Water Charity’s Filters For Life Initiative – Worldwide Water Filter Distribution Program

Water Charity’s Filters For Life Initiative – Worldwide Water Filter Distribution Program

Filters For Life

Water Charity’s Filters For Life Initiative – Worldwide Water Filter Distribution Program

Filters For Life Program - Worldwide

With new developments in filter technology, we can now provide needy communities with long-lasting, effective water filters that can provide up to 2000 gallons of water a day… for a reasonable price.

We are very excited about this program, which will include individual projects all over the world. The need for these filters is great, and there is almost no limit to the number of wonderful new filters we can distribute as the funds become available.

Trying the Filtered Water

Keep in mind:

  • 80% of all disease is water-borne
  • Lack of clean drinking water is the leading preventable cause of death worldwide
  • 443 million school days are lost each year due to water-related illness
  • 6.3 million children under the age of five died in 2013

As an addition to our current roster of successful programs in water and sanitation, which have included well drilling, rainwater catchment, toilet and handwashing station construction, emergency relief, reforestation efforts and more–including a good number of filter projects–as well as our acclaimed Appropriate Projects initiative, this new program will be an umbrella for our worldwide push to get these new filters into the hands of those people who desperately need them. It will include all relevant projects, large and small… thus enabling people to donate to the overall effort.

There is no need for these statistics to be true anymore. We have all the tools we need to completely eliminate this suffering and waste of life. The predominant victims of this terrible situation are young children. These kids deserve a chance.

The projects in this program will be upwardly scalable, and as such, the more money we can raise, the more filters we can give out. Instead of creating and packaging the individual filter delivery projects one by one and funding them separately, it makes sense to raise as much money as possible and keep the filters flowing. In this way, we can also get larger grants from foundations and concerned organizations. We fully expect that this program will grow into the largest thing we have done.

  • Beni Filters
  • sawyer-water-filters-men[1].jpg
  • Filters For Life Program - Worldwide
  • Women trained to make bio-sand filters
  • Villagers using their water filters
  • Trained with filters, Congo
  • Making Bio-sand filters.
  • Learning about the filters
  • Preparing FILTERS

For those interested in the filter technology we are presently proposing, please feel free to go to the Sawyer website and peruse the relevant materials. We will be implementing primarily their Point One filter, but for hospitals, clinics and other sites we will also be making the Point Zero Two purifier available. [note: normally viruses are not a major issue for drinking water.]

This is an exciting program, and we hope you will see the need for it and join in. Water Charity is currently active in over 60 countries around the world. As the money comes in we will take the Filters for Life – Worldwide program into all of them and beyond.

If there are certain regions where you are especially interested in helping, it will be possible to donate specifically for those countries or areas. Just send us a message with your donation. However, we are hoping people will recognize that a general donation to the program itself will be the most effective way to get the maximum number of filters out in the shortest amount of time.

We are water… literally. The human body is about 70% water by mass, and a typical human cell is composed of 98.73% water molecules.

Individual FFL projects in their entirety can be found HERE, and are listed at the bottom of THIS page.  Please consider supporting this monumental effort.

Filters being deployed in Pakistan Flooding
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Guatemala City Garbage Dump Water Filters Project – Part 3

Guatemala City Garbage Dump Water Filters Project – Part 3

Filters For Life

Guatemala City Garbage Dump Water Filters Project – Part 3

This is a follow-up to two great projects completed in recent years in partnership with Safe Passage, a nonprofit operating in Guatemala City, to provide for the clean water needs of those living and working in Central America’s largest landfill, the Guatemala City Garbage Dump.

Guatemala City Garbage Dump Water Filters Project – Part 3These garbage dump workers spend long days sorting through trash to find and sell recyclable items. They live in homes without running water and experience frequent health problems including gastrointestinal infections, parasites, and amoebas.

Safe Passage is a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit with operations in Guatemala City. The organization provides approximately 550 children with education, social services, and the chance to move beyond the poverty their families have faced for generations.

Water Charity partnered with Safe Passage in 2009 in the Project for Garbage Dump Workers of Guatemala. The goal was to improve the health of families participating in Safe Passage’s programs. 46 ceramic water filters from were provided to 42 women enrolled in the Adult Literacy program, as well as one small filter for the Literacy classroom and three large filters, one for the Early Education Center and two for the main Reinforcement Building.

In 2010, under the Guatemala City Garbage Dump Water Filters Project – Part 2, 35 ceramic filters were provided to new families. Safe Passage continued to work with the beneficiaries and provide education and training and to document the health benefits that have accrued from the consistent use of the filters.

In 2012, Water Charity recognized the evolving technology becoming available to purify contaminated water, and started the Filters for Life Program – Worldwide. The program uses the Sawyer filter technology, involving carbon nanotubes to remove all known pathogens, bacteria, cysts, protozoa, and even the smallest viruses. The filters have been proven to last for 10 years with minimal maintenance.

Guatemala City Garbage Dump Water Filters Project – Part 3The efficacy of the technology has been shown in various locations, including in the recently completed Water Charity Typhoon Haiyan Relief – Philippines.

With a continually changing population in need of clean water, and in consideration of the success of the first two projects, it was recognized that it was time for another filter project it partnership with Safe Passage.

This new program is to assemble and deliver 50 Sawyer PointONE filters to families of children enrolled in the Safe Passage program.

The filters can be set up in a matter of seconds. They have a high flow rate, eliminating the need to store water, and reducing the chances of water being contaminated after it is filtered.

The program will provide safe water to over 300 people.

Recipient families will be trained in the use and maintenance of the filters as well as other aspects of hygiene and sanitation. Safe Passage will ensure that the filters are being used and maintained properly and will evaluate the health benefits that have been achieved.

This project has been fully funded through the generosity of Michael and Carla Boyle, of Nelsonville, OH, USA.

Additional donations for this effective and worthy project will go to other projects in Guatemala.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

Super Typhoon Haiyan Emergency Water Relief – Philippines

Super Typhoon Haiyan Emergency Water Relief – Philippines

Disaster Relief, Filters For Life

Super Typhoon Haiyan Emergency Water Relief – Philippines

The project was initiated to provide aid to stricken areas within days after Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines. Super Typhoon Haiayn, known as Yolanda in the Philippines, was a true calamity for those who had to endure its awesome storm surge and 195mph winds.

As most of you know, Tacloban city bore the brunt of what looks to be the strongest storm on record to ever make landfall. Lt. Col. Marciano Jesus Guevara of the Filipino military aid said that the biggest problem in Tacloban is a lack of clean drinking water. “Water is life,” he said. “If you have water with no food, you’ll survive.”

Within days after the devastating typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, and while it was still ravaging Vietnam, Water Charity began this effort to get water filters to the victims. With over 800,000 evacuees still housed in makeshift housing, churches and community centers, and well before any refugee camps had been constructed, Water Charity was already organizing the delivery of life-saving carbon nanotube filters.

Our first shipment of filters was paid for out of our own pockets and was flown to the Philippines personally by one of our colleagues to expedite distribution.

Far and away the best and most cost-efficient filter technology, these lightweight, durable and highly effective filters are engineered to less than a micron and thus prevent all known pathogens, bacteria, cysts, protozoa, and even the smallest virus from passing through.

We started using this technology under our Filters for Life Program, so when the extent of the devastation became apparent, we were ready to step up and help with the relief effort.

Looking back, the impact on that country, with 99 million people, is hard to comprehend:

•    14.9 million people affected
•    4.13 million people displaced
•    6,100+ reported dead
•    26,233 reported injured
•    1.2 million damaged houses

Now, long after the world has forgotten about Haiyan and it’s victims, we are still interested in helping out.  If we can raise the funds, we will be happy to expand our filter distribution in the Philippines… afterall, lack of clean drinking water kills more people than all of the typhoons and storms they get combined.

Additional Images:
    
   
Conclusion of Earthquake Relief & Water Filter Project – Nepal

Conclusion of Earthquake Relief & Water Filter Project – Nepal

Disaster Relief, Filters For Life

Conclusion of Earthquake Relief & Water Filter Project – Nepal

This project has been completed under the partnership of Water Charity and the National Peace Corps Association, in association with our friends Wine To Water.

To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

 In response to the earthquakes that devastated Nepal in April and May 2015, Water Charity and Wine To Water have partnered to support the people affected by these events with clean water.  Sawyer filters and water holding buckets were procured to enable victims of the destruction to have access to clean water.
The need and urgency of this relief cannot be overstated. More than 3 million people in Nepal lack access to clean water and sanitation due to infrastructure and homes being completely destroyed throughout much of the country. So, in addition to dealing with the magnitude of the destruction of the earthquake, and the pending monsoon season in a couple of weeks which will make living conditions much worse for many, the lack of clean water will compound these problems with an increase in water-borne illnesses.
In an effort to make the highest impact possible, water filters were distributed to the following territories within Kathmandu Valley. Upon the original site assessment of each territory, a local community leader was chosen and trained on program management. This step has proven to be very helpful as these community leaders have ensured the proper care and use of the filter over the weeks following the distribution.
Wine To Water’s CEO, David Cuthbert, joined the ground team to do site visits and assessments on these locations and are pleased to report nearly 100% adoption of the use of the filters in the field. It is clear and extremely evident that they are greatly appreciated by the recipients and highly helpful during this difficult time.

Location 1: Kavreshtali, Ward 5 and Phutung District

In this rural area 3.5 KM north of Kathmandu, 110 filters were distributed thus far. Many more filters are needed to cover more of the population but over 2500 people are using the filters within these areas. The community leader, Nirmal Lama, is overseeing the maintenance and use of the filters by the population. In this area, 275 homes were totally or partially destroyed of the 490 that existed there.
Location 2: Sangla Club, Ward 3
In Sangla Club, 60 Sawyer filters were distributed for the benefit of 1,200 people who live here. The earthquake nearly leveled every home in this area as 240 were totally destroyed of the 268 that once covered the area. People are now living in tents or temporary shelters in this area. Community leader Saraswati Joshi is overseeing the local filter operation.
Location 3: Darmashtali
In Darmashtali, 35 filters have been set up in community hubs and are being used by 1,200 people. Springwater has been contaminated due to the earthquake’s destruction but is still accessible in the community. Filters are being used at these stations to clean water for drinking, bathing, and food preparation. Filter maintenance and management are being done by two young leaders, Ajit Shahi and Shyam Dongol.
Darmashtali, a village rich in Nepali heritage, culture, and community, has seen 90% of its homes destroyed and personal items totally lost. In many ways, they are starting over. As we visited the community on June 4th, 2015, it was evident that the entire community was coming together as best as possible to build temporary shelters in advance of the monsoon season in June. The town is made up of many tradespeople and skilled labor workers.
Although some progress has been made and the water situation has improved, food shortages were obviously still a very large issue. In visiting one of the houses this week, David witnessed a woman cleaning mud off of scattered rice that was buried under the rubble of what was once her home.
The partnership between Water Charity and Wine To Water has directly contributed to provide clean water for thousands of folks in desperate need throughout Nepal.

We would like to thank David Cuthbert and Kyle Lomax once again for their work on this much-needed project. 

This project falls under our ongoing Filters For Life Program – Worldwide.

While the work in Nepal has moved from disaster relief to development, there is still a tremendous need for clean water.  We will continue this successful project as long as we receive funds to pay for the installation of filters in areas that were hit by the earthquake.

   

   

   

Earthquake Relief & Water Filter Project – Nepal

Earthquake Relief & Water Filter Project – Nepal

Disaster Relief, Filters For Life

Earthquake Relief & Water Filter Project – Nepal

This project is made possible through the partnership of WATER CHARITY and the NATIONAL PEACE CORPS ASSOCIATION.

After the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal, Water Charity immediately began to try and find ways to help.  Potable water is always a valuable and important commodity after a disaster, so we decided to jump in and send high quality, effective water filters to aid in the relief effort.  Using Sawyer filters, which comprise the backbone of our Filters For Life Program, we joined together with a few of our friends to send 1,000 filters to be installed in refugee camps, hospitals, community centers and schools around the hardest-hit areas.

Working together with our friends, fellow non-profit Wine2Water, installation of these filters began immediately in the days after the first earthquake and will provide clean drinking water for as many as a hundred thousand people.  We hope that with all the problems the Nepalese refugees have to deal with, that safe, clean drinking water will cease to be one of them.

The earthquake that hit on the 25th of April, and a second major tremor on May 12th, killed more than 8,600 people and brought down buildings in Kathmandu and the country’s central districts.  More than 8,000 people died in the disaster and many remain homeless. This disaster is said to affect over 8 million people in the region of Kathmandu.

