Fight childhood disease with safe drinking water

Agua Pura was founded 15 years ago with the goal of providing safe drinking water for families and communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.  Since those early days we have helped  thousands of people in 10 different countries avoid deadly diseases caused by contaminated water. We are proud of our accomplishments and grateful for the support of GlobalGiving and of our donors such as yourself.

Currently, much of our work and our resources have gone toward fighting cholera in Haiti, where we have several teams working in remote areas under dangerous conditions. These young volunteeers are constantly at risk as they try to help their fellow contrymen. However, additionally, we still have ongoing programs in other countries that we have supported for years.  This last Spring one of our volunteers spent two weeks in rural Honduras testing community water systems for contamination and showing families how to make their water safe to drink.

Our volunteer visited 5 different small communities in a rural area of Central Honduras.  Using methods promoted by the UN Habitat he tested 21 different water sources in those communities including large water storage tanks and home water taps and found that 11 of the 21 were rated as at least moderately contaminated and dangerous to health. Even as modernization comes to many parts of Latin America, safe drinking water remains an important problem.

Agua Pura’s volunteer then gave presentations to community members showing the results of the testing and demonstrating methods that families can use to make their water safe. He also distributed 130 Water Purification Indicators to families so that they could purify their own water.

Over the years we have seen instances where well meaning organizations have tried to help families have safe water but their work did not last because of a lack of follow up and support.  To counter that problem Agua Pura trains local volunteers and community members in our methods of testing and purification so that they can continue the work after we are gone.  Since our beginning it has always been part of our philosophy to enable people to become self reliant to protect themselves without the need for outside help.
Our volunteer trained local staff and health workers in Agua Pura’s methods and left them supplies so that they could continue the program after he left.  Our current plans are to return again this year to again work with local non profit organizations and support them in their work.

This recent project is only one of the many different programs Agua Pura has supported over the years, programs that would not have been possible without the help of donors such as yourself and others through GlobalGiving.  Thank You Very Much.