwhelming. Each village or town we passed through was filled with people working very hard to make a few goud (Haitian currency). The streets were lined shoulder to shoulder with people selling mangos, charcoal, odds and ends from their home, pint size water bags, dried fruit, candy, beans, rice, dried spices, ANYTHING and everything they had. Haiti is hard on its people and Haiti has been hard for a long time for many reasons, from destruction of its infrastructure, hurricanes and most recently the earthquake. People there truly live day to day. I quickly began to wonder: do Haitians have hope, dreams, and goals? With so much need here, can we possibly make a difference that really matters?
Our schedule changed during our drive to the guesthouse. We called ahead for directions only to find out that we were not expected until the next day, but they could be ready for us much later that evening. Suddenly we had a full day to fill, and what a blessing it turned out to be.
We switched up the weeks’ plans and decided to visit the two sites Rick worked on last October. He installed a UV water treatment system at one site and an Ozone water treatment system at the other. It was perfect because we would see two different working systems, have the opportunity to get some questions out of the way, and be better prepared as we went about our week surveying sites for our own installations. After a few hours we turned off the main road to drive almost another hour on a bumpy narrow dirt road to get back into the first village. We were greeted with lots of smiles and waves from the kids at this site. It was home to one of the many Global Orphan Projects and since Rick and Ashley were there a few months ago, they were recognized. We climbed out of the truck with our follow-up surveys in hand to check out how the system was performing. We were all busy with our questions when we heard an “alleluia!” behind us. The pastor that runs this Global Orphan Project heard we were they and could not wait to tell us, “Our children have not been sick with diarrhea or stomach pains since the water system was installed last October!!” THERE IT WAS! There was the answer to my nagging question “Can we possibly make a difference that really matters?” I have no doubt that that was a direct answer from God through this Pastor. After a joyful conversation and completion of the survey, we said our goodbyes and set off for the second site. At both sites we arrived unannounced and found them impeccably clean, well maintained and, most importantly, successfully providing CLEAN PURE water to their local communities!
By now it is late afternoon. We had drained those water bottles we filled at 5:00 a.m. and had our fill of trail mix and dried fruit, so we put Ancy to the task of finding us a place to eat. He located a small local restaurant where we had (like every night during our stay) rice and beans, some fried meat and fried plantains. It was delicious and soon after we were settled into our guesthouse ready for a good night’s sleep. I think we were all asleep by 9:00 p.m.! I was awakened by the sound of a rooster crowing at 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. then 4:00. He could apparently tell the change of every hour but just couldn’t get which one represented true morning, so he just kept going until he got it right! But HEY, we were in Haiti and a new day was beginning! What joy would we find today?
The 7:30 breakfast bell rang and we delighted to find that we would be having breakfast and dinner with our host and hostess, Madame Franchette and Pastor Ignace Augustine, each day. They have started over 60 churches and schools providing jobs for many. They are from Haiti and have felt God’s calling to stay and make a difference, which they certainly have. Our hope is to install a water system at their school in Le Cayes in the near future. This would serve the community, their school and their orphanage which currently drinks water treated with Iodine tablets.
After breakfast we set off to find Torbeck, less than 30 minutes away. We were ready to get to work! To start the site surveys at the St. Paul Rectory and their school, to test the water and quickly move right to negotiating a covenant. We had lots to do (in our American get-it-done way)! We arrived close to 9:00 a.m. and were greeted by Father/Pere Alphonse, a few elders of the Parish and teachers from the community. Instead of going right to tasks at hand, we all sat down to yet another breakfast. Conversation was light as there was only ONE translator. We quickly learned to slow down, to pay attention to body language, and to look into someone’s eyes as they try to communicate simple sentences. We learned we could understand a little through jesters, pointing and smiling! It was time well spent and added much to begin the relationship building part of our mission. It was an initiation into the way we will be doing business in Haiti.
So the day goes like this: we drive to a site, we talk, Ancy translates, they answer, Ancy translates, we talk some more, Ancy translates. A large amount of our time that week was spent traveling to and from sites and in translating. Surely by the end of each day, Ancy had to be the truly exhausted one.
