Photo Essay: ACDI/VOCA and LifeGivingForce Provide Potable Water to Haitians
ACDI/VOCA teamed up with LifeGivingForce to provide potable water to Haitians displaced by the Jan. 12th earthquake in Côtes-de-Fer. LifeGivingForce donated the solar-powered water purification system and provided training to ACDI/VOCA staff for its use and maintenance. ACDI/VOCA is working with local community members to use the equipment and train them in its care and maintenance.
"Thanks again to all involved for sending this system down to Haiti under extremely challenging circumstances, we are grateful. Those displaced in Côtes-de-Fer are enjoying the immediate benefits of being able to drink good, clean water to reduce water-borne illnesses," says Emmet Murphy, ACDI/VOCA-Haiti chief of party.
 Locals in Côtes-de-Fer fill up water containers with clean potable water from the LifeGivingForce water purification system.
 The system cleans water using solar-powered technology, which helps overcome energy costs and the lack of reliable power supply in the remote area.
 Access to clean water is a serious concern for Haitians displaced by the Jan. 12th earthquake, especially for those living in internally displaced camps.
 LifeGivingForce trained ACDI/VOCA staff in the system's use and maintenance. To develop local capacity and ownership of the system, ACDI/VOCA trained a local agronomist and nurse on how to use the system and plan to train other community members as "neighborhood managers."
 Both camp residents and surrounding populations use the system.
 The community plans to stay vigilant about scheduled maintenance to ensure high water quality and prevent E. coli and other bacterial contamination.
To learn more about how Haitians are dealing with the earthquake's aftermath, read our recent features: "Strength, Resilience Help Stir Possibilities in Rural Haiti," "Notes from the Field … Côtes-de-Fer, Haiti " and "Dispensary Helps Families Fight Malnutrition." Want to see more of what ACDI/VOCA is doing in Haiti?
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