Imagine if six hours of your day was spent thinking, “How do I get clean water to my family? Or any water, for that matter?”  

This is the reality for many families in Haiti, especially in communities like Chameau.

In Haiti, 42.3 percent of the total population struggles to access clean drinking water.

In the small mountain community of Chameau, where New Life for Haiti works, we saw the effects of this firsthand. 

Our Haitian field director, Vilex Plaisir, met the Marege family in 2021. A family of five, they’ve lived in poverty their whole lives.  

The parents work hard to provide what they can for their children, but clean water wasn’t something they could afford with limited funds.

It’s hard for us to imagine. We walk to the sink and turn it on if we need clean water. We don’t grab our kids and say, “Hey, can you go down the mountain and get some water? See you in four hours.” 

For the Marege family, this was their reality. Their children would wake up at four or five in the morning to walk two hours down the mountain and two hours up, just to get water that isn’t even clean.  

They’re exhausted before their school day even begins.

Even worse, they know that the very water they are carrying will make them sick. 

Because the same place they walked so far to gather their water was the same place where dishes are cleaned, clothes are washed, animals drink, and humans bathe, the same place where disease and bacteria fester and grow.

Vilex heard the Marege family’s story and knew something had to be done. 

Through a God-ordained connection, New Life for Haiti collaborated with a nonprofit organization called Impact for Jesus. And with Impact for Jesus, we were able to build a cistern in the community the Marege family lives in. 

This cistern was built so well, it withstood a 7.2 magnitude earthquake four months after its construction.

But that’s not all.

When New Life for Haiti brings clean water into a community, we also bring living water. This means the community gets access to resources like Bibles and hymnals in their native language, allowing them to grow in their relationship with Jesus as they grow in their health. 

Though we rejoice that Chameau now has access to clean water, we’re keenly aware that over twenty communities we serve still need a sustainable water solution. 

Water is a basic need, and many health issues are caused by drinking unclean water.  

With access to clean water, people can move out of survival mode and begin to think about things like dreams, goals, aspirations, and hopes for the future. 

Families and adults can start making plans. They can reach new places. They can challenge themselves to learn new things. 

A whole new door is opened to help them reach their God-given potential.

It’s challenging to find the words to express how important this work is and how much our response matters.  

You can be a part of establishing the hopes and dreams of families and children in the Grand Anse River valley. Learn about the clean water solutions New Life for Haiti is implementing today: