The kids must go all day in school without water to drink, and some simply collapse before the day’s end. —Madame Madline Dupiton
Your gift brought clean, safe water to Madame Dupiton’s pupils.
We met with Madline Dupiton in Haiti last month. She is the Haiti Coordinator of the U.S.-based African Methodist-Episcopal Church (AME), the largest black denomination in the U.S.
After a quick interview, she leaned forward, and poured out her heart to us: our AME schools do not have drinkable water. The available water is severely contaminated.
Dr. Remy, a pediatrician who works for the AME churches, said that contaminated water makes children repeatedly sick and they often miss classes. Children go all day in class without water and some simply collapse before the day’s end.
But, the churches and parents are desperate for education for their children and keep them in class.
Madame Dupiton knows clean water is a basic necessity. She knows a cup of cool water in over 90-degree heat will liven up her children. She requested our help for her schools – 27 schools in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan region.
With long experience, straight talk, and compassion…she will be as protective of our chlorinators as the Water Board members at our 100 installation sites.
And, last week, thanks to gifts like yours, Dalebrun and his team began installing chlorinators at several AME schools and their clinic.
Now, the 233 students at National Virginia Sampeur School drink clean water. Dr. Remy related that the clean drinking water became a big event in the 2007-2008 academic year. Even AME’s neighbors are amazed with our work.
Madame Dupiton’s clinic – Richard Allen Clinic – had the same problem. Dr. Remy bought water on trucks from a commercial water company and put it in a special cistern for medical activities. Yet, she knows that the water often “has frogs” – the Haitian expression for bad water.
Now, with installation of a chlorinator, she expects the situation will turn around.
It’s a great start.
Yet, many of AME schools are not as fortunate as National Virginia Sampeur School. Some do not have a water tank on which we can install a chlorinator. Some schools do not get water at all.
A plastic water tank costs $500. With the water tank installed, we can put a chlorinator on it and children can quench their thirst during school. And, we already asked Dalebrun and our plumbers to figure out where and how to connect those schools to the city water system.
Your special gift will immediately be put to installing a water tank and a chlorinator at the following schools:
Amour Christ en Action school (513 students)
Sainte en Face school (420 students)
Nationale Charlotin Marcadieux school (700 students)
That’s 1,663 more kids with clean, safe water in Port-au-Prince.
With the warmest heart,
Youngmin Chang
Associate Director