Luben, Haiti has a powerful weapon to combat cholera

Today was extra special for me because I had a firsthand look at the impact that LifeSaver jerrycans had on the village of Luben, who had been hit hard during the early stages of the cholera outbreak in Haiti.

It was significant to me because of the role I was part of the Operation Blessing team that helped bring health through clean water to this village that had been completely surrounding by the cholera infested water because of flooding during the raining season. They were literally & figuratively surrounded by death.

There were several difficulties presented by the roads that had to be traveled, the size of the vehicles that could reach the village and the limited clean water solutions that could be carried a mile through waist deep water – it was a multitude of difficulties that Operation Blessing was prepared to overcome. After teaching the villagers how to use the Jerrycan to purify the water that surrounded their village, we had to count on them to implement the proper use of them.

I am here to say that the villagers are properly using the Jerrycans and were really excited to see us today when we drove over the dried out rice fields to visit them again. They are saving lives! Operation Blessing partners are saving lives! People that had cholera when we distributed the Lifesaver Jerrycans had been treated by doctors and haven’t been sick again.

They still drink the river water, but only if it has been purified by the Jerrycan. Even though I have personally used the Lifesaver technology and even drank Cholera water that had been purified one of the Jerrycans, it was important for me to see the impact several months later. The welcome of the villagers upon our arrival said it all and there were Jerrycans out and in use throughout the village.