For the people of Fond des Blancs, the job of fetching water has typically been a long and demanding process. Water collection consisted of twice daily trips to the closest potable water source that, for many, was almost two hours from home in one direction. For the people living in the central most zones of Fond des Blancs, this has changed with the completion of eight new wells.

This past March, Water for Life, with funding from Food for the Poor, the Concord Rotary and Cambridge Friends of Fond des Blancs, completed eight wells with pumps in the zones of Quindac, Buissereth South, Buissereth North, Vibert, Murier, Gaspard and the central market zone of Sainton. Water for Life, the technical arm for the project, works exclusively in Haiti and is one of the few groups in the country that has the equipment necessary to drill the sometimes 200 feet needed to draw potable water.  The wells themselves are equipped with newly installed pumps and cement basins to allow for easy use. Some wells can draw water at a rate of 50 gallons per minute!

For the people of Fond des Blancs, having a clean and close source of water has improved not only the time it takes to get the water, but ensures a safe supply of drinking water. Many diseases come from drinking contaminated water and all but one of the wells installed draw potable water that can be used for drinking, cooking, bathing and cleaning. 

With the success of these eight new wells, plans are currently being made to install more wells in areas across Fond des Blancs that still lack ready access to potable water systems. Working with Water for Life, St. Boniface Haiti Foundation seeks to determine the water needs in the 107 square mile area that comprises Fond des Blancs. A group from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has committed to visiting in August to help evaluate and assure the quality of the water being drawn from the wells.

Meghan Connett