This project falls under our ongoing Filters For Life Program – Worldwide, in which we are trying to make sure these high-quality Sawyer filters make their way into as many hands as humanly possible.  While not as flashy as drilling wells, water filters are probably the single most effective way to prevent death and unnecessary suffering due to unpotable drinking water (the leading cause of preventable death worldwide).

In disaster situations, having access to clean, potable drinking water is generally the first priority.  Long before the food runs out, thirsty people are forced to scavenge for a source of water, which will generally prove unhealthy and waterborne illnesses are known to run rampant in refugee camps where proper filtration, or at least some little bit of bleach, is not being used to clean the water.

Water Charity, in concert with the NPCA, paid for this project out of pocket and is asking donors to contribute to this effort by helping us recoup the funds we have already spent, enabling us to expand the relief effort.  All money raised in excess of the current cost of the project will go to further relief efforts in Nepal.

Fundraising Goal
$6,500

This project has been completed.  To see the results, CLICK HERE.

While the work in Nepal has moved from disaster relief to development, there is still a tremendous need for clean water.  We would like to continue this successful project and ramp up filter installations in the affected regions of Nepal.  Please consider donating to this effort to allow us to implement a Phase 2 and help even more people.

Water Charity is proud to be among the first groups to get tangible help on the ground in emergencies like this one, and the typhoon Haiyan earlier where we engaged in a similar series of projects to help survivors.

Ponyentanga Borehole Project – Ghana

Ponyentanga Borehole Project – Ghana

Filters For Life

Ponyentanga Borehole Project – Ghana

This project is made possible through the partnership of WATER CHARITY & the NATIONAL PEACE CORPS ASSOCIATION.

Location
Ponyentanga, Wa West, Upper West Region, Ghana

Community Description
The community is a rural community in the Wa West district in the Upper West region of Ghana. The community is located on the main road from Kumasi heading to Wa, but still has a high poverty rate estimated at 85% by USAID. The major tribes in the community are the Dagaaba, Waale, and Birifor tribes, all speaking a dialect version of the language Dagaare spoken in the Upper West region of Ghana and some portions of Burkina Faso.

In the community, like most places in Ghana, fetching water is primarily an activity done by girls. Even more so, the girls tend to be of school age, who spend most of their time fetching water, preparing food, and cleaning, rather than doing their homework.

The people in the community are mostly subsistence farmers. Their main crops are maize, millet, and yams. All of these are used to prepare local food, but a large portion of millet is used to prepare a drink called a pito. This is a semi-alcoholic drink is prepared by almost every woman in every house in the community. They use this drink to give an offering at church services and to sell in the market.

Problem Addressed
At the moment, many of the students and neighboring community members are forced to fetch water at a nearby dam, as the borehole closest to the school is almost two kilometers away. Students choose to stay at home instead of coming to school due to a lack of water at the school. This results in attendance at school being incredibly low and little engagement outside of school.

Many students chose to go home during class hours in order to drink water and decide not to return to school afterward. The girls selected to fetch water to the school stay at home rather than suffer carrying water from the borehole all the way to school. As the community members are fetching water at the dam for drinking and preparing food, there is a high rate of bacterial infections and diarrhea, as the dam is also used by the cattle for drinking.

Project Description
This project is to build a borehole in the community.

A geophysical survey will be conducted (using a terrameter for the 4-point Wenner test) arranged for by the WATSAN committee. This way, once they are able to select a location, the probability of hitting freshwater will be very high.

Once a location has been chosen, the WATSAN committee will mobilize the school and neighboring community members to collect stones and sand used for the mixing of concrete for construction. The committee will then contact the drilling engineer (that they arranged through the Community Water and Sanitation Agency office in Wa) to come and start drilling the borehole. The drilling engineer will mobilize the drilling rig at the worksite and drill through both overburdened and other types of rock (at an estimated 80 meters).

In addition to paying for labor, Water Charity funds will be used to purchase PVC pipes to lower into the drilled hole. The drilling engineer will then do a discharge test, 90% recovery test, and a physio-chemical and bacteriological analysis of the water to ensure that the water is clean.

When this is finished, the WATSAN committee and the drilling engineer will work together with community members to create the pump pad and install the already purchased Afridev hand pump.

Project Impact
The project will give 500 people access to clean water. This includes students and teachers at the school campus and surrounding family members who live close to the school.

The WATSAN committee will benefit from the project by increasing their capacity to plan and make new boreholes and learn more about maintenance for the existing ones in the community.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Sean Sinclair

Monitoring and Maintenance
The WATSAN committee will receive training from the Community and Water Agency in Wa and monitoring and maintaining borehole. Currently, only one member has expertise in repairing boreholes. In the next coming weeks, the WATSAN committee will have a workshop where that one member will share his knowledge on maintaining boreholes with the other members. Then, when the project is completed the committee will be able to maintain and monitor the borehole.

The community plans on charging ten pesewas per basin of water to collect funds for future maintenance and repairs.

Comments
While this project has not been undertaken as an official Peace Corps Let Girls Learn project, it accomplishes the same objective of creating conditions that will enable girls to go to and remain in school.

Fundraising Target
$2,900

Funds raised in excess of the project amount will be allocated to other projects in the country.

Donations Collected to Date
$2,900

Dollar Amount Needed
$0 – This project has been paid for by an anonymous donor.  

Additional donations will be allocated to other projects in Ghana.

This project has been completed.  To read about the conclusion, CLICK HERE.

 

Conclusion of Ponyentanga Borehole Project – Ghana

Conclusion of Ponyentanga Borehole Project – Ghana

Filters For Life

Conclusion of Ponyentanga Borehole Project – Ghana

This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Sean Sinclair. The project was designed to build a borehole in the community. The project was somewhat delayed because Sean had to leave the community, but it was finally finished with the help of another PCV.

To read about the start of the project, CLICK HERE.

A summary of Sean’s report is as follows:

Problem Addressed
The community is a rural community in the Wa West district in the Upper West region of Ghana. The community is located on the main road from Kumasi heading to Wa, but still has a high poverty rate estimated at 85% by USAID. The major tribes in the community are the Dagaaba, Waale, and Birifor tribes, all speaking a dialect version of the language Dagaare spoken in the Upper West region of Ghana and some portions of Burkina Faso. In the community, like most places in Ghana, fetching water is primarily an activity done by school-aged girls. This puts a huge pressure on them, as most of their time is spent fetching water, preparing food, and cleaning rather than doing their homework.

