Clean water…An Indispensable Resource
It became readily evident when we began working in the Dominican Republic in 1989 that a source of clean water was critical and absent in many of the areas where we worked. The lack of clean water meant that most people were chronically infected with parasites. In addition, whenever the children had scrapes and cuts, there was no pure water to clean them. As a result, the kids have numerous skin infections which in many cases leave ugly scarring.
Pantoja It was in the summer of 2002 when were working in a new community, Pantoja, when we decided that we needed to begin installing clean water systems…….simply treating the parasitic infections on our summer visits and explaining the need to purify water or buy clean water was not enough.
In the autumn of 2002, the Foundation for Peace partnered with the Woodside Presbyterian Church (Yardley, PA), the community of Pantoja, Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal M.I.- Pantoja, and Healing Waters International (www.healingwatersintl.org) to install a clean water system for the community on the roof of the Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal M.I church. Healing Waters is devoted to installing state of the art water purification systems in churches in the Dominican Republic and works with the local church to manage the system and finances.
Please watch the three-minute video below, in which Judy Jones beautifully describes how the water system has had a big impact on the health of the Pantoja community.
Video
During the summer of 2002, our first trip to Pantoja, we saw more than 600 patients from the community in a day-long medical clinic. Shockingly, we very rapidly ran out of anti-parasitic medicines due to the high burden of intestinal parasitic infections in the community. In 2003, the Healing Waters clean water system became fully functional and now the community is drinking nearly 30,000 gallons of clean water each month. We returned to Pantoja to provide medical care for the community in 2004. We took a survey of the people as they registered for the clinic as to where they were getting their drinking water. More than 90% of the people said they were drinking clean water from the system we had installed which they purchase for 8 pesos per 5 gallons (about 25 cents US). The health benefits of this change from filthy to clean water was readily corroborated in a remarkable way. As the clinic day progressed, with 12 physicians each seeing over 700 patients, we ended up with 90% of the anti-parasitic medicines left over!! An amazing turn around from 2 years earlier when we could not get enough medicine donated to treat all of those infected. Proof once again that access to clean water, and education as to its importance, makes a big difference for the health of a community. The left-over medicines were then used to treat people in Los Alcarrizos, where we held a medical clinic the following day. Since this local community had limited access to clean water, the parasitic infection burden was as high there as it had been in Pantoja. As soon as we can find funds, we plan to install a water system in Los Alcarrizos too!
In 2005, we helped to install another Healing Waters clean water system. This time in the Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal M.I.-Tres Brazos Church. This again was a partnership between the community of Tres Brazos, Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal M.I.-Tres Brazos, Healing Waters International and the Foundation for Peace. We expect to see the same type of overall health improvement this community as we have seen in Pantoja.
In addition, to providing water at a small cost to the community, each Healing Waters system provides clean water for free to the schools the Foundation for Peace has helped to construct adjacent to the Water system site. If you'd like to help support the installation of additional clean water systems in the Dominican Republic, we are currently searching for donors who will support all or a part of the following.
- $5,000 to construct the building needed to house the filtration system and the dispensing location for the water.
- $20,000 to cover the cost of a complete system and its installation for a community
- $1,000 to pay for a community health education program and provide clean plastic bottles for families that cannot afford a container to be able to avail themselves to the clean water.
If you're inclined to help support us, we need your help now since we want to install five new systems in 2006. It is only money that stops us from proceeding at this point. Please click on the Donate Now button on this web site or contact ken@foundationforpeace.org