Contaminated water led to an outbreak of cholera in 2010, which has claimed 10,000 victims so far. To improve the situation for the people of Haiti, Hubert Aulich, board of directors SC Sustainable Concepts, has donated a solar-powered drinking water treatment plant to the Kinderhilfswerk nhp Germany, for the children’s village in Haiti. The system will insure a reliable drinking water supply for the resident children. Additionally, the water will also be sold at a very low price to the people from the area. “Innovative technologies like the solar-powered drinking water treatment plant are a blessing for countries like Haiti. With their help we can provide clean, healthy water for many more people than before.” says Father Richard Frechette, director of the nuestros pequeños hermanos (nhp) facilities.

Decentralized water supply is one solution for developing countries like Haiti

According to statistics by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1000 children under the age of five die each day, due to the consumption of contaminated water. Especially the residents of remote and rural regions lack access to clean drinking water. Autarcon, located in Kassel, Germany, has developed an innovative solution: their Sun-Meets-Water system (SuMeWa) offers a completely stand-alone drinking water treatment solution, powered solely by solar energy. The system adjusts automatically to the changing quality of the raw water and disinfects it sustainably without the use of chemicals. Sterilization takes place through anodic oxidation. This electrolytic process generates the required disinfectant from the minerals contained naturally in the water. A simple and environmentally friendly method for generating clean drinking water.

”We can improve the quality of life for many millions of people”

Hubert Aulich is a visionary in the field of solar power and water. “We are convinced that if we focus on solar power and clean water, we can improve the quality of life for so many millions of people worldwide. For us this is a driving motivation for continuing to improve our technology and to make it affordable for as many people as possible.” says Mr. Aulich. His company, SC Sustainable Concepts, is in close partnership with Autarcon. They share the common goal of bringing clean, healthy water to people in developing countries like Haiti, using cutting edge technology. Their contact to nhp was facilitated by the Biohaus-Stiftung, Paderborn, Germany, who have been an important partner to nhp Germany in the area of solar power and have provided significant support to the Kinderhilfswerk Haiti in the construction of a Solar Smart Grid. At present Hans-Joachim Olfs, a German expert in solar technologies, is teaching vocational students of nhp Haiti. The Biohaus-Stiftung is also supporting this development aid position.

Water is a human right

The solar-powered drinking water treatment plant is located on the property of the Kinderhelfswerk nhp Haiti in Tabarre, in the outskirts of the capital city Port-au-Prince. So far only the children living in the children’s village of the organization are profiting from the system, as it has only been in operation a short while. Before long, a water kiosk will be established. Here other Haitians will be able to purchase clean water for a small sum - a significant improvement of quality of life for many families and a guarantee for better health. The money earned from the water sales will pay the people helping with the water distribution.

nph: 60 years of providing sustainable help

The international children’s fund nuestros pequeños hermanos (nhp) has been helping needy children in Latin America since more than 60 years. The children’s villages are associated with schools, training workshops, medical and therapeutic institutions and local agriculture. The facilities are also open to the neighborhood. At this time 3,400 girls and boys are residing in the children’s villages and the humanitarian aid of nhp reaches approximately 230,000 people in need. You can support the children of Latin America with a donation via the Bank für Sozialwirtschaft, Karlsruhe Germany, IBAN DE 06 6602 0500 0000 0120 00.

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