Many of the students and neighboring community members were forced to fetch water at a nearby dam, as the borehole closest to the school is almost two kilometers away. Students chose to stay at home instead of coming to school due to a lack of water at the school. This resulted in attendance at school being incredibly low, and little engagement outside of school. The use of the water from the dam for drinking and preparing food was leading to a high rate of bacterial infections and diarrhea, as the dam is also used by the cattle for drinking.

The project was intended to help improve attendance at the school and reduce bacterial infections in community members by constructing a new bore hole at the school for both school and community use.

How the Work Progressed
The project started with the reformation of the WATSAN committee to maintain and monitor the projected borehole and current boreholes in the community. The president of the WATSAN committee was educated on borehole repairs after attending a conference and came back to the committee to pass on the knowledge to the other members.

After the WATSAN committee was prepared, they contacted the regional water and sanitation board to get a contractor to come and perform a geophysical survey (done using a terrameter for the 4-point Wenner test). The WATSAN committee met with the chiefs, school members, and stake holders to identify a location. The WATSAN committee mobilized the school and community members to collect stones and sand used for the mixing of concrete.

After this was finished, the committee contacted the Community Water and Sanitation Agency office for a drilling engineer to come and drill the bore hole. They came to mobilize the drilling rig at the work site and dig through the various types of rock to a depth of 82 meters. PVC pipes were then put in the hole that was constructed.

The drilling engineer then performed a discharge test, 90% recovery test, and a physio-chemical and bacteriological analysis of the water to ensure that the water was clean. Once the water results came back with perfect marks, the WATSAN committee and the drilling engineer worked together with community members to create the pump pad and install the already-purchased Afridev hand pump.

When the borehole was finally finished, the community gathered to celebrate an opening ceremony for the new bore hole. The president of the committee used this opportunity to educate community members about the importance of water and the need to eliminate open defecation.

End Result
The project gave five hundred people access to clean water. This includes students and teachers at the school campus, and surrounding family members who live close to the school.

The WATSAN committee is now empowered to plan and make new bore holes in the community, and by meeting with the drilling contractors they learned more about maintenance for all bore holes in the community.

The community is also prepared to maintain and repair the borehole with a small amount collected from each person who uses the facility.

One community member educated the community on the importance of clean water during the opening ceremony and used that opportunity to educate the community about open defecation, as one common defecation location in the village was close to a bore hole.

Comments from the Community
From the counterpart of the community and form 3 students:

“The people of Ponyentanga are short of words to express their profound gratitude to you and Peace Corps as a whole.”

“This bore hole will save the students from fetching and carrying water all the way from the community to the school along the dangerous street.”

“The sanitation will be improved because the toilets and the urinals will always be scrubbed. Also, washing hands before and after eating will be enhanced. The nearby houses around the school will also benefit from the borehole. Trees planting will now be easy.”

“Meanwhile, the community members assure you that, in case there is a break down, they will contribute to maintain the borehole so that its purpose will fully be realized. On the other hand, the head teacher and his staff pledged to take good care of the borehole to keep it long.”

“I cease this opportunity to thank you very much for the tremendous effort to the realization of this wonderful project which the community and the school have yearned for a very long period of time. The community wishes you well.”

“Now, we can focus on learning.”

We are grateful to Sean for completing this important project.

    

Conclusion of Ponyentanga Borehole Project - GhanaConclusion of Ponyentanga Borehole Project - Ghana

Filters for Life Program – Worldwide

Filters for Life Program – Worldwide

Filters For Life

Filters for Life Program – Worldwide

The Filters For Life Program is Water Charity’s flagship, worldwide endeavor to provide much-needed water filters for people around the world. With developments in filter technology over the last five years or so, we can now provide needy communities with long-lasting, effective water filters that can provide as much as 650 gallons of water a day each.  These carbon nanotube filters are guaranteed to last for 1,000,000 gallons (and often last far longer with a modicum of maintenance)… and this technology allows for this at a very reasonable price.

The hollow membrane style (dialysis) filters offer a substantial improvement over the older bio sand, ceramic, and activated charcoal filters we had been using.

They are small, light, and easily transported. Whereas, bio-sand filters are large and heavy.  The making of the various grades of sand and the transportation of this heavy material accounted for a huge portion of the cost of a bio-sand installation.

The Sawyer filters we use are very durable and difficult to break… whereas the ceramic filters we had favored previously are notoriously prone to cracking and thus eliminating their ability to protect people from pathogens.  They also had far slower flow rates, and could, therefore, serve fewer people per installation.

We are very excited about this program, which will include individual projects all over the world. The need for these filters is great, and there is almost no limit to the number of filters we can distribute as the funds become available.


Keep in mind:

  • 80% of all disease is water-borne
  • 50% of all hospital beds worldwide are occupied by someone suffering from a water-related illness
  • Lack of clean drinking water kills more people globally than all forms of violence combined… including war.

There is no need for these statistics to be true anymore. We have all the tools we need to completely eliminate this suffering and waste of life. The predominant victims of this terrible situation are young children. Simple diarrhea is a leading killer of children under 5.  When it is so simple to prevent waterborne illness, there is no excuse for this. These kids deserve a chance.

As an addition to our current roster of successful programs in water and sanitation, which have included well drilling, rainwater catchment, toilet, and hand-washing station construction, emergency relief, reforestation efforts, and more–including a good number of filter projects–as well as our acclaimed Appropriate Projects initiative, this new program will be an umbrella for our worldwide push to get filters into the hands of those people who desperately need them. It includes most of the relevant projects, large and small… thus enabling people to donate to the overall effort.

For various reasons, some filter projects are tied into other initiatives or programs… generally where the filter installations are just a part of a larger effort.  Many rainwater catchment projects, for instance, have a filter component, but is that only a few filters are involved, and the larger part of the project are the gutters, the tanks, and the distribution system… such projects don’t technically fall under this program.

The projects in this program, are larger distributions and are upwardly scalable. As such, the more money we can raise, the more filters we can give out. Instead of creating and packaging the individual filter delivery projects one by one and funding them separately, it makes sense to raise as much money as possible and keep the filters flowing. In this way, we can also get larger grants from foundations and concerned organizations. We have hope that, in time, this program can grow into one of the largest things we have done.

