Clean water and adequate sanitation are integral to improving health. The village of Bod me Limbe and surrounding communities in the Bas Limbe region have had little access to clean drinking water and few organized sanitation programs. The cholera epidemic in 2010 demonstrated the need for both sanitation and water purification facilities in the area.
Water Supply
HVH has partnered with an experienced NGO already working in Haiti to improve the wells and install low maintenance wellheads and pumps in Bod Me Limbe. Wells can be constructed for $1,000 each and individual household filter units can be purchased for a family for $30 providing invaluable protection from water borne illnesses. HVH has arranged to facilitate the distribution, installation and training while the village has committed to raising funds to contribute to the cost of maintenance. This ownership is essential to self-sufficiency and sustainability. HVH also provides chlorine treatment for the wells and monitors water supply which also helps to reveal disease patterns to identify problems with un-clean water. A regular spot check to assess water filter use of a few households in each village is conducted on a monthly basis using the agents de santé hired by HVH.
Sanitation
HVH aims to ensure 80% of households in the region have access to a toilet/latrine. Access to sanitation facilities has a direct impact on water quality and the potential for the spreading of disease. HVH has partnered with a US based organization SOIL in the construction of specially designed dry toilets and is also researching the potential for bringing composting toilets to the village. HVH also provides ongoing education and community-based initiatives regarding basic health and hygiene, targeting issues such as defecation in public spaces. HVH involves local people as much as possible in education, production and construction in order to promote local autonomy and consistency in this program.
Malaria Prevention
To help combat the high incidence of malaria in the area, HVH provides a trash collection program in the village. This program is designed to reduce the incidence of standing water and trash piles that permit the growth of the mosquito population. In conjunction with these efforts HVH supplies treated bed nets to families in the village which can help limit infection and transmission of this fully preventable and debilitating disease.
