It’s known as Dlo Pwòp in Haiti and is unofficially known as Haiti Water, but International Action—isn’t merely an organization that operates in Haiti to bring clean water to communities in Haiti. It is also involved in other projects, like encouraging the use of solar lighting (about 10 have been installed so far in Jacmel and Port-au-Prince by International Action), providing school supplies, spreading cholera awareness, and executing an intestinal worm elimination program. For the latter program, the organization teams up with AmeriCares and International Action to distribute albendazole tablets to about 90,000 children. In terms of total reach, the organization estimates that it has positively affected the lives of 900,000 people in Haiti through its clean water programs.

International Action counts Haiti’s local churches, schools, and orphanages among its partners as well as DINEPA–the Haitian water agency—and other organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, the American Institutes for Research, Oxfam, Samaritans Purse—among others. The organization’s efforts has led 419,358 people gain access to clean, safe water in 2011 through their cholera prevention consortium. Its donation of 350 buckets of chlorine has provided clean water education to 33 different International and local groups working in Haiti. International Action is continuously working with community leaders to find additional locations locations for chlorine bank branches.

This year when Hurricane Isaac hit Haiti, the organization’s staff trucked clean, safe water to six affected communities, including those in tent cities and residents who had abandoned their homes due to the the storm. Zach Brehmer, International Action’s Director of Research, further explained the organization’s goals and achievements.

Q & A

How did the Haiti Water organization come to be?
The vision for International Action started in 2003 when Lindsay Mattison and Youngmin Chang visited Haiti with a friend. They saw that many of the community water tanks in Port-au-Prince were filled with untreated water. The water was causing children to get sick with cholera, typhoid, hepatitis and diarrhea. They thought this was a tragedy. Children were dying and unable to go to school because they didn’t have the basic need. They realized that the people of Haiti demanded cooperation and understanding, not good intentions and abandoned handouts. In 2006, Lindsay and Youngmin returned to Port-au-Prince with chlorinators and a whole lot of ambition. They immediately began forging community relationships that they’ve strengthened and expanded over the past five years. Lindsay and Youngmin also created a base of operations in Haiti, led by Dalebrun Esther, to execute the organization’s many programs and to address urgent community needs.

Your organization’s tag line is ‘Bringing Clean Water to Haiti’. Just why doesn’t Haiti have clean water?
There is a simple explanation to this, and then a complicated one to explain the simple explanation. Simple explanation: There has not been a completed central water treatment system in any of Haiti’s cities, let alone water treatment systems in rural locations. Explaining the simple explanation: Many of the current issues in Haiti are directly and indirectly related to Haiti’s tumultuous political and social past. The struggle to gain freedom in the late 1700’s destroyed almost all infrastructure in the country including hospitals, access to clean water, sanitation, and food supplies. After the Haitian won freedom, the new leaders forced share cropping because they wanted to keep the plantation system for two reasons: one, the leaders wanted to prove to the world that a plantation export-based economy could be supported without slavery. And two, because the plantation system was the only economy the new leaders of Haiti had ever known. The Haitian population wanted to be done with the plantation system and own their own land to farm on. They were forced to work the plantations, only keeping a quarter of the crops for themselves, or risked punishment.

Oppressive regimes have led Haiti until the late 80’s when Aristide took office. Aristide then disassembled many of the institutions that had been linked to oppressive behavior. However Aristide could not see his policies through and was ousted and brought back on two different occasions. This left the country crippled with very few working institutions and the countries public services fell into even worse disrepair. Throughout all of this internal conflict there were foreign countries that greatly diminished Haiti’s chances of moving forward. These foreign powers forced Haiti into debt, economic isolation, and coerced Haiti into poor tariff policies that benefitted foreign interests rather than the countries own growth.

To build a water disinfection system that supports an entire country there needs to be funds, stability, and trust. In Haiti, there has been very little of these three needs due to the aforementioned history.

Most people who work in the development field often come across challenges. What has been Haiti Water’s biggest challenges?
I’ll talk about our biggest challenge in Haiti and our biggest challenge outside of Haiti. First, biggest challenge in Haiti. Predicting the government’s behavior and enabling the chlorinators to be completely community sustained are our greatest challenges in Haiti. The unpredictability of the government was talked about earlier—highlighted by the resignation of the Prime Minister months ago. Sustainability is always an issue. For the chlorinators to be self-sustaining, the community needs to be able to buy tablet chlorine for their chlorinators themselves—donations of chlorine are not a 50 year solution. Many communities make enough money from water sale to pay water station staff, buy more water, and buy chlorine. However, there is not an establishment in Haiti that sells chlorine tablets at an affordable level.

Second, biggest challenge outside of Haiti. Raising awareness and fundraising is our greatest challenge outside Haiti. It is a constant battle. It takes a long time and a lot of work to help a community reach the point where they can sustain a project on their own finances. Multi-year support and patience is very important.

