“With all that has been going on in Haiti, this WASH school project is of vital importance, now more than ever, to support the health of Haitian children, enabling them to stay in school and achieve an education that can open new doors to their future.”
– Paul Sofka, PWW Board Member
In 2020, Paul Sofka, a current Board Member and long-time supporter of Pure Water for the World, had a vision to support Haitian students in attending school and achieving an education by raising funds to provide two community schools in Leogane, Haiti with comprehensive safe water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and training. Paul raised over $42,000.
Sadly, persistent political, economic and social unrest continued to make it unsafe for PWW team members to travel to and work in Leogane, resulting in a significant delay to launch Paul’s project.
In a focused effort to take action and help schoolchildren more immediately, Paul accepted PWW’s recommendation to shift the raised funds and help two schools located in northern Haiti, where the need is high, yet the situation is much more stable and work is able to be safely and successfully conducted.
PWW had identified two schools in high need of safe sanitation, water, and hygiene education. The schools are located in the underserved region of Limonade, where PWW has spent the last year implementing a 300-family safe water and hygiene program (learn more here).
We are thrilled to share that construction of the Adelphos School sanitation facilities is complete!
PWW recently completed the construction of a new sanitary block at Adelphos School, a school of more than 200 students. The work included replacing the old deteriorating structure with the new facility that has private, gender-specific bathrooms (replacing the dry-pit latrines that were in “deplorable condition”), a shower to support student hygiene, and hand-washing stations that will enable students with the ability to properly and easily wash hands at school!
The entire facility was constructed to be fully accessible, supporting students with a variety of needs.
The following statement was shared with the PWW team at a recent inauguration ceremony by Franceline Miléon, age 15, a student at Adelphos School (pictured middle):
I am happy to have been chosen, from among my honorable peers, to thank, on behalf of the Adelphos School of Limonade, the generous organization which has built the sanitary block that we are inaugurating today. I have agreed to speak, counting on your kind indulgence, and thank you for your kind attention for a few minutes.
I would like to sincerely thank the people in charge and also the donors of funds for the realization of this sanitary block. I would like to tell you that this great work that you are carrying out will not go unrewarded – the building of sound sanitary blocks, enabling good hygiene within schools. We, the students, are very grateful for this important work, and we pray that God can fill you with all kinds of blessings.
I would like to congratulate the team who carried out the construction of this sanitary block. We have witnessed the good work from the beginning until the end, and this work is extraordinary.
Finally, words lack depth in the face of this gift to properly thank you, so I pray that God bless you continually, and I hope that your good work will continue.
Thank you!
This impactful solution will not only support the health and future of the students attending the Adelphos School this year, but, as a long-term solution, this project will continue to support and empower students at Adelphos School for generations to come.
Pure Water for the World joins the students and staff of Adelphos School in sincerely thanking Paul Sofka and the generous donors who made this important work possible.