For those interested in the filter technology we are presently using, please feel free to go to the Sawyer International website and peruse the relevant materials. We use primarily their Point One filter, but for hospitals, clinics, and other sites we will also be making the Point Zero Two purifier available.  Both filters are engineered to have no holes large enough for even the smallest microbes to pass through. Point One = .1 micron engineering and Point Zero Two = .02 microns [note: The Point One is more than capable of handling the amoebas, cysts, bacteria, and protozoa that normally render water un-potable.]

This is an exciting program, and we hope you will see the need for it and join in. Water Charity is currently active in over 65 countries around the world. As the money comes in we will take the Filters For Life program into all of them and beyond.

If there are certain regions where you are especially interested in helping, it will be possible to donate specifically to those countries or areas. Just send us a message with your donation. However, we are hoping people will recognize that a general donation to the program itself will be the most effective way to get the maximum number of filters out in the shortest amount of time.

We are water… literally. The human body is about 70% water by mass, and a typical human cell is composed of 98.73% water molecules. Think about it.

CLICK HERE to see all the projects or the links for the various individual projects in this program at the bottom of the page.

   

Rukwa Cholera Response Filter Training – Tanzania

Rukwa Cholera Response Filter Training – Tanzania

Filters For Life

Rukwa Cholera Response Filter Training – Tanzania

Ukwa Cholera Response Water Filter Training – Tanzania

This project is made possible through the partnership of WATER CHARITY and the NATIONAL PEACE CORPS ASSOCIATION.  WORKING WITH FRIENDLY WATER FOR THE WORLD.

Location: Rukwa, Tanzania

Problem Addressed:

Rukwa District is in far western Tanzania, bordering Lake Tanganyika, Zambia, and Congo-DRC. It is home to the Fipa people, most of whom live by subsistence agriculture and sheep herding. There is also a refugee population from the Congo. It is a highly underdeveloped area, some 1,500 miles from the nation’s capital. With a million people, there are few roads (no airport), little industry, few doctors, and virtually no public health infrastructure. There are very few active non-governmental organizations.

Waterborne illnesses are the norm. Cholera and typhoid are a yearly occurrence, but this year, cholera has hit particularly hard. So far, there are more than 600 cases, and scores of deaths reported (but very many are never reported).

The District Commissioner of Rukwa called the District Commissioner of Mara to ask whether the Water Charity, Hope Revival Children’s Organization (HRCO) and Friendly Water could help. Stephen Marwa, director of HRCO, has been doing extraordinary work with some very, very poor people on the Serengeti plain, in the Mara region, and near the shores of Lake Victoria, and Water Charity & Friendly Water have both worked with him on other projects of this sort. Entire communities have been rejuvenated; funds saved have been going toward new community development projects – chicken- and goat-raising for the market (and in the Serengeti, for local hotels), leatherwork, small community gardens. Not only are people freed from waterborne illnesses; they are eating better. Children are returning to school. Clean water is the true basis of community development.

Once they’ve seen what we can do, local governments in Tanzania have gotten in on the action. They’ve provided free transportation for trainees, free training space, and have even donated land for ongoing operations. Clean water has truly become a community affair. And there has been nationwide publicity. Hence the call from the Rukwa District Commissioner.

We sent a very small amount of money to Stephen to go visit, 1,700 kilometers away. On a bus. It took two-and-a-half days to get there. Stephen found a community ready to work, and the local government ready to help.

Project Description:

This is a project to train as many people as possible in the region in the construction of BioSand Water Filters.  We have done a good many of these projects over the years, and it is an extremely efficient way to spread filters and clean water throughout the region.  Trainees not only make their own filters and learn the technique, but they can sell water, sell filters, and train other people in the technique.  The ripple effect from these projects has surpassed all expectations because when you give people a solution to their biggest, most pressing problem, they are highly motivated to put it into practice in a big way.

Stephen worked with us (and the local government) to craft a plan. There was no time to train a local welder, so steel molds were made and shipped, along with other equipment, from Mwanza.  As with many of our projects, this is already well underway.  We prefer to start projects immediately and then when there is time, we present it to our donors and try to recoup the funds we have already spent.

Originally, this project was intended to be 8 separate pieces of training.  However, since there wasn’t time to train eight separate groups (from the eight sub-regions hardest hit), we have begun to train them all at once. A team of three from HRCO went down to Rukwa (yes, the same bus!) to conduct the training, and then after, to go from community to community setting all the workshops in motion. The government is paying for all their expenses while down there plus transportation for Filters, as well as contributing funds for half the starter materials, making it possible for each participant to purchase a BioSand Filter at cost. Filters would be sold – not donated (except to orphanages, health clinics, and families impacted by HIV, if groups applied under our Card program). The team is planning to stay several months, providing follow-up and on-the-ground monitoring and evaluation.

Stephen is currently in Rukwa, meeting with every government official in all of the sub-districts, and presenting at community meetings. Water Charity, in coordination with Friendly Water, has laid out all the funds.

Project Impact:

The enthusiasm with which the team has been met is already extraordinary. We very much expect that the project will allow the communities to get a handle on the current cholera outbreak – we’ve managed that elsewhere, so there is no reason to believe it can’t be accomplished in Rukwa. But more than that, the people of Rukwa will have demonstrated that, with the necessary knowledge-sharing and training, they will be able to take control of their lives, complete in the knowledge that clean water, and an end to waterborne illnesses, are within their grasp.

We expect that the eight teams will also significantly contribute to village economies. Funds that have been going toward medical treatment and pharmaceuticals (which can be up to 70% of a family’s income) will now be towards better nutrition, home repair, the development of small businesses, and expanded agriculture. School attendance will increase; fewer young children will experience parasitic stress. People will begin to be able to plan more rationally for their own futures.

If each group builds and installs 400 Filters in the next 12 months, more than 40,000 people will have access to clean water; more, if Filters are shared. Also, if successful, we expect the groups to purchase more steel molds, which will expand their operations.

Person Directing:

The project is being directed by David Albert, Chairman of Friendly Water for the world, working with Stephen Marwa, Director of Hope Revival Children’s Organization (HRCO) in Musoma, Tanzania. The latter organization provides services to orphans, children with HIV (and their parents), and pregnant and parenting women. HRCO has spearheaded many initiatives in small business and cooperative development – leatherwork, chicken-raising, market-based vegetable growing, handicrafts, and the manufacture of interlocking bricks. Stephen started work with Friendly Water for the World more than three years ago and has strong relationships with local governments in the region.

