Greetings,
I am writing you this letter to inform you about a great opportunity for you and your church to get involved in a life saving mission. Have you ever given much thought about when you run your sink, bath tub, or a pot to cook in with fresh, clean water? Most of us probably have not really thought about how blessed we truly are just to have the water we use every day, flowing freely out of our water pipes, and into our homes. We never have to worry about where we will get water, or having to boil that water before we use it, or worry about diseases we may adapt after drinking it or using it to bathe with. All we have to do is simply go and turn the handle and there it is. Gold is a precious thing, but what is more precious than gold? The answer is clean water. Without clean water, we cannot function in our daily lives, but most of all, we cannot live.
A very large portion of inhabitants of Fontal Village and Tomorrow Village, Haiti, are low income communities where people are living in conditions of extreme poverty. The people here live in communities that consist of contaminated water, poor drainage conditions, and damaging air pollution that is caused by regular burning of wastes that releases great amounts of CO2into the atmosphere. POSITIVE IMPACT MISSIONS INTL supports these vulnerable communities by giving them a chance to actively participate in defining and implementing actions that address problems pitting them against poverty. POSITIVE IMPACT MISSIONS INTL will therefore help those most affected; such as, women, youth, and children, to improve the way they care for their environment. This way, future generations can enjoy its benefits.
However, it is difficult for POSITIVE IMPACT MISSIONS INTL to meet those needs without help from people like you. For this reason, I am writing you, to invite you and your church, for an opportunity to be a part of this ministry by donating toward the Water Project 2016-2020.
During our upcoming mission trip in April 2013, the American team, as well as, the Haitians will be paired up together to establish at least one water pump in “Fontal” and two in “Tomorrow Village”. We are connected with a company that sales the water pumps here in the U.S., in the state of Nebraska, which can take up to four months to ship, or we could purchase a water pump from an American Firm in Haiti. The water pump price $3,500 U.S.
Being, the only international organization that is working in these villages, it already marks the beginning to save lives. The only way these water pumps will be provided is through donations by churches like yours.The Water Project 2016-2020will be a major step to stop both young and old from dying due to water related diseases.
All contributions to the Water Project 2016-2020 Campaign are all tax-deductible. Our ministry leans toward supporting local Churches that donate to POSITIVE IMPACT MISSIONS INTL and you can take pride in being a good corporate of the Kingdom of God.
Please know that all contributions you make will be made out to POSITIVE IMPACT MISSIONS INTL, and they all will help, particularly with the vulnerable women, young adults, and children. I will follow up with you within the next two weeks to discuss your possible donation. Thank you for considering our request.
Sincerely,
Jean Michelet Jean louis
“DLO SE LAVI” PROJECT 2016- 2020
What Would Jesus Do?
Introduction
Fontal village is located approximately 60 miles east of Jacmel Haiti, and is composed of three villages: namely DloGenin, Terre noire, and Nan Citron.
Fontal is estimated to have 3,000 people, less than 1,200 households with an average of about 9 persons per household and 1,650 adults in total. The entire Local council has about 250 households.
Back ground of Fontal Jacmel, In Haiti.
Poverty in Fontal is a major problem that is manifested by low levels of household productivity, poor income, food insecurity and reproductive wastage. This has led to poor health, low levels of education, poor housing and a decreased life expectancy to 48 years.
Over 58% of Haiti’s population lives in rural areas where agriculture is a major contributor to their livelihoods. In addition, the agriculture sector contributes 36.4% of the national GDP as of the financial year 2005/2009 before the earthquake. The agriculture sector therefore presents a great opportunity for poverty reduction because it employs about 77% of the total active labour force in the rural areas.
Hence the centrality of agriculture sector in improving livelihoods of the poor. Malnutrition and food insecurity remain significant issues, over 43% of deaths of children less than 5 years in Haiti are attributed in partly to poor health care, malaria and malnutrition. In the rural of Jacmel, less than 15% of people have access to safe water, dirty water is a major cause of ill health. As a result therefore, this community development programme seeks to bridge knowledge and capacity gaps in the areas of health, water and sanitation and sustainable agriculture.
Description of the water problem in Fontal
They do not have clean water to drink. Fetching water is one of the hardest parts of the day for kids, and women. They are exhausted from the distance they have to walk to get the water, and by the time they got home most of the water had already sloshed out along the way. That water is full of deadly bacteria, parasites, and waterborne diseases.
If you say “YES, I WANT TO HELP”, really what you are saying is: no to malaria, measles, worms, and other terrible parasites, tuberculosis, cholera, yellow fever, diarrhea, and dysentery.
On a scale of 10 women (young girls to adults) 9 of them are sick with vaginal infection, chronicle diseases, and Guinea-worms. Guinea-worms can cause crippling, and bacterial diseases such as trachoma that can lead to blindness. Only your ticket money should stop you to go and see that with your own eyes. Worms are growing inside of them kids sometimes three feet in length.
