Greetings from Haiti.

Living in Canada, you may never have experienced the full force of a hurricane. It is terrifying! Hurricane Mathew that recently battered our island was no different. Days of torrential rains and mud slides resulted in streets blocked by up to four feet of mud. Homes were destroyed, wells flooded with contaminated water, and sewage backed up into watering holes where people get their drinking water.

The Lifewater d’Haiti compound is still under construction when the Hurricane hit. Along with our country we too suffered. Our compound is built on ground leveled out the side of a mountain, and the soil under the walls turned soft and many feet of water ponded inside the walls overnight. Before we could venture to drill release holes, 150 feet of compound wall collapsed.

We were grateful that no one was hurt as the wall collapsed in the night, falling with a great sound of blocks and dirt onto the public roadway passing our compound to the village that lies behind.

But we were in despair and were not able to respond to the water emergency because our entire compound and all the equipment and supplies we need to work lay open and vulnerable to those unscrupulous people who would loot and steal for their own gain. Also, several 40 foot long storage containers became unstable and were in danger of rolling over as dirt washed away from under them after the wall broke. We had no funds, materials or knowledge to deal with this disaster and we were in despair.

Then Lifewater Canada volunteers came with funds and Engineering plans from Canada. With their help, heavy machinery came and removed all our wall rubble, dirt and debris from the public roadway on which it had all fallen. The site was secured with a fence and then we could go out again and help people fix their wells and recover from the Hurricane. Thanks so much for helping make this possible!

With thanks,

Your Brothers & Sisters at Lifewater d’Haiti