Monitoring:

Each of the eight groups will have a trained monitor, who will go into homes to ensure BioSand Filters are installed properly and are being used correctly. Reports from each group will be done in 90 days, at which time business plans will be adjusted as necessary. In addition, trainers from HRCO will remain in Rukwa for 2-3 months to monitor ongoing progress at each of the eight workshops.

Project Funding:

$13,000 has been contributed by the local government.  The remainder has been paid for through the generosity of an anonymous donor.

If you like this project and wish to see additional training of this type, please Donate using the button below.

Water Filters For South Sudan – Program

Water Filters For South Sudan – Program

Filters For Life

Water Filters For South Sudan – Program

South Sudan Sawyer Filter Distribution Program

An unmitigated success!

This project was made possible through the partnership of Water Charity and the National Peace Corps Association and Water is Basic, working with WiB South Sudan Director, Bishop Taban and the local leadership in Yei River State. We are pleased to announce that the project to deliver water filters to Yei River State was a success. 1,000 Sawyer Hollow Membrane Filters were distributed in this phase of the overall effort from 2017 into 2018, and all recipients received training on the use and maintenance of these life-saving devices. It is a part of our ongoing Filters For Life Initiative – Worldwide.

The program began with Yei River State and extended into Gogrial State and Kajo-Keji in Central Equatoria State. All of these areas experienced conflict and displacement during this time, and the water filters have been a lifeline to those on the move. The distribution and training of how to use these filters continue in areas of greatest need.

Location

Yei River State, Gogrial State, Central Equatoria State, South Sudan

Background

Our work has always been about local solutions. Another goal from day one has been to provide clean safe water to as many people as fast as possible.

Here in South Sudan, we have done a lot of work with our friends Water Is Basic, a local South Sudanese organization birthed from decades of war, made possible by a joining forces of key religious leaders and humanitarians in South Sudan.  Clean water is more than basic, it is essential to life itself. When scarce, it steals the very life of a nation by undermining a family’s ability to become economically independent, educated and a productive part of society.

Together, WC & WIB have been hard at work helping local communities establish what we enjoy, and so often take for granted: a regular supply of safe, clean water.

Problem Addressed

This project is to provide 1,000 water filters in 3 states.

When civil war broke out in 2013, many people had to leave their villages. Some left for refugee camps in Uganda or The Democratic Republic of Congo. Others fled to the bush or to Internally Displaced Person Camps within the border of South Sudan. Wells were abandoned and left to rust. Other wells were broken because of overuse with so many displaced people sharing them. An increase in cholera and typhoid comes with disruptions to clean water supplies.

In addition to the many well installation and rehabilitation projects we have done (see our South Sudan Well Rehabilitation Program), we have also decided to get water filters to the people, so families could have instant and portable safe water.  With so many people still unsettled, and drinking from dangerous, dirty water sources, having the ability to clean their water on the go was essential in our opinion.
Project Description

Water Charity has been using Sawyer Filters for a very long time.  We were, in fact, one of the first water charities to implement the technology for humanitarian purposes, and have been working with them as they developed this aspect of their product, which had been primarily for camping/survival type markets. The Sawyer filter has the potential to last decades, it is portable, and can give 500 liters of clean water per day serving up to 100 people per day. They remove 99.999% of the pathogens that make people sick and so often lead to death. (see some of our other Sawyer projects by clicking here)

There are a number of models, but the system we used was their Point One model and included a filter and a bucket. It’s a simple design with no technical training required and no moving parts to break down. The 0.1-micron filter is affixed to a plastic container. When contaminated water from any source is filled into the bucket, gravity does the rest. When the filter clogs or slows, a backflush syringe or cleaning plunger, included in the filter kit, is used to simply backwash the filter.  Even the muddiest, most turbid water (the sort refugees might find in the arid brush), can be rendered clear and safe with this filter.  There are no known pathogens small enough to pass through .1 micron holes.

Project Impact

The overall goal was to distribute 10,000 filters to areas of greatest need in Yei River State and for the leaders to receive training to properly train their communities in use and maintenance. That goal was met, and 1,000 of those filters were generously funded by Water Charity donors through this program.  With each filter, individuals also received one bucket and the training to use them properly. With the need being so great and the amount of displaced individuals so high, families shared their filters meaning these 10,000 filters have impacted more than 200,000 South Sudanese in their toughest hour.


Governor of Gogrial State learns to use the water filters​

Water Filters Project – Detailed Description & Report

The first demonstration took place at the Water is Basic headquarters, the EPC Center in Yei, when our longstanding friend Gregg Keen of Sawyer Filters showed how a filter cleans dirty water. Fetching water from the Yei river and pouring it directly into the bucket attached to the Sawyer filter, community members and leaders were astonished to watch him drink the filtered water. (photo and video included) News spread to community leaders and plans were made for filters to be delivered and training to take place so that leaders from all over Yei River State would be empowered to equip their communities to use the life-changing filters. The need was there and the community leaders were ready to train and deliver. All that was needed was the funding to purchase the filters. Water is Basic and Water Charity worked rapidly to raise the necessary funds.

In December of 2016, the first shipment of filters and buckets were delivered into Yei, South Sudan from Uganda. As the community gathered to learn more about the difference a filter could make for their families, Dr. Timothy Isabu, resident doctor at the EPC Clinic, demonstrated the power of the filter by drinking water from the dirty Yei River himself. (see video and photos)

Richard Khemis and his wife Christine received one of the first filters to be distributed in Yei. Their daughter, Abby was just under two and struggled with typhoid because of the quality of the water she was drinking. Because they now drink clean, safe, filtered water, Abbey is healthy, no longer battling high fever, diarrhea, and vomiting. (photo included)

On December 13th, 2016, Anngrace Asha Taban, wife of Bishop Elias Taban of Water is Basic, trained government officials and NGO representatives on the use of the water filters. On that day, 1,500 filters were distributed. 88 filters were distributed to civil servants including Deputy Governors, Ministers, and Commissioners. The Minister of Health attended the training as well, proclaiming that it is more costly to treat preventable diseases than prevent them. He stated, “We shall continue to hold our hands together to make sure that Yei River State is free from preventable diseases.” (video and photos included)

Training and distributions also took place at various local gatherings such as Christ the King Catholic Church in Yei. (video included) Once the community members saw evidence of how the filters worked, they proclaimed they would “treat them like a baby.” To worry about the safety of your children in a conflict area is traumatic enough. Mothers were filled with the assurance that at least they could provide the basics of clean water for their children despite the uncertainty of where they would find their next meal or perhaps where they would need to seek shelter in the likely event that they would need to flee for security reasons.