You’ve no doubt reach several milestones with Haiti Water. What accomplishments is it most proud of?
We have reached 110 various community water stations and nearly 250 schools throughout Haiti. The estimated total population we are helping to provide clean water to be 900,000. Being able to help 900,000 people is amazing.

One of our most important accomplishments is that the communities we work with truly own their chlorinator system — they can test the water, calibrate the chlorinator valve, educate their neighbors about clean water and the chlorinator, and know when to retrieve more chlorine tablets. After two months of training they do all of this without our help.

What does Haiti Water need the most at this point? Lots of people might want to help. So how can they best do so?
There are many ways an individual can help. Our biggest challenge in country is finding a way to make each water station and chlorinator completely self-sustainable — meaning that the community can test their water, adjust the chlorinator so they have the proper amount of chlorine residual, and can buy their own chlorine from a non NGO source. The most difficult of these to accomplish is the latter.

We are working with Haitian communities to create a locally-owned chlorine distribution system — we call this system the Chlorine Bank Network. In order to achieve sustainability there needs to be more exposure of the issue, more funds, and a wide range of ideas discussing ‘community-led funding and community income generation possibilities.’ Anyone can help with the first two needs. If one is not able to donate, it always helps to introduce our group and the work we do to other people. International Action is always very happy to assist people interested in organizing a awareness or fund raising campaign – in some cases we may send staff to help or speak at an event. We are also going to be beginning an in-Haiti volunteer program. It will be focused around clean water education in Haiti and the Chlorine Bank Network.

La Source is an inspiring documentary made by Patrick Shen, a documentary filmmaker, whose independent production company Transcendental Media is based in Pasadena, California. The doc has been screened at every major documentary festival, including the prestigious Sebastopol Film Festival.

The documentary seems simple enough: Josue Lajeunesse, one of Haiti’s native sons, who immigrated to the United States in the 1980s, returns to his homeland. But the story is much deeper than that; he has returned to his remote town of La Source, for a special purpose, and a purpose that goes back to his childhood.

La Source, which Lajeunesse says is a thirty minutes drive from the city of Jacmel, lacked a clean water source when Lajeunesse was growing up there as the youngest of five children of Carobert Lajeunesse and Gina Jean-Charles.

In 1989, Lajeunesse left Haiti for New Jersey. Like a great many new immigrants, Lajeunesse worked many odds jobs. Then in 1994, an acquaintance of his, who worked in security at Princeton University, told him about an opening for a janitor position at the Ivy League Institution. Lajeunesse applied and was hired for the job. Along the way, he used his earnings from that job alongside miscellaneous businesses he started (including a taxi service company) to channel money back home to go towards improving the lives of the townspeople back in La Source. Most important to Josue was that La Source be furnished with a water source, so that his townmates would not have to take dangerous commutes to get water.

Between working to bring La Source to a bigger audience and developing ideas for some new documentaries and planning a feature narrative project, the documentary’s helmer Patrick Shen broke things down for us. Kreyolicious also had a conversations with Josue Lajeunesse—the native son himself.

Q& A with Josue Lajeunesse

How do you feel about the fact that your town’s story is on the big screen?
When I was in Haiti, I was always involved in the community, doing things. I was part of my theatrical troupe in Haiti. It is what it is. I feel the same way as I felt before. Nothing has changed. I feel normal. I am a simple guy.

You came to this country in the late 1980s, as part of a group of immigrants who came to find a better life. What are you most proud of among all your accomplishments towards the American Dream?
I will give you three items. I love my family. I love everyone. Right now, I am proud of—not of myself—but of the people of the town where I’m from. We are in the process of building a school in the town [of La Source]. They have clean and purified water.

What are your earliest memories of growing up in La Source?
I was little, but I remember everything. The way people had to climb mountains to get to the water. It was a disaster. People would fall down everyday. Break their arms. The people would get sick too, because they didn’t have access to the clean water. So now, they don’t have to go up the mountain anymore. Now, they have the tower.

When did the clean water journey begin?
It was something we did little by little. Every time I had a little money, I send it. Maybe around 1998. My brother Chrismedonne and me, we thought about the people there. It was my dad’s dream, but my dad didn’t have the chance to do so. Me and my brother ever since we were little, we thought about it. When I was in high school in Haiti, I remember in physics they said when you lower the volume, you can increase the. My brother does construction; he does plumbing. He does a lot of stuff. With him, we will be able to do [the job of bringing clean water]. All the physical jobs, he’s in charge; he knows what to do. I don’t have any finance coming back to me or anything; everything is for the community.