We spoke with four groups on this trip, did surveys on three sites, started initiating talks to sign covenants in the near future with two, and came home with one completed and signed covenant. That signed covenant was with Pere Alhponse of St. Paul Parish in Torbeck. The water treatment system will be installed at the site of the Rectory late November 2012! Construction on the building to house the water system started mid-April! This is incredibly exciting!
I have to share one story. Two young men from an area north of Port Au Prince were scheduled to talk to us. They traveled over eight hours to get to us. After a short time listening to their desperate story, it became clear that many things needed to happen before we could begin to help them. People in their village were scooping water from the river that runs near the village. It is the only source of water they have. This is the same river that is mentioned in all of the Cholera articles in the papers recently. It is contaminated with and now breeds Cholera. I cannot begin to explain the sadness in their eyes and our hearts. They had been so excited to be able to meet us so we could “save their people.” We will be staying in contact with them through a group in the US called Partners in Progress. We hope we find a way quickly to help this village.
We met wonderful people and saw everyday people working hard to earn a living one day at a time. We felt like we accomplished much on our trip, but this kind of story can haunt you. Ashley Broadhurst accompanied us on our trip. She has been to Haiti almost monthly for over a year and shared these words of encouragement and comfort. “Unlike many countries with pockets of poverty, Haiti is a country where one simply cannot get out of it. As I continue to tell teams, Haiti is hard, and you must allow yourself time to process... And one must not fall victim to being overwhelmed and thinking the work they are doing is in vain. If you can touch one life, if you can bring hope to just one person, if you can give love to one child, if you can give clean water to one community, then you have succeeded.” At the end of our trip she wrote, “Relationships have strengthened, optimism is seen on every corner and the work we are doing is increasing daily. God has certainly blessed our teams and their missions.”
Thank you Bower Hill! You have already succeeded in making a difference.
We ask for your continued blessing on this mission and continued prayers in our efforts to fundraise so we can install many water systems in the future. We are looking forward to the opportunity to share pictures and conversation soon in Adult Ed. Please come! I think we will make you proud!
Darenda Lease
Haiti Travel Team
Posted 11/29/2011
A lot has happened since our last Haiti Project update. Rick Jacobs traveled to Haiti in October with a team of 11 people from six different states, to install two water purification systems at orphanages operated by the Global Orphan Project. The two orphanages were literally at the end of paths leading from the main roads into the mountains. The group had to drive through rivers (no bridges on the paths) to reach the sites.
Leaving the airport in Port Au Prince, it quickly became obvious that they were in the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. Everywhere there were refugees still living in tents erected after the earthquake. It was very hot, crowded and dirty. There is no garbage pickup in Haiti, so trash just piles up - on the roadsides, in the waterways and in the camps. And when it rains, everything floods and the rainwater washes the garbage and human waste into the ditches, streams, rivers and ultimately into the water supply. It's no wonder that 5% of the Haitian population has contracted cholera or that one child in ten dies before reaching their 5th birthday. The need for safe drinking water is truly overwhelming.
The trip was a success, despite many travel and logistical difficulties, and now the two orphanages and their surrounding communities have water systems capable of supplying clean drinking water for more than 2000 people in each location.
During the trip, Rick identified a site where our Bower Hill team can install a water system. It is the rectory of an Episcopal parish priest named Pere' Alphonse, who is responsible for several churches and a school in the small town of Torbeck, near the city of Les Cayes. Pere' Alphonse has a well on the property that is contaminated with bacteria and pathogens (Rick tested the water). He would like to use the water to supply his churches and the community with safe drinking water. So Rick and a representative from First Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City started a conversation about installing a water purification system there. This site is attractive because it has been designated to receive a grant of $10,000 from Solar Under the Sun (SUS) for installation of a solar-powered water system.
Between the SUS grant and the funding promised by Pittsburgh Presbytery, we have already identified $19,000 in potential funding for the project. In addition, we have raised more than $2,500 from private donations and sales of Christmas and note cards. We have also been in contact with Bethel-St.Clair Rotary and with other churches that might be willing to support our project including Westminster Presbyterian, First Presbyterian in Oklahoma City and St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal in Mission, KS. Our target is $40,000 and we are well on the way.
