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HELP US MAKE
CLEAN WATER
AVAILABLE TO
COMMUNITIES
IN NEED
ABOUT GT
GT Water was created in 2016, to help families improve their quality of life by providing access to a sustainable supply of clean drinking water. Our model is focused on establishing self-functioning, geographically local teams. We help stimulate the local economy by hiring local residents, paying them a sustainable wage, and purchasing supplies from local vendors. We believe the solution to the clean water crisis must go beyond distributing water filters. We focus on providing potable water to underserved populations (families, women and children), training locals to manage and maintain their water filters to ensure each water filter is helping as many families as possible for the longest time possible.
Why Clean Water? Simple. Clean water is directly linked to quality of life.
Clean water means education, income and health—especially for women and kids.
We pride ourselves on a community-based approach. Our staff is made up of locals who provide the necessary insights to achieve the greatest positive impacts. We have longstanding service roots in the region and support the following initiatives and organizations:
THE PROBLEM
Worldwide, 1 in 10 people lack clean water. The majority of these people live in isolated, rural areas and spend hours each day collecting water. This means many children don’t have time to attend school and parents have less time to earn money.
Unfortunately, getting water is only half of the problem. Oftentimes, the collected water carries pathogens that can cause serious waterborne illness.
Just a few of these waterborne illnesses are:
GT Water Project (www.gtwater.org) started in 2016, focuses on the Latin American countries of Haiti and Honduras. Our approach: we train, hire and pay local teams that distribute water filters to deserving orphanages, churches, schools and families, focusing on underserved populations consisting of mostly women and children. The model we use is based on community support, whereas we buy local and hire local thereby putting money into the local communities that we serve. In the past seven years we have helped over 900,000 people with the availability of clean water.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere—where 40% of the population lacks access to clean water. That’s over 4 million people. Of 161 countries with available sanitation data, Haiti is the only nation that has seen access to clean water decrease in the last 20 years. Couple that with the ongoing cholera outbreak responsible for over 10,000 deaths—the worst cholera epidemic in recent history—and the need for clean water has never been greater.
We’re working with locals in the greater Les Cayes area of Haiti to install 50 to 100 water filters in communities per week. These filters not only provide thousands of families with clean drinking water, but have helped stem numerous cholera outbreaks.
With the help of donors and a dedicated local staff, GT Water has made clean water available to more than 600,000 Haitians.
In 2016, we tested our model in Haiti, and it's working.
GT Water expanded to Honduras, and has made clean water available to more than 300,000 Hondurans. If you have insights on countries, islands, or territories in need of clean water, please share your thoughts with us by emailing gtwater@gtwater.org
In 2018 we started the GT Water Project Smile. This program supplies a Project Smile Kit* consisting of – toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste for a family. During 2022 we have given out over 2100 GT Water Project Smile Kits, helping over 8,000 people. Lots of happy smiles (and clean teeth) in both countries
HOW WE HELP
GT Water - Haiti
GT Water has had fulltime operations for 6 years in Les Cayes, Haiti. We employ 4 team members paying them a local living wage. The primary organizational approach is providing clean water to the underserved population of women and children. In Haiti we accomplish this by giving a 5-gallon bucket with an attached membrane lifelong water filter. Our local team continues to provide access to clean water and food by helping churches, schools and families through our weekly distribution of GT Water Filters, GT Smile Kits and food.
We source our buckets from the Haitian manufacture in Port aux Prince then charter local safe bucket transport to Les Cayes. While the actual trip is distance is about 120 miles under “normal road conditions” it is a 5 hour trip. Since 2019 due to the country wide unrest, it a 2-3 day trip with security gurads riding shotgun.
How do we source our water filters? We work very closely with a Florida based missionary airline, Agape www.agapeflights.com . They serve an in-country missionary network throughput the Caribbean and fly to Les Cayes weekly. Agape enables us to provide food, best in class water filters and GT Smile kits in Haiti.
The GT Water team trains the candidates on proper filter use and supplies any required filter maintenance between checkups every 3 months.
Here are some insights on our operations from our local GT Water staff in Haiti.
GT WATER - HONDURAS
In Honduras Through GT Water and its’ Honduran Partners, we serve thousands of families annually in need of clean water, healthy smiles and food. Our 5 person local team supports all of these efforts year round through our expanded warehouse facility that was completed early 2023.
Our GT Water team distributes 50 to 100 water filter units per week through a well-defined network of local schools, churches, health clinics and orphanages. Additionally, we partner with two additional humanitarian mission Honduran based NGO’s that support our Honduran Clean Water efforts. We have partnered with these groups for over 5 years.
CareLink Foundation, carelinkfoundation.org in addition to its’ clean water program, supports the local communities through active micro lending programs.
Our CareLink Honduran Partners
World Gospel Outreach (WGO), an additional GT Water Partner, wgoreach.org distributes GT Water Filters as part of its’ team outreach programs in Tegucigalpa.
URGENT UPDATE
On August 14th, 2021 a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the southwest peninsula of Haiti. Over 2,200 lives are lost, 12,000 people have sustained injuries, and upwards of 130,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed.
The GT Water team in Les Cayes has already distributed water buckets and filters, tarps, Smile Kits, and sanitary supplies. By utilizing our current infrastructure, we are flying these materials directly into Les Cayes and distributing them immediately. GT Water ensures that your donations are dispensed to the people in need, through our on the ground Haitian network. We are asking you to reach into your hearts and help Haiti.
Please support our GoFundMe campaign by clicking the button below. Thank you for making a difference.
JOIN US
Our operation is made possible by the generosity of ordinary concerned citizens around the world. People just like you. We invite you to join us in our efforts to bring clean drinking water to every Haitian in need.
As a registered 501 (c) (3) organization, your gift to us is fully tax-deductible, and will go toward providing the equipment, training, and support necessary to bring safe water to Haiti. No gift is too big or too small, and each will play an important role in expanding access to clean water for those who need it most.
To donate, simply click the donate button or anywhere on the table below. You will be taken to a secure PayPal donation form where you can enter your desired donation amount and payment information.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. WHAT KIND OF WATER FILTER DO YOU USE?
We use a membrane filter that eliminates 99.9999% of disease-causing microbes and pathogens that may be present in the water. Our filter attains the highest level of filtration available today. In fact, it's the same filter that is used in kidney dialysis machines. It requires no power or chemicals, can purify over 500 gallons a day, and has a lifetime warranty.
Click here for more information on the filters we use.
2. HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN THE FILTERS?
The GT Water staff visit each filter site every 3 months and are available for maintenance between visits.
3. HOW BIG IS THE PROBLEM?
10 million Haitians and Hondurans lack access to clean water. Since the earthquake in 2010, the cholera outbreak has claimed over 10,000 lives. In many cases, clean water is the difference between life and death.
4. WHY HAITI?
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and it is the only country where access to clean water has decreased over the last 20 years. It's important to provide a sustainable solution to Haiti’s water crisis through local employment and local product sourcing. By doing this, we help improve both the water and economic situations.
5. IS MY DONATION TAX-DEDUCTIBLE?
Absolutely! As a registered 501 (c) (3) charity, your gift to GT Water Project is fully tax-deductible. We also accept non-cash asset gifts. Please contact us with your non-cash donation requests.
GT Water is also a registered Haitian NGO Foundation.
EIN 81-4172473
Contact Us
We want to hear from you!
Whether you have questions before donating, or would like to let us know about something we can do better, please feel free to get in touch with us via the form below:
Ramsey, NJ
PO Box 626
Ramsey, NJ 07446
Les Cayes, HAITI
Avenue des Quatre Chemins
Les Cayes, Haiti