This is one very simple thing that I have taken for granted my entire life.
Prior to living here it never occurred to me how important clean, potable water sources are. I have always had reliable drinking water. I have always had indoor plumbing.
In this village, where NO ONE has plumbing, the people are blessed to have a constant flow of water running though channels that were built in the 50's. They use this water for dishes, laundry and bathing. It is not safe to drink.
Most of our neighbors access their drinking water from a well that was put in place for them outside the Lifeline gate. If you live too far from a well, you likely use river water for drinking. Drinking contaminated water is the number one cause of illness here.
From "Frontline World"-
"More than 60 percent of Haitians do not have access to clean water. The country is ranked last on the International Water Poverty Index, and continued political instability has only made the situation worse."
"How the water infrastructure will grow and change remains to be seen, but with one of the world's highest infant mortality rates, in large part because of dirty water, a rapidly degenerating environment, and people spending more and more time and money trying to access potable water, Haiti has little time to waste."