News rapidly spread to neighboring counties and states and throughout 2017, while the Water is Basic team continued to restore wells, the number one priority was to train County Commissioners, Community leaders and State Officials so that they could get the filters into the hands of the people in their areas that needed them the most.

The local leadership in Yei found that not only were the filters providing emergency relief and saving families from the added costs of medical bills, but they served as tools for peace at the grassroots level. Leaders of opposing forces SPLA (Sudan People’s Liberation Army) and SPLA-IO (Sudan People’s Liberation Army- In Opposition) were willing to come out of the bush and the barracks to lay down their arms in exchange for a filter and a chance to sit down at the negotiating table to peacefully discuss their grievances. Around the table and around a filter, just like around a well, all have the same basic human needs. Dialogue at the grassroots level plants seeds of reconciliation and healing as the haze of conflict lifts and hope for a path forward can be grasped.

Our local team and their local partners had the opportunity to share this model with leaders of Gogrial State. On July 4th, 2017, two leaders from warring clans in Gogrial State visited Yei River State to discuss how to handle the fighting between their people. They learned how the water filters were a tool for health and for peace. Lieutenant General Salva Matok of the Apuok Clan and Honorable Machok of the Aguok Clan participated in their first peaceful dialogue in Yei that day. Plans were laid to deliver filters to their state and on July 31, 1,500 filters were shipped to Gogrial State. (video and photos included)

In November of 2017, the four Commissioners of Kajo-Keji of Central Equatoria State visited the Water is Basic headquarters in Yei to learn how to train others in the use of the filters in their counties. (video and photos included) Later that month, conflict-hit in their area resulting in 17,300 displaced people with the majority reported having crossed to Uganda (UN). Thousands of filters were in the hands of people who had to flee to the bush, to other communities, or to refugee camps in Uganda.

Filters continue to be distributed to areas of greatest need and stories of relief, peace and health because of the filters continue to pour in from South Sudan. We are grateful to our donor, who chooses to remain anonymous, for providing the funds for this project.  We encourage people to continue donating to this program so that the partnership Water Charity has established in South Sudan can continue to uniquely reach people in one of the most troubled countries on our planet. In the context of a civil war, this partnership in bringing clean water solutions provides a lifeline to people in areas that public and private services fail to reach.

   

 

Oaxaca Earthquake Relief & Water Filter Project – Mexico

Oaxaca Earthquake Relief & Water Filter Project – Mexico

Disaster Relief, Filters For Life

Oaxaca Earthquake Relief & Water Filter Project – Mexico

This project is made possible by the partnership of Water Charity & the National Peace Corps Association.

*This project was successfully completed and made a difference for many people.  Read the #Conclusion Report below*

A massive earthquake off the Pacific Coast of Mexico in September of 2017 caused widespread damage, and many people were killed in this region.  There was a lot of press and a good deal of aid directed to Mexico City, rightly so, but many people failed to realize that people closer to the epicenter were being ignored by and large.  Due to the work of volunteer Denise Lechner, Water Charity has been able to put together this project to help the still-struggling people of South-Eastern Oaxaca. She is to be aided in this effort by our Project Base friends Nate and Sam, who have raised some of the money for this project already.

This project is part of our worldwide Filters For Life Program which involves the use of fabulous, life-saving Sawyer Filters.

LOCATION
San Mateo del Mar is located on a sandy ridge between the Pacific Ocean and the “Laguna Superior” (Superior Lagoon) in the area of Oaxaca State known as the Tehuantepec Isthmus.  This is the southernmost area of the state, bordering with Chiapas.
Google Earth of the Oaxaca Region

Zoom in on San Mateo del Mar

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION
San Mateo del Mar is considered the second most marginalized municipality in Oaxaca State and the 12th nationwide. It is home to the people from the Ikoots ethnic group, commonly known as Huaves. There are 14,252 people in the municipality and their main economic activity is small-scale fishery.

Woman of San Mateo del MarFishermen of San Mateo del Mar
Community of San MateoThe Laguna

PROBLEM ADDRESSED
On September 7th 2017, an 8.2 earthquake in the Richter scale hit the States of Oaxaca and Chiapas. According to the National Seismological System the most affected area was the Tehuantepec Isthmus located in Oaxaca, bordering Chiapas, both considered the most seismic of the country. [1] 12 days later, another big earthquake hit the center of the country affecting this area as well.

According to the first statistics, there were at least 110,000 properties affected in Oaxaca and Chiapas, without considering the damage produced by the second earthquake.

In San Mateo del Mar, due to its location on a sandy ridge, the earth went through a liquefaction process during the earthquake damaging a total of 1887 homes and affecting approximately 9000 people (about 60% of the population).
Earthquake Destruction Oaxaca
Besides the overall infrastructure destruction, one of the main concerns in San Mateo del Mar is related to water issues. The lack of services such as piped water and drainage systems has people depending on water wells to obtain their water, and use septic tanks for sewage. With the earth’s movement, many septic tanks broke and contaminated the water wells and the lagoon.

The immediate solution from the government was installing big drinkable water tanks in different areas of the main town, but someone from CONAGUA (the government department that deals with water issues) has told us that the government doesn’t have the capacity to solve the problem in the long run, and that the ideal would be to help with filtering systems since it is most likely that the groundwater aquifers are polluted.
Earthquake Destruction San Mateo Del Mar
Three months after the earthquake there is still no permanent solution, just a few temporary bathrooms have been installed, and there’s started to be shortages in the water tanks. Many people are still defecating outdoors.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
250 Sawyer Point One Bucket Filters are being delivered to San Mateo Del Mar.  They will be distributed by Denise, along with her colleagues.  There will be training to teach people how to properly use these filters and maintain them.  With occasional backflushing, they last for 10 years or more and are guaranteed up to 1,000,000 gallons.

