The Luly Community School
Due to the cramped, unsafe condition of the Luly Community School building as a result of the 2010 earthquake damage, parents were reluctant to send their children to the school. Many of the students at Luly Community School depend on the lunch provided by WWV for their daily nutrition. In 2011, individual donors, along with St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church (Mahtomedi, MN) and the Digicel Foundation generously committed sufficient funding to purchase land and construct a new school and to provide desks and chalkboards sufficient for 245 children. The beautiful new Luly Community School building was dedicated on October 4, 2011 with many dignitaries, including President Michel Martelly, in attendance. The new school has richly blessed the community and will continue to provide educational programs well into the future.
Community Gardens
Agricultural produce grown in Luly consists mainly of plantains, breadfruit and watermelon. In order to produce sufficient food to support families in the Luly area, higher yields and more diverse crops must be incorporated. As a result, WWV formulated a master plan for a cooperative Community Garden to be operated by 35 families in Luly. The selected co-op members and their families will be able to enhance their diets for better health and to become more self-sufficient.
The Community Garden program focuses on sustainability through education, locally-sourced materials, idea sharing, and community cooperation. A Haitian manager oversees and directs the program. Projected results, based on similarly sized operations, are for the operation to produce positive cash flow within 8 to 10 months following a full-scale launch. The Starkey Hearing Foundation has graciously contributed funds to begin the Community Garden and expand it over the next 12 months.
Safe Water
Cholera reached epidemic proportions in Haiti in late 2010 and continued throughout 2011. Clean and safe water is desperately needed in the Luly community. Currently residents must walk long distances for access to water and often the water quality is questionable. A clean water well has been dug on WWV property in Luly, providing a sufficient supply of water. Soon, a solar powered submersible pump with battery backup will be added to the water distribution system thereby supplying the electricity to power the pump. Expanded public health training on water borne diseases and personal cleanliness is planned.
WWV introduced solar powered water purifying systems from Pure Water for All (www.hayspurewaterforallfoundation.com) in Luly. The water units are easy and inexpensive alternatives for purifying water. The devices use electrolysis to create a solution of chloride, peroxide and ozone from simple salt water. The solution is mixed into water and is extremely effective in killing harmful bacteria. Each unit is capable of treating enough water for 2500 people per day. The school children at Luly Community School benefit from one of these systems.
Sanitation
A latrine and bio-digester combination was designed and constructed on the WWV land in Luly. The bio-digester receives human waste from the latrine and other nearby sources. The waste is heated to 160 degrees Fahrenheit killing harmful pathogens before being added to the bio-digester. A by-product of the waste process in the bio-digester is methane gas that when captured can be used to power the waste heating element as well as for stoves used for cooking the school meals. The sterilized waste is then dried and becomes soil enhancement for the Community Gardens. Local residents are hired and trained to properly operate the bio-digester.