Here’s a quick letter to tell you about some of the exiting things we have been doing this last week. What started as a trip to visit and support our students has became much more interesting after we were asked to demonstrate our proven water testing methods to the World Bank. The bank is surveying a large area in Central Haiti in the area where the cholera epidemic started, and wanted advice on accurate methods of water testing for bacterial contamination. We were recommended for our expertise in field testing, and so this last week we have been training some of their staff to go to communities in the area and collect water samples and then test them there using materials provided by us and by our advisor Dr. Robert Metcalf.
The survey takers, “enumerators” to the World Bank, will visit households, schools, markets, and various water sources to do health interviews and take over 750 water samples for testing. I and two of our Haitian students from our college program at Mt. Hood Community College will travel with them to help them with their testing and interpretation of results. We will be staying in that part of Haiti for several days to take part in the survey.
When their survey is done the bank will use the results to plot the first ever map of the water quality of the Central Department of Haiti. It will show Health Agencies and others where the greatest disease risks are and where to focus their resources in eliminating cholera and other water borne diseases.
It’s an amazing feeling to be asked to be part of such an important and life saving project, and you, our supporters, can take pride as well in the work we have done together. In the next weeks I’ll share more about the various interesting projects we are doing while here in Haiti.
p.s. please write to me and tell me what you think. As a supporter, I really value your opinion.