An Update from Honduras & Haiti – September 22, 2020

PWW teams in Haiti and Honduras continue essential safe water, sanitation and hygiene education outreach to help vulnerable populations prevent the spread of diseases, including COVID-19. 


Summer Update

As we enter into the first days of fall, we wonder where this year has gone! For a year that has been very different, with reduced events and activities, it sure did go by quickly. The same is true for our teams in Haiti and Honduras. Time did not slow us down; instead, work ramped up!


Honduras:

COVID hasn’t slowed their progress. Our teams have launched several new projects this summer while continuing and completing work on existing projects.

Highlights include:

  • Virtual training of more than 50 teachers focused on WASH-in-schools (WASH = Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and Menstrual Hygiene Education as part of the Safe Schools Project, sponsored by UNICEF.
  • Completion of WASH programs in three schools in Danli, Honduras as part of the Dry Corridor Project sponsored by UNICEF.
  • Launching of work in one of the two Trojes communities funded by the amazing Atlas Leadership Group and their fundraising efforts!
  • Launching of the repair of a community water system in Maraita, funded by Moody Permanent Endowment Fund.

And what is going on behind the scenes??? A lot!

  • Continued collaboration on additional virtual trainings for teachers, communities and organizations.
  • Finalizing the revision of our comprehensive monitoring and evaluation program, tailored for the Honduras program and culture.
  • Finalizing annual monitoring effort for our Carbon Credit program.

Haiti:

COVID hasn’t slowed the Haiti team either! They have continued to work hard on various projects, with highlights below:

  • Preparation for launching a 770 home safe water and hygiene education program in Limonade/Pistere, Haiti. Much planning has taken place in preparation of starting the project implementation in October.
  • Our partner, Soaring Unlimited, in Pistere has requested our assistance with a latrine/handwashing station for their new birthing center at their medical clinic. Our team visited the site and is collaborating on creating a solution that meets the needs of the clinic and their patient community.
  • Carbon Credit annual monitoring has also been taking place in Haiti, with the teams traveling extensively to several different areas around Haiti to collect the appropriate data. While conducting these visits, they’ve handed out handwashing and mask wearing posters to further support the families.

And, for behind the scenes…

  • The team is working on a revision of our monitoring and evaluation program, tailored for the Haiti program and culture.
  • They are preparing to conduct a mock run-through of the new baseline survey in preparation for finalizing soon.
  • The water lab continues to be of assistance to clients, including organizations and those living in Haiti.

We are deeply grateful that our teams have been able to continue their important work in the field. This pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the challenges families living without WASH face on an everyday basis. We are grateful our team is able to still provide much needed solutions for vulnerable families.

Thanks to the support of many, we are hopeful to be able to wrap up the year on as positive of note as possible!


Now More Than Ever! Learn about our recent fundraising effort to keep our teams going strong. 

NOTE: The newly released CARES Act allows for non-itemizer deductions of up to $300 for 2020 (claimed on tax forms next year) and lifts the existing 60% income cap on annual contributions for those who itemize in 2020. It also raises the annual limit for corporate donations from 10 percent to 25 percent. Please consult your tax advisor for more details.

Learn more about PWW’s COVID-19 response, including previous blogs.