About Health Problem
This is very disheartening, considering that the parent had to travel for about five hours walking with the sick child just to get to the clinic. Or if you don’t want to walk, the other option is to ride a motorcycle for U.S $1.05 depends of the sick person condition and most of the time that sounds like a big box for them. As a last resort the parents would have to return back home and give the child a home remedy which is herbal medicine. Now imagine the same scenario for the elderly, pregnant women who are in a complicated condition needing to give birth.
Malnutrition is one of the main killers for the children and I suspect that many of the adults are suffering from acid reflux, hypertension, diabetes and muscle and joint pains. There are also cases where people are taking Pepto-Bismol for Asthma, and go to the voodoo priest for a hernia. You will also find people who do not have anything to take when they have a case of diarrhea.
The rural area where I have been working has one medical center; the doctor only comes to the area every Tuesdays, and Thursdays. If you miss him/her during these two times of the week, you have to travel from Fontal to Jacmel city. That’s about 13 hours walking on a hilly up and down gravel road.
Sources of livelihood:
The main source of livelihood used to be agriculture, which is mainly the growing of food crops like potatoes, upland corn and fishing with cheap equipments (sold off for cash). Fontal is the food basket that feeds the people in the village. The land sizes range between 5-10 acres and most of it is largely low income family holdings.
PROFILE OF Fontal VILLAGE:
Age distribution:0-4 years / 19.2%
5-15 years / 27.9%
16-45 years / 49.3%
65+ years / 3.6%
Population aged 6+ years that never attended school
Female / 53.8%
Male / 31.6%
Households by type of fuel for lighting
Electricity / 0.0%
Paraffin / 100%
House hold by type of fuel for cooking
Electricity/Gas / 0.0%
Charcoal / 1.5 %
Firewood / 98.5%
Household having access to safe drinking water
Piped water / 0.0%
Borehole / 10.0%
Well / 2.0%
House hold by main source of livelihood
Subsistence farming / 83.8%
Commercial farming / 3.7%
Trading / 3.1%
Employment Income / 0.0%
Family support / 2.7%
Mortality Rates
Life Expectancy / 48. Years
Infant mortality / 97 per 1000
Probability of death before 5 years / 14.55
Statement of the problem
The majority of the village engages in subsistence agriculture leaving no means of earning money to purchase high quality protein to supplement the diet. Hunger results in high susceptibility to disease, lack of energy, and in extreme cases lack of full development of the mind and body.
Therefore, this project seeks to provide basic elements of food security clean water, health and hunger to Fontal Jacmel village, in Haiti. The main objective of this project is to improve the livelihoods of the community through increase awareness on the causes of the problems and to design mechanisms of reducing the burden of poverty but also provide them with some of the basic tools to lift themselves out of poverty.
Vision
A poverty, disease and hunger free community that is able to sustainable manage its natural resource base for improved livelihoods
Mission
To improved livelihoods through practicing basic community health care, and also, provide a sustainable soil and water conservation technologies.
Overall objectives
- To increase awareness in Sustainable agriculture: (Soil and water conservation, and livestock)
- To increase the communities health and environment by preventing disease
- To address the water and sanitation through rainwater harvest and protection of well springs
1.0:Health – Rainwater harvest and protection of well springs
Statement of the Problem
This village has limited sources of safe water. There are two types of water sources namely spring and boreholes. Residents have to move an average distance of about a kilometer to reach the water source which is not clean.
Project Objectives
- To build 3 spring wells 1 from each zone. ( They just have one so far)
- To rehabilitate the primary school water harvest system.
- To Establish domestic water harvesting for 6 selected homes, 2 from each zone
- Establish rain water harvest at 1 secondary school ( in another village near Fontal)
- To sensitise communities in basic community health care
Project Target group
Entire village population
Strategy
A project committee on water and sanitation shall be set up in the community to oversee the implementation as well select families and hire technical labour.
Work plan and budget
Objective / Specific activities / Responsible1. To protect 3 spring wells or water pump 1 from each zone. /
- Procure materials
- Hire technical labour
- Supervise construction
2. To rehabilitate the primary school water harvest system /
- Procure materials
- Hire technical labour
- Supervise repairing
3. To Establish domestic water harvesting for 6 selected homes, 2 from each zone /
- Identify the 2 homes form each zone
- Procure 6 X 200 litre tanks and accessories
- Hire technical labour
- Supervise construction
4. Establish rainwater harvest in 2 different schools /
- Procure materials
- Hire technical labour
- Supervise construction
Total
1.0: Water and Sanitation –Clean Water / Exchange Rate / 1,800
Qty / Gourde / Total / USD
1. To protect 3 spring wells 1 from each zone. / 3 / 40 / $1US=$8 / $ 4.800
2. To rehabilitate the primary school water harvest system / 2 / Same / $ 4.800
3. To Establish 6 domestic water harvesting / 6 / same / $ 2,333
4. Establish rainwater harvest at four schools. / 4 / Same / $ 2,234
5. Sensitization on maintaining clean water / 1 / Same / $ 378
Total / Same / $ 14,545
Hunger and malnutrition were widespread in Haiti before this disaster. Nowthey areexponentially worse. In the Haitian countryside, children are seven times more likely to be malnourished than their counterparts in densely populated Port-au-Prince and other cities.Even before the quake,1.9 million people were ‘food insecure’, meaning they needed assistance to stave off hunger.
