Providing Clean Water for 8,000

On Saturday, April 16th, Dave Web and Kevin Borger of Webb & Associates assisted the community of Great Bend, Kansas in providing clean water for 8,000 people in Haiti.  The auction event was held at the Barton County Fairgrounds and included a variety of items ranging from an early 1900's estate to new items donated by local businesses.  One highlight was a toy box that was donated by a young boy who after learning about the event, went home, unloaded his toy box, and informed his parents that he wanted to donate the box so kids in Haiti could have clean water.  As the toy box was sold, the buyer asked to sell it again.  Several bidders picked up on the opportunity and bought and resold the boy's toy box until the box and raised over $400. 

In Haiti it usually falls to the youngest family members to retrieve water each day for the family. Children as young as four and five are sent out to walk hours each day. Too often, children must spend the day walking for water instead of going to school. And the water they find may still bring illness. Drinking tainted water kills thousands each year, and children are especially vulnerable. In fact, one of every eight kids in Haiti won't reach his or her fifth birthday. It doesn't have to be that way.

The Haiti Water Project aims to provide clean, safe water for communities in Haiti. The goal is to create water resources (wells, cisterns, filters) that empower local churches to meet the needs around them. One well can provide clean, safe water for around 2,000 people.