John Gronberg of the Rotary Club of Holland, MI spoke to us about Rotary's HANWASH Program in Haiti.
HANWASH stands for Haiti National Clean Water, Sanitation and Health Strategy It is a collaborative, national initiative by Rotary District 7020 and DINEPA, Haiti's water and sanitation agency. The program's goal is for every person in Haiti to have access to clean water and adequate sanitation by 2030.
The Haiti government has identified areas needing water sources, and local committees will make the arrangements. While the ultimate goal is to bring water directly to homes, the first step will be to put in wells with pumps at kiosks near homes.
District 6290 is one of many Rotary Districts supporting the program. The District has $20,000 in an account for this program and will be looking for matching grants. The cost of a well is about $50,000, and qualified drilling companies are being identified. HANWASH is an ongoing program, not just a project.