On the island of La Gonave, Haiti, water-borne diseases kill more people than any other disease. An important ingredient of our plan to remove water-borne diseases as a major cause of death is to make sure every family on the island (some 10-12,000) has a good, functional latrine. Starfysh has found community health worker and missionary, Lowell Adams, doing good work in several of La Gonave’s mountain villages, educating villagers about the extreme importance of latrine use. Starfysh has supplied Lowell with the funds for 250 latrines. At newsletter press time, some 50 latrines have been completed and we estimate that, by the end of 2011, every family household in two small villages will have a latrine. Lowell tells us that excitement in these villages is high and that there is a waiting list. Our cost for materials: $20 per latrine. Not a bad deal, in our estimation, to see health improved and dignity raised.

Currently, more than 90% of the 10,000 households on the island of La Gonave do not have a latrine. It is easy for urinary and fecal elimination on the ground to find its way to nearby water sources (rivers and springs) where villagers so often go to bath and get their water for cooking and drinking.