In early November, our team met with Karen Battle from Presbytery and members from East Union Presbyterian, who have also attended LWW training. We spent the evening sharing information.
Next steps include continuing to raise funds (we welcome anyone's ideas or donations), traveling to Haiti in February to negotiate a covenant with Pere' Alphonse, and team members Rich Salvante and Karl Casey attending solar training in May.
We would love the opportunity to discuss the Haiti Water Project with you, just ask! There are opportunities to get involved! We continually thank you for your support.
Rick Jacobs and Darenda Lease
Support this project with the purchase of Cards!
The note cards are packaged in groups of eight, including two each of four scenes celebrating all four seasons, which cost $12.00 per package.
The Christmas cards are packaged in groups of ten and cost $15.00. Each package contains the same scene, and there are two choices. Contact the office for more information!
Posted 9/30/2011
Bower Hill Launches a Haiti Solar-Powered Water Purification Project
You are invited to join us in a new Bower Hill mission effort –
the installation of a solar-powered water purification unit in Haiti!
Below is an update from the team of BHCC volunteers who participated
in a training seminar in preparation for this long-range mission plan.
Well, we’re back from Living Waters for the World (LWW) Clean Water U training in Mississippi. We got a huge amount of information crammed into our heads in the 4 1/2 days we were there and we’re still digesting it all. Darenda and Rick attended the leadership training class. Betsy and Pat attended the health and hygiene training, and Alan and Tim attended the technical course on the installation of the system. We met many inspiring Christians who have already done multiple installations in Haiti and elsewhere and are going back for more!
We now have a much better idea of the task ahead and we are truly excited to get on with it! The Living Waters for the World (livingwatersfortheworld.org/) model is to train volunteers in developing a relationship with a Haitian community for whom they will provide the water purification system and ‘expertise.’ But the Haitians will actually build the unit as well as run and maintain it. In addition to the installation, we will train community leaders in health and hygiene so that they, in turn, can teach the rest of the community. They will learn about germs and disease, when to use their clean water and when to use ‘raw’ water, and about the importance of washing hands, when and how to do it. An ongoing relationship with the community will support the sustainability of the purification system and good health based on clean water and good hygiene habits.
There are currently 43 systems installed in Haiti and the expectation is that there will be 50 by the end of the year. Sixteen of the existing systems are solar powered. Some were damaged in the earthquake but have been repaired. Several have been retrofitted with solar power because electricity was spotty at best before the earthquake and worse afterwards. There is a great Haitian LWW network supporting the volunteer efforts.
While in Mississippi, we heard one story of a US church group that has been supporting an orphanage in Haiti for years. The volunteers drank bottled water while ‘in country,’ but the children, of course, were drinking water from the local source. Some folks from Living Waters for the World came by and tested the water the children were drinking. They found it was full of coliform bacteria! That certainly explained why so many of them suffered from illness. The group supporting the orphanage immediately made plans to attend Clean Water U, to learn how to install a water purification system at the Haitian orphanage so life would be better for ‘their’ children.
The water purification system we will be installing will eliminate parasites that cause diarrhea, which can kill children and debilitate learning because the kids miss school or can't concentrate due to pain and discomfort. In addition, it will remove bacteria that cause cholera, typhoid and other waterborne diseases. The system will provide safe clean water to drink for 100-300 people!
To get our feet wet, so to speak, and begin to develop some familiarity with Haiti and the process, Rick has committed to joining an experienced group going to Haiti in October. They will be installing a unit at an orphanage and checking out sites for future projects. Another 2-4 people from Bower Hill will attend solar training in Arkansas next May to learn how to install the solar system that will power the water purification unit.
We look forward to working with all of you on Bower Hill’s Haiti Water Project!
Yours in Christ,
Alan & Betsy Hohlfelder, Tim & Darenda Lease,
Rick & Pat Jacobs
If you have any questions, phone or email:
- Rick (raj@jacobs-pa.com ) or Pat Jacobs (pbj@jacobs-pa.com)
Phone: 412-835-0348
- Alan (alanho@verizon.net) or Betsy Hohlfelder (betsyho@verizon.net )
Phone:412-341-1029
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Posted 8/1/2011
Bower Hill Launches a
Haiti Solar-Powered Water Purification Project
You are invited to join us in a new Bower Hill mission effort.
