Three New Wells Drilled in Haiti

Cynthia is the Director of Community Relations at First Call Home Health. She says, “First Call believes in community relationships and giving back to our community, so they allow me to help in our community and give back to the people.”  Taking paid time out of her work day, she has helped people locally and, through the Rotary committee, throughout the world.

Cynthia Witham’s seven-year-old adopted granddaughter is from Haiti. When Cynthia joined the Salem Downtown Rotary Club,  she learned the organization did a lot of service projects in disadvantaged countries. Because of her care and concern for the earthquake-affected people of Haiti, she became a member of the club’s World Service Committee.

When Cynthia’s children were in Haiti 10 years ago, they met a man who was educated in the U.S. Cynthia got to know him a later when he was visiting the U.S. He returned to Haiti to help his people as a well driller. Cynthia e-mailed to ask how she could help bring more clean water to the people in his country.

Being a Rotarian in Haiti, he and several others began the process there. With so many hoops to jump through Cynthia had to re-start the process over three times before she was able to get it to proceed. She worked hard during 14 months to see the dream become a reality. Her Haitian friend’s bid to drill three wells came in $20,000 less than other companies, so he was awarded the $30,000 project.

Seven Rotary clubs (Salem Downtown, Wilsonville, Columbia (Scappoose), Keizer, Dallas, Salem Sunrise, and Florence) joined together to raise $9,000, which was matched by their district, and matched again by Rotary International.

Cynthia received word on October 10, 2011, that the projects had been fully funded. An account set up in Haiti has now received the $30,000 that was raised.

“I am so excited,” Cynthia exclaims , “the wells can now be drilled! I have walked through an amazing journey this past year. I am totally amazed at what the Rotary Club has done.”

The wells will be drilled in the following Haitian communities:

• A section in Hinche where 8,000 people live, plus 1000 students in a school (Hinche is a city of 70,000)
• Rhode, a town of 6000 people
• Campeche, a village of 2000

There is extreme poverty in each of these locations, but especially in Rhode and Campeche. The people are currently getting their drinking water from the rivers, which are sources of typhoid, malaria, diarrhea and many other infectious diseases. Most of the water in Haiti is polluted. The wells will save lives from the Cholera epidemic.

The village of Campeche will only have a hand pump on its well, as no electrical service is available. The larger towns will each have a submersible pump that will fill a 600 gallon holding tank, dispensed through four spouts. This will make it possible for four people to get water at the same time.

These wells will initially be powered by diesel engines, then later by electricity when it becomes available in their communities. The wells will be drilled 200 feet deep, and lined with casings. Filters will be installed at the outlet of each well head

The local Rotary club will supervise a committee of local citizens who will oversee the daily well project operations. They will charge 10 cents per 5 gallons of water dispensed so the monies can insure sanitary conditions and keep the well running.

The people in the communities are absolutely thrilled that wells will be drilled soon. They walk several miles a day each way to get five gallons of dirty water from a river.

The water will also be used for vegetable gardens, which will help the nutrition of the people in the Haitian communities.

Cynthia’s excitement over this project has been an encouragement to others: Cynthia says, “I have never done anything like this before.

If I can do a project like this, anybody can do it. I had no experience, just a heart that said I wanted to help Haiti.”

After the wells are installed in several months, Cynthia will travel to Haiti with her family, including her granddaughter from Haiti, and some Rotarian friends. She wants to report firsthand on the wonderful impact that clean water has on these people who are dear to her heart. She is already looking forward to starting new projects in the future to help them with education and other needs.

Street Market in Hinche

Downtown Hinche