GONAIVES / BUK VINCENT, HAITI

An orphanage (The Salem Foundation) is located in a poor village in Gonaives/ Buk Vincent, Haiti that houses 20 girls, 24 boys and 12 staff. There are shallow wells in the area, but water quality is very poor. For our largest project of the year ILW stepped in and has partnered with Covenant United Methodist Church in Woodlands, TX to provide funding for a water-treatment system, solar panels, storage system, and teach health and hygiene. 

Sixty percent of the population practices open defecation and do not have latrines. There are shallow wells in the area, but water quality tests show significant amounts of fecal contamination. Unfortunately, the majority of residents rely on these wells as their primary water source, but they cause many of the community’s diseases. Since most people in the area collect water from shallow wells that are easily contaminated by waste, reports of typhoid and diarrheal illness are an everyday occurrence.

Currently, the orphanage pays for a water truck to deliver water twice a month. The orphanage is the only “development” in the area, and is highly respected by the community. A comprehensive project plan had been developed by our partner, Water Mission, in conjunction with the orphanage to provide safe water for the children and staff, as well as to serve the surrounding community. Therefore, the project would serve the orphanage and the surrounding population for a total of approximately 2,400 people affected.