We are determined to build more churches in Haiti, but we lack one critical piece preventing the start of theses buildings: water.
Here are three things you may not know about the water crisis in Haiti:
1. Less than half of Haitians in rural areas have access to clean water.
Haiti is considered a water-stressed country, meaning the demand for water exceeds the available amount in a certain period, or when the poor water quality restricts its use.1 A lack of clean water means a lack of life. Not only does clean water prevent dehydration, but also prevents the spread of waterborne illnesses such as typhoid, cholera, and chronic diarrhea, which is the cause of more than half the deaths in Haiti every year, including infants and children.
2. Water can sell for as much as $20 (Haitian Goude) a bucket.
Our dear friend and partner in the Gospel, Pastor Yves, reported that people are paying upwards of $20 for a single bucket of water. In a country where 58% of the population lives on less than $78 Haitian Goude per day (that’s equivalent to $1.25 in US dollars), just one bucket of water, a basic necessity, takes up more than a quarter of a person’s income.
3. A lack of water also means lack of churches.
To build churches, concrete is needed for the foundation and structure; to mix concrete, water is needed. Hope Rising Haiti longs to provide access to both clean drinking water and churches for the people of Haiti, providing both physical and spiritual needs for this impoverished country.
There is a critical need for access to clean water in Haiti: to support basic life needs and to build more churches. One well costs $10,000 to drill, build, and maintain and will provide 1,000’s of people with drinking water and allow Hope Rising Haiti to break ground to build more churches.
Please pray with us as we try to make a difference in Haiti by providing more clean water. “I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…” Matthew 25:35
1. http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/water/wise-help-centre/glossary-definitions/water-stress
2. https://thewaterproject.org/water-crisis/water-in-crisis-haiti
3. http://water.org/country/haiti/
