Access to clean water and dependable sanitation has encouraged thousands of Haitians and shown them God’s love.
A grandmother has lived most of her life in northern Haiti without access to a toilet. When needed, she had to hide behind a bush or squat in an empty field. The five grandchildren who live with her have had to do the same.
Continually anxious about privacy, security, and hygiene, the grandmother was elated when she found out that her community was one of four in the region where Samaritan’s Purse would conduct a household latrine and handwashing station project.
She hired a manual laborer to dig a latrine pit, gathered sand and gravel, and cooked meals for the masons working on her latrine. We provided the remaining materials, covered labor costs, and supervised construction through our Haiti Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) team. Now her family has the sanitation facilities she desired.
“Thanks to Samaritan’s Purse, my dignity is restored.”
“Not having a latrine at my age made me feel unvalued, vulnerable, and exposed to all kinds of danger,” the grandmother said. “Thanks to Samaritan’s Purse, my dignity is restored.”
A Precious Gift
In another community in northern Haiti, people had to walk long distances to find safe drinking water. More than 3,000 residents depended on a single, seasonal borehole and a distant spring. But when the dry season arrived each year, both sources often failed to produce enough water. It left the community, including a public market that draws nearly 8,000 people from the surrounding area each week, with few safe alternatives for water.
In response, our in-country WASH team established a borehole and a solar-powered water kiosk in the community. The team recruited and trained a local water management committee to maintain the water system. We also encouraged local Christian leaders to form a group to address community needs, providing leadership training through our church mobilization program.
“This water project is a miracle. It is proof that God has not abandoned us.”
“This water project is a miracle,” said the president of the pastors’ group. “It is proof that God has not abandoned us. God used Samaritan’s Purse to bless us with such a precious gift—the gift of life.”
In western Haiti, a community of 3,300 people had longstanding difficulty accessing clean water. Though they were located near a river, the water wasn’t safe to drink. In 2016, the area was hit hard by an outbreak of cholera, which can spread through contaminated water.
There is no bridge across the fast-flowing river, inhibiting access to the area. Community members hauled rocks, bamboo, and wood to the river to build makeshift supports for water supply equipment we arranged to be transported there. We provided the equipment, supplies, and labor needed to drill a borehole and construct a solar-powered water kiosk with tap stands. We also established and trained a local water management board to oversee the water system.
“I was constantly sick from drinking river water,” said a resident. “Since the water system was built, I haven’t been sick again. The water is fresh, clean, and tastes good.”
Near the capital city of Port-au-Prince, Samaritan’s Purse partnered with a local congregation to set up a solar-powered water kiosk using an existing abandoned borehole, improving access to safe drinking water for many people in the area. They access the clean water through a chlorinator managed by a local water management group trained by Samaritan’s Purse.
“This water project is like God coming from Heaven to relieve the suffering of the people.”
“This water project is like God coming from Heaven to relieve the suffering of the people,” said our ministry partner.
Samaritan’s Purse has water, sanitation, and hygiene projects around the world that provide clean water and promote safe hygiene practices—all while sharing God’s love and the truth of the Gospel. From drilling community wells to distributing household water filters, we partner with local churches and families to develop water sources, prevent the spread of disease, and proclaim Jesus Christ as the living water (John 7:38).
