Clean Water for Haiti

Help Provide Direct and Immediate Safe Drinking Water to the People of Haiti

Christ Episcopal Church is coordinating the purchase and delivery of water purifiers to Haiti. We have a history of success in providing chlorine producing units to Swaziland where they have been used to make unsafe water drinkable for the people there since 2006.

Now we are turning our efforts to include Haiti. A chlorinator kit and rechargeable power source cost approximately $300.00. The first chlorinator kits are already in Haiti, in use at medical clinics and a nursing school. We need your help to send more in the next weeks and months.

What is a chlorinator kit?

A chlorinator kit contains a chlorine producing unit, salt and the plastic ware needed to dispense the concentrated chlorine solution. The chlorinator is lightweight and portable, designed to be used at the water source. It’s virtually indestructible.
We send rechargeable 12 V batteries and flexible solar panel with some kits.

		The chlorinator produces a chlorine solution from salt water.  Electrolysis releases chlorine.  Several passes through the unit produces a concentrate.  Ten drops can kill the pathogens in one gallon of drinking water.

Where Do We Get the Chlorinators? 

Our partners in this ministry construct chlorinators in central Iowa and take them to people in need of safe drinking water around the world. For more information about them, see Safe Water International Ministries.

 

How Will We Get Them to Haiti? 

Dr. Christopher Buresh, a University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Emergency Department physician and member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Iowa City will provide transport for the chlorinators. He is a young man with a heart for the Haitian people and has served there on many medical mission trips.  Chris plans to make biweekly trips to Haiti and we will be sending chlorinators along with him as long as we are able to purchase them.  If you would like to support Chris’ medical mission in Haiti, write “Haiti medical supplies” on the memo line of your check.

Chris conducting a pediatric clinic in Haiti, June 2009.

How will they know how to use them? 

The Rev. Kesner Ajax of the diocese of Haiti has been using these devices since March 2009.  Jubilee officers from dioceses sent him back to Haiti with chlorinators and chlorinator training from a Jubilee conference held at Christ Church last spring.  He and Chris’s medical team will both be distribution points for chlorinators and training in Haiti. Here Kesner Ajax teaches his students how to use the chlorinator

How much water can one chlorinator purify? 

Given salt and a power source, each chlorinator can make liters of concentrate that can purify thousands of gallons of water each day.  More likely each chlorinator will be used to dose water for up to a hundred households coming to one water distribution point or open source of water each day.  Water collected in gallon jugs or buckets will be dosed with chlorine and will supply water to a neighborhood on a long term basis.

Thank you for helping to provide Clean Water for Haiti

More Haiti Projects

Jump here for more information on how Christ Church is involved with Haitian relief projects and how you can get connected to the ongoing efforts.

Get Connected

How can you help?

You can send a check for any amount to Christ Church with “Clean Water for Haiti” in the memo line.

We will acknowledge receipt of your check and use it to send a chlorinator kit or power source that will be on its way to Haiti in a few days.

This is immediate and direct help! This is also long term help that will save lives is Haiti long after the world turns its attention to the next crisis.

Questions about Clean Water for Haiti may be asked of Dr. Paula Sanchini, developer of the chlorinators or Leslee Sandberg, Jubilee Ministries commissioner.

Clean Water for Haiti is a Jubilee Ministry. The JM Commission meets usually on the fourth Monday of the month at 7 p.m.

Ryder is mesmerized by the process as Dr. Paula demonstrates how water chlorinators work. Spring 2008

Dan Rockwell teaches Fr. Kesner the fine art of water chlorinators. March 2009

At the Christ Church transept altar, Bishop Scarfe hands over a blessed kit, given by fellow national Jubilee Officers. March 2009

 

The Episcopal Cathédrale Sainte Trinité, Port-au-Prince, before and after the earthquake

These two photos courtesy "Praying with our Partners: A Canadian Supplement to the Anglican Cycle of Prayer"

More Haiti Projects

Liturgical Response:
Praying for Haiti in the Aftermath of the Earthquake A resource from Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation (E4GR). Click here.		Community Interfaith Service (January 23, 2010) Service bulletin here. Read the Gazette story here.

Episcopal Relief & Development

The first line of help from The Episcopal Church is ERD: Episcopal Relief & Development. Our friend Katie Mears, Cornell College alum and former member of Trinity Episcopal, Iowa City (she came up in June '08 from the Diocese of Louisiana to help us coordinate flood relief) is now ERD's Program Manager for USA Disaster Preparedness and Response and is in the Dominican Republic to coordinate ERD's work in Haiti.

Read more about ERD/Haiti here.
Read Christ Church's ERD page here.

Medical Supplies

Our friend Dr. Chris Buresh, ER doctor and member of Tinity Episcopal, Iowa City, is our point-of-entry for relief efforts in Haiti. He is heading medical teams into the area as well as delivering water chlorinators. Your gift for "medical supplies" will help him with additional purchases of what he finds is needed most.

Read more about this ministry here.

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The Latest Word on Haiti (most recent first)

Four More!
Four more chlorinators have been shuttled from Cedar Rapids to Chicago to Haiti.  Thanks to Kate and Trish Varnum for taking them to Chicago last week. They transferred the chlorinators and solar panels to Phillip Mantle, Diocesan Jubilee Officer in Chicago. Phillip will take them to Haiti when he travels there on March 4th and he will buy batteries there. We hope that he will connect with the Rev. Kesner Ajax.  We wish Phillip Godspeed and a safe return and we thank him for being part of this ministry.

23 Chlorinators
To date, Christ Church and friends have provided 23 water chlorinators -- all are either in the hands of locals or are in transit.

Joining Forces
A huge kudos to our sister congregation, Trinity Episcopal, Iowa City, for taking up their own Chlorinator Challenge -- adding in their generosity, enough funds are now available to produce and ship TWENTY more!

Dr. Buresh In News
In the news today, here is a feature article from the Gazette Online: "The air was filled with suffering"

Shoe Invasion
The Christ Church staff is reporting a mysterious invasion of gently-used shoes in our staff resource room. Look for news from our Rite-13 youth, as they'll have some explaining to do!

We've received an email from Fr. Fanfan of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, which reads in part: "... I might tell that we really need those waters chlorinators. I have seen 20 of them and distributed to our agents. It is so practical. I think you need to send tones of them to desinfect and make good water to avoid epidemy and contagious disease. Kids begin to have malaria diarreah and epidermic problems. Thanks so much for your help ..."

Get Connected

Supporting ERD in Haiti:

Your check, payable to Christ Church, with "ERD/Haiti" in the memo line.

Supporting Dr. Buresh's needs for medical supplies:

Your check, payable to Christ Church, with "Haiti Med Supplies" in the memo line.

Links to follow:

Episcopal Relief & Development

World Wide Village (Dr. Buresh's ministry)