Water Filters Installed in Haitian Schools; Fighting Cholera in Rural Areas

As concerns about the cholera outbreak continue to rise in Haiti, International Child Care is working to combat the spread of cholera and other water-borne diseases. ICC, in conjunction with partner organizations Pure Water for the World, the Rotary Club of Kalamazoo, MI and the Rotary Foundation, is working to install bio-sand water filters at schools throughout Haiti. From May 2010 to October 2010, seventy filters have been installed at schools, benefiting 23,573 students. The filters can clean more than 99% of impurities from water in a quick, low-tech process. The filters are concrete or plastic and contain levels of sand, gravel and biological matter that filter out the impurities; a drop of bleach into the filtered water takes care of the rest. In conjunction with the filter installation, teachers and school administrators receive hygiene education in a three-day training course. All successful trainees receive program/curriculum materials and a teaching poster set with easel for use in the classroom. Teachers are also trained on the set up, proper use and maintenance of the bio-sand filters. Another eighty schools have been chosen to receive the filters and hygiene training, and plans are being laid for their installation. With your help, the project will continue to expand and provide clean water for even more communities. You can learn more or give to support the bio-sand water filtration project here.