Moms and Dads are off to market, work, or otherwise engaged in the daily struggle for subsistence. Then they raised enough money to go and visit the community and see what was happening. Some of the money raised by the North American youth was used to fix a pump near the school that had been broken for many years. They also built a latrine for school and community use. The North American youth group had studied the issues of health in Haiti and knew the importance of these activities to the health of the children and the community.
Diarrhea is the leading cause of death for children in Haiti.
The relationship between good sanitation and safe drinking water is clear to see. Now the children at Duffaiye are making a difference in the health practices of their entire community. They hold formal sessions in school about diseases like tuberculosis, AIDS, and diarrhea. They are even identifying some of the children in the area who are sick and in need of treatment. In the evening, some of the adults are starting to come to the school where, with the assistance of ICC community health workers, students spread the word about health to the entire community.