Do you think it’s important for people to go back and give back to Haiti like you did?
I think it’s like an obligation. It’s mandatory for everyone to think of where they’re from. We don’t have a government in the world that can do everything for everybody. If everyone—so many of them successful—help, we can [achieve] big things. You have a lot of people who have a lot of riches. They forgot where they came from. I never forgot where I come from. When you have a good heart, you will do so many things you will never think you would do. If everyone put their hands into the pot, when you close you eyes, you will see that the food is done. You got a vision. You have an idea. You cannot live like you don’t care. You have to understand you come from somewhere. Why you’re not coming back to do some public service—to give back where you [went] to high school? Where you [went] to middle school? You have to go back. Give something to the community where you come from. Even if you earn $400 a week—I don’t care—you can do something for the community where you come from.

What message would you like to send to Haitians of all backgrounds, whether born in Haiti or elsewhere but living away from Haiti?
The message is: a kingdom divided cannot be successful. And even in the family, when you’re divided, you cannot make any progress. We have one country and one nation. And when we’re together, we are a big force. We can do anything to take the country [to the next level]. The people outside; the people in Haiti. The country can be beautiful like every other country.

Q& A with Patrick Shen

Was your initial meeting with the Lajeunesse brothers as inspiring as the project? How did you meet? At which point did you decide that it was a worthwhile project to pursue?
My initial meeting with Josue took place under very different circumstances. I didn’t know anything about his dream to bring clean to La Source. I only knew that he was a janitor at Princeton and that he was originally from Haiti. He was a bit of a mystery and something about him was very intriguing. Josue was one of 8 janitors I featured in my last film The Philosopher Kings, which was a documentary about the lives and wisdom of janitors employed at universities throughout the United States. It wasn’t until the end of a long interview with Josue that I learned about La Source and the water project, which he mentioned to us very matter of factly as we were about to pack up our equipment. I thought instantly, “Looks like we’re going to Haiti”. It wasn’t until we arrived in La Source that I was able to see the scope of Josue’s dream for his village. That was also the first time I had met Josue’s brother, Chrismedonne. We were all instantly drawn to the brothers, the village, and the cause. In The Philosopher Kings audiences got a glimpse of Josue’s dream for La Source and his frustrations in fulfilling that dream. That film premiered at the AFI/Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival in June of 2009 and Josue became an instant hero that audiences really gravitated toward. People started throwing fundraisers for Josue – money came in from all parts of the country – and before Josue knew it, completing this water project in the way that he had always imagined was becoming a reality. Among those we encountered at Silverdocs was Jordan Wagner, executive director of Generosity Water. He instantly fell in love with Josue and offered his full support in helping Josue complete the water project.

How ironic is it that the little town that the documentary La Source is about, had water issues. After all, La Source does mean The Source.
I believe the town was named La Source because the natural spring in the mountain had been the source of water for many villages for decades. There are no historical records in La Source and any information about the origins of La Source had been passed down through generations and details were not entirely clear or at least not translated in a way that we were able to comprehend fully.

None other than Don Cheadle is the narrator of the project. Was it a challenge getting him involved with your project?
It all came together pretty quickly. We reached out to his agent on a Friday and met Don at studio in Santa Monica the following Friday to record the narration. His agent loved the film and really had a heart for Haiti, as does Don, so I don’t think it took much convincing to get him on board.

How did you and the rest of the La Source crew feel about being one of just 17 projects to be selected for screening by the International Documentary Association for DocuWeeks?
It’s such an honor to have the IDA’s support. The DocuWeeks showcase exists solely to support a handful of films each year that the IDA believes has Oscar potential. When you’re in the throes of making a film, Oscar potential is the last thing on your mind. Whether we get nominated or not, it’s been great to know that people have responded to the film like they have. It’s rewarding after all the years of hard work and struggle.

Has the community of La Source seen the documentary?
We’re in the midst of raising funds to do this. Because there’s no electricity there are some logistics and costs involved in screening the film in La Source. Not only do we have to arrange to bring a generator, screen, and sound system to La Source, the film also needs to be translated. We’re hoping to make a trip out there in [this year].

Is this documentary the last time you’ll be involved with Haiti?
Josue and the people of La Source have become like an extension of my own family. My involvement as a filmmaker might end here, but not as a friend. In fact, we’re in the midst of launching a social action campaign alongside the release of the film – the hope with this campaign is to raise enough funds to continue helping Josue fulfill his dreams for his village, which include a school for the children in La Source.

Did you come across any hardships as you sought to put together the documentary?
Hardships and documentary filmmaking are totally synonymous. Funding is always a struggle as is following a story that is unpredictable and unfolding before your eyes. Beyond that, the language barrier was tricky to navigate as we didn’t have enough funds to hire a proper translator for the first two trips we took to Haiti and had a hard time knowing what it was we were getting early on.

Be sure to purchase the La Source documentary here, and help support Josue’s work!

[Photos: Transcendental Media, except for photo of Josue in the black-suit…Credit: Angela Weiss]