Chronic malnutrition affects24 percent of children under five, rising as high as 40 percent in the poorest zones. Food can be hard to grow because of soil conditions and many children do not get enough to eat each day because their families lack the financial resources topurchase adequate food. If they cannot make without food, and water then life is miserable.
The Bible says in Proverbs 19:17: “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and I will reward him for what he has done”.
They always lift you up in prayer, because I make it a special request in their daily services.
OUR MISSION
PIMI is dedicated to helping Christians respond to the call of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In Luke chapter 4:18-19, after his great victory over Satan’s temptations, Jesus strategically explains his mission here on Earth. Our mission is to follow in the master’s footprints, which is spreading the Gospel to the poor in the remote areas of Haiti and globally.
OUR PURPOSE
PIMI’s purposes are:
·To fight against hunger and malnutrition.
·To aide in theprevention and control of diseases caused by deadly bacteria and parasites.
·To assist in warding off the epidemic of waterborne diseases due to the lack of unclean water; this is the number one killer amongst both children and adults in Haiti.
·To help as many communities as we are able to by providing the children with a chance to receive an education.
·And last but not least, to preach the Gospel to every creature and prepare the nations for the Lord’s return.
OUR COMMITMENT
PIMI is committed to serving by bridging the gap between the great commission of Matthew 28:18-20 and the two great commandments in Matthew 22:37-39. We believe Jesus wants us to stop thinking about ourselves, just trust him to “GO” near the poor and show them by action our love for them.
OUR COMMUNITY
PIMI collaborates the generosity of both corporate and Christian donors in response to those who are in need. With the help of God and all our compassionate volunteers, we were able to serve 1300 people in Jacmel with basic healthcare in our yearly mobile clinic, install one water pump, and distribute 20 Sawyerwater filters.
Visit:
My name is Jean M. jean Louis; I have been in United States of America since 2000. In 2000 U.S. Census found approximately 750,000 Haitians residing in this country. This figure, however, reflects an under count of as much as 50 percent in some neighborhoods. Florida, with 268,000 Haitians, has more than one-third of the nation's total.
In 2009, God gave me the command to go back to help Fontal Jacmel in Haiti.
I love the fact that God brought me here in the U.S. And by being here, God has blessed me with 75 missionaries that have visited my village so far. People from different background, different ethnicity’s, and different personalities have been corporately engaged with me in fighting poverty, sickness, famine, and the depravity in the minds of the people of Fontal.
I just want to say thank you to:
Theo, Milton, Mario, Samuel, Erica, Marcee, Halley, Randy, Rocky, Brye Ender, Kristie, Jennifer, FernandYamassou, Suzie, Jeff, Gene, Becky, Lynn, Phil, Sue, Vevelyne, Shaunta’, Kathy, Cassie, Maurice, Barry, Tish, Keith, Lori, Dona, Autumn, Cecilia, rowdy, Anita, Matthew, Bob, Gregg, Dr. George, Sonia, shawn, Chuck, Pat, Tracy, Melinda, Linda, Tiffany, Jordan, Luke, Tim, Bubba, Mike, Dr. Patricia, Dr. Harris, Jenny, Michelle, Kenneth, Ray, Angie, my mother, and more…
Most of you I believe will be able to vividly recollect the many experiences you all had like the airport, the streets of Port-Au-prince, the mountainous landscapes while on our journey to Jacmel city, Joe’s truck rides, the rough terrain of Fontal, the motorcycles noises, the rooster crowing, sleeping in sleeping bags/air mattresses on the floor; whether at the house or in the old/new Church building.
Cassie, Angie, Christie, past. Shawn were some of the few that got a little sick. But despite all that you all have grown to love the culture, country and food of Haiti with its coconuts, goat meat, Red sauce, extra pepper, and stew chicken Haitian style. Reminiscing the many times we played, and held the children; which in the end only made us feel even more sad and miss them, knowing that we would be leaving them behind in their misery and suffering. I urge you all to always keep those great memories in the forefront of your minds, always praying for the people of Haiti and those all over the world who are enduring the same plight. Thank you so much for your love and support; you all have been such a blessing to me.