We proudly present Episode 2 of our Haiti Vlog – “Attack of the Hike”, where we trek a mountain to reach the source of water for the aqueduct we built outside of Belle-Anse, which provides more than 30,000 people with water. The aqueduct feeds into water kiosks and irrigation channels, and it is managed by four water committees, which include members of the communities who benefit from the clean water.

[embed]https://youtu.be/vVKBW7vC-AU[/embed]

Belle-Anse, in the south east of the country, stands out because of its extreme level of need. Over 20,000 people out of the district’s population of 70,000 have difficulty getting a minimal amount of even the most basic food to eat. Our work in Belle-Anse since the Haiti earthquake of 2010 has shown clearly that the region’s poor water supply has negative consequences for almost every aspect of daily life: placing agricultural production in particular, and therefore food security, at constant risk, and hindering sustainable development in the area. A combination of hilly terrain, logging, and intensive agriculture, mean that Belle-Anse is extremely vulnerable to landslides and soil erosion, especially when hurricanes strike the island. The extreme vulnerability of the region’s food supply was illustrated by the catastrophic consequences of hurricanes Isaac and Sandy, as well as the severe drought of 2014 and 2015, on the harvest.

Malteser International Americas is focusing on improving the situation for more than 31,000 in the community of Belle-Anse by improving their access to water, improving their nutrition, and building their capacities in the sectors of environment, water, sanitation and hygiene.

+ Rebuilding basic infrastructure including an earthquake resistant aqueduct and irrigation system.
+ Training local partners in sustainable agricultural practices.
+ Distribution of seeds to replace the reserves lost during recent droughts.
+ Information campaigns on the sustainable use of natural resources.
+ Support for the local production and marketing of energy-saving ovens and efficient alternatives to charcoal to strengthen the resilience of the population towards natural disasters.

For one week, Malteser International Americas staff, Jill Watson, traveled Haiti to visit our ongoing projects. She documented her travels in video and pictures to give the outside world an inside glimpse of our humanitarian relief and development projects. She also captured the other side of the country that many people don’t know anything about –its culture and its beauty.

To keep up on her travels and see more videos of our work in the country, “Like” our Facebook page. Stay tuned for more on-the-ground updates. A new episode airs every Wednesday on our Facebook page.