Water, accessible to all

Located in the center of Port-au-Prince, the neighborhood of Bel-Air suffers from a lack of basic services – and water is one of those. According to a study conducted by Viva Rio in June of 2007, this basic staple is so rare that the price of water is seven times higher than in Europe. That's the origin of the project “Dlo Fanm Sante” (‘Water, Women and Health’).

The goal of this initiative is to provide clean drinking water to the entire population of Bel-Air, to reduce the risk of contamination and diseases associated with the use of untreated water. The project also aims to significantly reduce the price of water in the region. The technology used is both simple and effective: rainwater is collected on the roofs of schools in the region, treated with chlorine and filtered with carbon. It is then distributed free of charge to children, the main beneficiaries of the project.

Over 20 water collection stations supply clean drinking water to approximately 22,000 students. As a result of this initiative, significantly less children have been taken ill. Nurse Dilène Jourdain, at the Salvation Army school in Delmas 2, agrees. “When I first arrived here, we had a lot of cases of fever, but little by little these cases have gone down significantly.”

Some water treatment centers also provide water to neighboring communities and several other water collection and treatment centers are being built in other schools in the area. These centers are run by management committees composed of the students themselves – this contributes to the development of leadership skills in young people and encourages them to be active citizens in the community.

In addition to focusing on schools, the project also includes the construction of public water stations where the general population can obtain water at a much lower price than is charged today. “We see the improvement now that residents don’t have to travel far to find water. They now have access to water close to home and the price is quite affordable,” states Rochena Seide, responsible for the public water station on Mariella Street. Eight stations (Fort Touron, La Saline, Grande Rue, Delmas 2, Mariella, Marinette, Pont Rouge and Wharf Jérémie) have already been built and two more are being completed.

The earthquake brought additional meaning to Viva Rio’s water project. With over 30 thousand people living in tents in the Bel Air area, there was greater need than ever before for water. The Norwegian church aid (a long standing partner of Viva Rio and supporter of the Honor and Respect for Bel Air project) provided support and quickly installed over 15 transportable water tanks with a capacity of 10,000 liters at the shelters and at the Viva Rio headquarters. “The tanks provided water to over ten thousand refugees installed at the Place la Paix the communal shelter and at the grounds of the old Electricity Company (Teleco)”, explained Denis Dubuche, project coordinator.

In addition to building rainwater collection stations and public water stations, supplied by the organization's water truck, Viva Rio is also involved in a partnership with Camep (Autonomous Metropolitan Center for Drinking Water) to expand the water supply capacity of the Nord Alexis reservoir, which currently has a capacity of 508,000 gallons. Construction has already started and soon this reservoir will be supplied at least 3 times a week.

Five trucks make up to six trips a day bringing water to an average 25 to 30 outlets at the camps. The 12 water reservoirs located in schools that have not been affected by the earthquake and which received rainwater prior to the quake, are now replenished by the trucks. Tehre are also seven water kiosks serving as outlets inside the Bel Air communities.

Living inside tents Place la Paix refugees are given a daily ration of water. “We receive this regular amount of water, but we need more. We need food for our children and humanitarian help that is rare here in Bel Air,” said Edoard Sainvil, who lives with his five children on land that used to belong to Teleco.

While building rainwater collection catchments and water kiosks replenished by Viva Rio trucks, the organization is also active in a partnership with the Metropolitan Autonomous Central for Drinking Water, Camep, to increase the capacity of the Nord Alexis reservoir that today has the capacity for 508 thousand gallons of water. Work has already begun and soon the reservoir will be supplied at least 3 times a week.

Despite concrete efforts invested in this program, there is no guarantee that the problem will be completely solved. This preoccupation is warranted because after the initial stage that involved installing the technology, its management poses new challenges. That’s why it’s important to reactivate management committees to ensure the continuity of the investments. Now is the time for reconstruction and Viva Rio intends to continue building more rainwater catchments and to fix those damaged by the earthquake.

Translated by Alexandra De Vries