Pure Water for the World

• A mother and baby visited a doctor because of the baby’s constant diarrhea. The doctor recommended giving the baby only Culligan (treated) water. Their family lived far  from Gonaives, Haiti – the nearest city. To fetch clean water, her husband needed to travel all the way to Gonaives to purchase a jar (5 gallons) of water. The trip took 5 hours. The travel cost for a motorcycle taxi and a Tap-Tap (local bus) was USD 5.00 and the Culligan water USD 1.50. The first time he went he also needed to purchase a Culligan jar – another USD 6.25.Months later they heard about the Pure Water for the World program and visited me in order to get a Biosand Filter. When we delivered that filter we had to walk up the mountain for about an hour with the Biosand Filter strapped to a horse. Months later we did a site inspection and the family was so happy with their Biosand Filter. It provided safe drinking water saved them a lot of money and travel time.

• After hurricane Jeanne Pure Water for the World delivered about 300 Biosand Filters for families in Raboteau, a hot spot in Gonaives, Haiti. A year later we did site inspections and all families were still using their Biosand Filters. We visited two homes where the women showed me their new business. Now besides haveing safe water at home, they were also selling water in the market. Every morning they treated water and filled small plastic bags. These water bags were kept in a cooler and later sold for 2 Gourdes (about 5 cents) in the market or the street.

• After Hurricane Jeanne we also provided Biosand Filters to peasant families in Bayonais, north-east of Gonaives.  A  father from one family was always sick and went often to see a doctor where he received medication. His illness got to the point where his family was unable to afford the doctor visits. He heard about the Pure Water program and was able to purchase a Biosand Filter for his home for USD 5.00. Within a couple weeks of drinking the purified water,  his illness disappeared.

  One morning at 6:00am the now cured man (probably in the age of 60) knocked at our gate and gave us a list of close to 100 families anxious to receive Biosand Filters.  FYI … he had walked for three hours to meet with me that morning before I I left for work.

• In Lacroix there is a family with five children. The children had skin diseases and their parents spent quite a lot of money for them to see a doctor. Soon they were unable to afford to buy medication and the illness of their children persisted. Two years ago they purchased a Biosand Filter for 200 Gourdes (USD 5.00) and we recommended using the clean water not just for drinking, but also for cooking and bathing. After a month the children’s mother came to see my wife. She said a miracle happened – since she bathed her children with clean water the skin diseases disappeared.

• Pure Water for the World is providing schools in Cite Soleil (the poorest slum in Port-au-Prince) with Biosand Filters – one for every 50 children. Lately, during our principal meetings we have heard some funny stories. One principal claimed that he’s  more busy now providing safe water, because more and more students asking to take clean water home too. Another principal mentioned that now most students already show up at 7:00am to be able drink clean water, because they know to avoid drinking bad water at home.

Roman Cipus
Pure Water for the World

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