By Carol Milkuhn
Unfazed by the sweltering October temperatures, the tall Haitian spoke earnestly and fluently, his attention focused on the large group gathered inside the tin walls of a school in Bouda Chita, Haiti. Ranging from ancient, wrinkled men to nursing mothers and young children, wearing T-shirts saying "Sarasota Ford" or "Virginia Beach" as well as more traditional long skirts and school uniforms, this audience was diverse, representative of a cross section of Haitian society.
But on this October day they were united, all held rapt by the eloquence of their speaker, Roni Seraphin, project manager for Pure Water for the World, as he explained the importance of good hygiene and clean water in preventing the scourge of waterborne diseases. And equally enthralled by the presentation were two residents of the Mad River Valley, Jenneth Fleckenstein and Reverend Susan McKnight, who were in Haiti because of a church, a business and a nonprofit organization over 1,700 miles away in Vermont.
The story begins in the sanctuary of Warren UCC on one Sunday in February 2014 with a presentation by Jenneth Fleckenstein about the water crisis in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Motivated by a description of a country ravaged by dysentery and cholera, the congregation of Warren UCC initiated a fund drive under the slogan, "A Drop in the Bucket."
Since Susan McKnight was on sabbatical, the congregation turned to the leadership of Reverend Lee Moore; by emptying their pockets of loose change each Sunday, the congregation raised $3,000, a sum matched by The Moody Foundation of Galveston, TX.
Upon McKnight's return, the church donated these monies to Pure Water of the World, a nonprofit organization founded in Rutland, Vermont, and endorsed by Clear Water Filtration of Warren. All monies were earmarked for the purchase of water filters for a rural Haitian community in Bouda Chita.
The choice of Pure Water for the World was a considered one. Having spent years earning the trust and respect of the Haitian community through their work in schools, clinics and hospitals, this organization is well positioned to address the water crisis facing Haiti. The filtration system that Pure Water for the World installs is, above all, practical.
A biosand system that does not depend upon chemicals or an outside power source, it provides 99 percent reduction of parasites and other toxicants. And, as their website details, for every $300 raised Pure Water for the World provides not only a filtering system but also community hygiene education and training, as well as follow-up monitoring to ensure that the cycle of waterborne illness is broken.
And so, with the donation of $6,000 – enough money for 20 filters – this trip to Haiti became a priority for Susan McKnight and Jenneth Fleckenstein. And, as Reverend McKnight explained, the discomfort of miles of travel on deeply rutted gravel roads, of sleeping on mats under mosquito netting, of taking showers under a trickle of cold water was offset by seeing rays of hope and light in this poverty-stricken country.
The joy on the face of a mother who knows her child can be protected from disease, the sight of a group of uniformed schoolchildren who are well enough to attend classes, the attentiveness of an audience eager to better their lives all attest to our ability to better the world around us. As Fleckenstein says, "I have seen firsthand the pride a community has for their biosand filtration system and how it has improved the lives of children and families."
And Reverend McKnight certainly endorses this viewpoint, adding, "I am so grateful to Warren Church for acting on the truth that one person cannot do everything, but one person can certainly do something and – united with others – we can really make a difference in people's lives. Really, we can."
To donate to Pure Water for the World, visit purewaterfortheworld.org and click the DONATE button. Or send a donation to Pure Water for the World, P.O. Box 55, Rutland, Vermont 05702.
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