When World Renew was involved in the building of a tank-based rainwater harvesting system in Blain, Mr. Delice and his wife Manette were involved as well. They live in Blain with their children Jonathan and Christine Marie Naomie, while their children Fedner and Sara attend high school in Port-Au-Prince. The Delice family has been involved in all development activities in their community, but were especially supportive of the 11,000-gallon rainwater collection system. The family, like all their neighbors, uses rainwater for everything — drinking, cooking, washing — and they didn’t have an adequate way to collect enough water nearby, leading to much time spent walking to retrieve it. Rainfall harvesting technology has proved to be very effective throughout this community, where water is scarce and cisterns are the principal source of water for residents.
The new water collection system allowed the community to accomplish another goal they had for themselves: building an emergency shelter for use during and after hurricanes and other natural disasters. Working with the Red Cross of Switzerland, Blain was able to construct a shelter large enough to house 300 people in an emergency. Mr. Delice and his organization, UPDIP, were instrumental in its creation, with Mr. Delice donating the land on which the shelter is built, gathering 15 volunteers, and organizing construction. Jean says the construction was accomplished because they were able to collect water needed with the new collection system.
The community of Blain is blessed by the presence of the new water catchment system and a new emergency shelter. It is also blessed by the existence of the Delice family, a Christian family committed to community transformation.
Blessings,
Troy Sanon
Country Consultant
World Renew Haiti