These 250 filters are to be distributed in the three main communities of the area: The “Third Section” or “Head Town” of San Mateo del Mar (Section most affected by the earthquake in the main town), San Pablo and Colonia Juarez.
San Mateo Del Mar Dwelling Woman in Water
This effort will be completed by mid-January and will be aided by the arrival of Sam Hardy and Nate Jones, our wingsuit flying daredevil friends from Project Base.  Water Charity has been building a partnership with them for a couple of years now, and the fact that they were flying nearby in Mexico and are friends with Denise created a perfect situation for them to come and lend a hand.  We expect they will gather some of their famously stellar footage, so check back!
San Mateo Home
Since September 11th, Cultural Anthropologist Denise Lechner and Pediatrician Anja Widmann have been in San Mateo del Mar to do relief work. Since then, they’ve been working in the three main communities affected: The Head town of San Mateo del Mar and the neighborhoods of San Pablo and Colonia Juarez.

Denise and her team, have continued to help with temporary shelters, workshops to make cots and distribution of staples and other necessities.

There have been a small number of filtration systems received in the area, that were installed in households, but the filters WC is donating will make a big difference, as the vast majority of people are still dealing with unimproved water sources.

We’ve managed to have a permanent team in San Mateo helping us with the distribution and the follow-up of our projects while we are not in the community.  The way the workshops are designed, it allows the people who received the training, to teach others on the same subjects, reaching a much larger amount of people. We’ve been working mainly with schools, and with organized groups in the small sections or neighborhoods.

PROJECT IMPACT
While the initial filters would be installed in schools that need them, and health centers, we’ve noticed that the people suffering most with the water problems live far away from these places… so we are organizing three or four neighboring families to receive each filter. This way we would be impacting a total of at least 2250 to 2,500 people since families are large.

VOLUNTEER DIRECTING PROJECT
​Denise Lechner

MONITORING AND MAINTENANCE
The filters are to be installed in the first couple of weeks of January, and we will do a couple of workshops in two or three communities for people to learn how to use and care for them.  The women of the community already hold regular meetings and are working with our team, so this will be a relatively easy task.  The filters themselves require very little maintenance.  Occasional backflushing with the included backflush syringe to remove sediment build-up is all that is required.  Otherwise, the filters are quite robust and can last for 10+ years without issue.
Women of San Mateo del Mar

The initial workshops are connected to the distributions, and then our permanent team in the community will be going to check their use and issues that may arise. Follow-up pictures of these visits will follow.

COMMENTS
​​This project is part of our Filters For Life Program, and relies on the Sawyer Hollow Membrane Water Filter technology.

This project has been funded by the Paul Bechtner Foundation.  Please contribute to our Filters for Life program using the Donate button below, and your donation will be used for our next water purification project.

Community Meeting San Mateo del Mar, Oaxaca, Mexico
Working after the Earthquake to repair roofs etc.

Conclusion Report for the Oaxaca Earthquake Relief & Water Filter Project – Mexico

To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

This filter distribution project was successfully finished despite the fact that we suffered many unfortunate delays. The main reason was that the filters were retained in customs after their shipment. Due to an only moderately rare combination of corruption, bureaucracy and ineptitude, our supply of filters languished while people suffered.  It took a lot of hard work, patience, and pressure from the local government officials in Oaxaca to get them out.

For this reason, once the filters arrived in the community, several of the places we originally intended to help had already solved their wells’ pollution problem themselves. We were in contact with World Vision (who had also been distributing Sawyer filters in San Mateo del Mar and Colonia San Pablo, areas where we were originally planning on helping) to see where filters were still needed. We decided to focus on Colonia Juarez, since this place was also severely affected by the earthquake, and nobody had attended the inhabitants at all.  It is also the second-largest town in the municipality.

Report from Denise:

With a great deal of perseverance, we managed to get the filters released from customs and didn’t have to pay any of the exorbitant (criminally so) fees they were trying to extort from us.  I won’t go into the comedy of errors that led up to this.  Let’s just say that many officials don’t actually care if humanitarian work gets done for “their” people, but are far more interested in lining their own pockets when they see the opportunity.

We managed to obtain and distribute a portion of the filters at the time of the Earthquake and those were installed without incident.  However, because of the delays in retrieving the majority of the filters, there were other obstacles that arose.  As time went on people returned to their daily lives and stopped attending the projects related to the natural disaster emergency, so it became more complicated to coordinate the work with the local team. They had resumed their daily work and we had to adapt to their available times.

Nonetheless, the project was completed, and we managed to address the water problem in the municipality with the joint efforts of several organizations.

 

The first part of the project was done when Sam and Nate, from Project Base, visited with us the communities, they taught Abel, our infield coordinator, how to use and install the filters. We went to a couple of houses to do some installations with him to see if he had gotten the idea. A few of the houses were very far away, we had to walk for 30 minutes to get there. It’s a home that had a water well and the family has 8 kids, they had lost everything during the earthquake and were not receiving any help from the government. Abel taught them how to use the filter, including the back flushing and how to do the cleaning process whenever needed.

We also went to visit a family of seniors that were really affected by the earthquake, it turned out that two different nonprofits had given them Sawyer filters that they were not using. It turns out that they had just distributed them without any sort of explanation, so they had no idea what they were for or how to use them. We decided to teach them how to use the filters they already had. We realized how important the proper training was, so the filters can be used at its fullest potential.

Since I don’t live in the community and only go there occasionally (to do the follow-up of the project), we decided that Abel would continue the training of the people to distribute the filters. We already had some buckets that were used in other projects and bought the rest that where needed to match the 250 filters.

We decided that Abel would do several workshops where he would teach heads of families, mothers, teachers, and health promoters so they could share the information in their neighborhoods before distributing the filters.

We started by attending the inhabitants of the most remote areas as they are undoubtedly the ones who have more difficulty accessing drinking water, concluding with the people from the neighborhoods that also had wells in the central areas of the municipality.

We attended people from the following neighborhoods: La Paz, El Pitayal and Colonia Juarez, to start with. Then, through the information given to us by some teachers, we found out that some neighborhoods of the main town hadn’t received filters either, so we gave a couple of more workshops to finish the distribution of the filters we still had left in Barrio Nuevo and Santa Cruz neighborhoods.

We finished the distribution of the 250 filters in September with the proper training which included how to install the filter, how to do the proper maintenance and cleaning for it to last the 10 years it’s intended for. We also give information related to the need of drinking clean water in order to avoid stomach issues, the importance of water as a natural resource and as a universal human right.

Water Charity would like to thank Denise for her heroic efforts in making this project happen.  We would also like to thank Abel for his tireless work on this, as well as the various other people who helped procure, assemble and distribute the filters.  Finally, we would like to thank our friends Sam & Nate for pushing to make this project a reality.