The installation of a solar-powered water purification unit in Haiti!
On Sunday, June 5, the Rev. Karen Battle presented Bower Hill with a mission opportunity to respond to a desperate need in Haiti through the Presbytery's Haiti Water Project (details below). A joint effort of the Synod of the Living Waters (‘Living Waters for the World’) and the Synod of the Sun (‘Solar Under the Sun’) trains church teams in the installation of solar-powered water purification systems that can be used anywhere in the world where people are in need of clean water for drinking and cooking.
A group from Koinonia was very excited about the prospect of serving our Lord by helping those still suffering the deplorable conditions in Haiti. This group proposed to Session and the Mission Committee that we form a Bower Hill team to install such a water purification unit in a Haitian community. On Sunday, July 10, Session approved this project.
Based on Rev. Battle’s presentation, several congregation members have already expressed an interest in being on the traveling team and several more have indicated a desire to help here in Pittsburgh! If you are interested in being part of the traveling team, let us know! In addition, there is plenty of support work to be done by volunteers here at home.
Please call or email the church office if you are interested in joining the BHCC team (either traveling or support) to make the Haiti clean water project happen.
If you have any questions, phone or email:
- Rick (raj@jacobs-pa.com ) or Pat Jacobs (pbj@jacobs-pa.com)
Phone: 412-835-0348
- Alan (alanho@verizon.net) or Betsy Hohlfelder (betsyho@verizon.net )
Phone:412-341-1029
This water purification project is indeed a MAJOR commitment on the part of BHCC, but we believe the Spirit is alive and working in this congregation to give us the power to make it happen.
Here is a summary of the mission opportunity
Rev. Karen Battle presented to us:
Need: As you may know, the people of Haiti, especially after the recent earthquake, are in desperate need of clean drinking water. Cholera is a serious and ongoing problem.
Presbytery Mission: The Presbytery's goal is to send five traveling teams to Haiti who will develop ongoing relationships with Haitians through the installation of solar-powered water purification systems. Teams from two other churches in Pittsburgh Presbytery are already in place and undergoing training.
Presbytery support: Presbytery will pay for the solar unit and water purification equipment (filtration/UV) to be installed and provide some funds to help pay for our training. The project will be overseen by Presbytery's Great Commission Ministry Team.
BHCC time and talent commitment: We need the active and involved support of the entire congregation - the actual project team will include many more people than just the ones who will be traveling to Haiti. It is expected that completing the project will take approximately three years.
Traveling team commitment: The traveling team will consist of 8-10 Bower Hill members who will attend training and then, between them, make four trips over a period of three years to Haiti (not all team members go on every trip).
Training: 1) A group of 4-6 team members will attend five days of training in Mississippi (partnership development/project management/system sustainability/evaluation & assurance; health/hygiene/spiritual education; water system installation/operation/maintenance) provided by the Living Waters Synod. 2) Another group of 2-4 will go to four days of solar setup training in Arkansas (leadership/partnering/surveying; installation/equipping partners) provided by the Synod of the Sun.
Haiti travel detail: Trip #1 to Haiti is for the traveling team to evaluate potential projects and establish a relationship with a resident partner team in Haiti. Trip #2 is to oversee installation of the water purification system and provide community health and hygiene education. Trips #3 and #4 are for follow-up, troubleshooting and evaluation.
Haitian partner team: Living Waters for the World, a project of the Living Waters Synod, has already identified potential partner teams in Haiti. We will work with a resident Haitian team that is expected to provide: 1) infrastructure to support and sustain the project; 2) facilities to house the equipment, i.e., a 3-room structure; 3) workers to install the equipment with supervision of the trained US partners.
Covenant: The BHCC traveling team and resident Haiti team will sign a covenant spelling out each party's duties and expectations.
BHCC financial responsibility: We will provide funding for training and travel expenses, some of which can be raised from the community, some from Bower Hill members and some from the Mission budget and designated mission funds. This money does not need to be raised up front, but spread out over the three years of the project. What is necessary is the commitment to raise the money in a timely enough fashion for the project to proceed. The total funding we will need to provide is estimated to be about $8,000/year.