Today we had a meeting with DINEPA, the Haitian Water and Sanitation Department. It went really well and I thought we made some serious progress. The purpose of the meeting was (1) to begin the process of transferring the management and finances of the Cange water system to the Haitians and (2) to work to get our upcoming water systems in other villages approved by the government.
With DINEPA's help, we will now begin talking with the community about transitioning the system by talking to village leaders and posting signs on the fountains, schools, and churches in the area. We are aiming for a July meeting with all members of the community where we can start electing members to a Water Committee, sanctioned by DINEPA, that will have the power to levy taxes on the people who use the system.
In terms of other water systems, DINEPA has requested that we submit documents about the proposed water systems in Bwa Joli, Morne Michel, and the other villages we are looking to provide clean water. Once we are authorized, we have the government's official permission to begin the projects and break ground. While this might seem unnecessary, especially considering the current state of the Haitian government, it is critical to the long-term success of these systems.
Unfortunately, I don't think I will have time to begin these water systems with what little time I have left. There are several other projects that are demanding my attention including the construction of a new marketplace in Cange, the mounting of a solar panel at Morne Michel, the placement of small water system in Ba Cange (a small community that lives next to Lake Peligre), and finally fixing the sand filters.
In other news, the chlorinator is officially up and running! We are getting WHO approved chlorine levels throughout our system for the first time in almost two months. These handmade erosion chlorinators can withstand the high pressures of our system and are one-of-a-kind. They require zero electricity and should last for a long time to come.
One of my workers (Greg) and I posing next to our completed product. We're pretty happy.
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