Update on a successful Water Filter Campaign

1. Can you briefly describe the water filter campaign? What was its main goal and purpose?

The main purpose of the Waterfilter and Rainharvesting campaign is to provide clean drinking water to the people of Cotteau Raffin who either lack access to water or do not have access to clean drinking water. The initial goal of the campaign was to provide the community with 84 water filters and 8 rain harvesting systems. However, a different solution was later developed for the rain harvesting systems. As a result, the campaign will now provide more than 25 rain harvesting systems designed to collect water from rooftops.

2. What inspired you to initiate this water filter campaign? Were there specific events or reasons that motivated you to take action?

Groundswell Aid  have raised funding a couple of times for water filters, during the cyclones that hit Mozambique. During that time we partnered withAleph Surf and Young Life. Last year together with Rehgert and Vannesa from Aleph Surf we assisted the communities in need, after heavy rainfall and floods in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa and I've been joining a campaign with La Red in El Salvador to provide houses and families with waterfilters.Clean drinking water should be available for everyone, the solution of a water filter will change a family's life and I've seen it so many times now. No more need for medicine no more sickness because of the contaminated water, and families don't have to buy water. So they save money, and the quality of living goes up, and they don't need to miss days of work because of them being sick because of the health problems they face as a result from drinking this water.

La Red partners with Filter of Hope and this really inspired me, to see how we could potentially partner with Filter of Hope for a different project. I reached out to our Groundswell Aid projects, and Andre and Yvette shared that their community is in big need of clean drinking water. We were blessed to set up a partnership with them and run a campaign to raise the funding to buy the equipment needed for rain harvesting and filters.

3. What kind of impact did the campaign have on the community? Are there   any specific stories or experiences that stand out to you?

The impact of the campaign was obviously that we brought clean drinking water into the community. We distributed the filters house, by house - one filter at a time. Every time we spent time with a family it was a unique time  - I think the biggest thing I can say is, actually just seeing the people looking at the water filter and just seeing the dirty water become clean drink water like it was a miracle for them, they could not believe the difference of how the water looks inside the bucket and how clean it comes out and it didn't taste like mud or something. 

I think the biggest impact of the campaign was that we equipped and empowered the community.  We obviously brought the filters in but they are the ones  knowing how to install the filter,  how to use the filter and  how to maintain it. One of the good things I've heard was that many people said ‘I’m gonna share this with my family they can come and filter their water.’

One of the good things I've heard was that many people said ‘I’m gonna share this with my family they can come and filter their water.’

4. Looking back, what were some of the major challenges or obstacles you encountered while running the campaign? How did you overcome them?  

As this community is very poor and there is a lot of challenges it's all about building trust with the people and even though that you could see a risk and danger you just trust,  and you just show love , just love on the community - love will always win!

5. What role did community engagement play in the success of the campaign?

What made this campaign successful was the support we got from Ivy and her family. Ivy  speaks very good english and helped us to organise meeting the people of the community. She also joined us many times to be with us and translate at times. She is a beautiful woman with a big heart for the people living in her community.

It was amazing to work together with Andre and Yvette and the boys from the workshop.