International Action: A Unique Approach

International Action has successfully provided 635,868 Haitians (one-in-five residents of Port-au-Prince) with clean water because of our chlorinator – a gravity-based and inexpensive method of disinfecting whole community water supplies instead of individual households. Our chlorination systems treat water before distribution, ensuring the water remains safe for everyone who drinks it.

International Action is…

A community-driven organization.

We’ve worked hard to establish ourselves in the Haitian communities we serve. Our team in Haiti makes water deliveries, installs equipment, handles repairs and maintenance, and provides training five days a week. They’re also available for 24-hour emergency relief and respond to customer service requests – the first such service in many Haitian's lives.

The local water boards we establish at our water sites take “ownership” of our projects serving their communities – from chlorine testing to de-worming pill distribution – and train alongside teachers and school directors to learn the value of clean water, how to safely retrieve water, simple chlorinator maintenance, and even best hand-washing practices. These leaders educate others (students, neighbors, family) who pass the knowledge on. This train-the-trainer model encourages our communities to use their water systems as a rallying point and feel connected to and responsible for their care. This is the foundation for a self-sustainable water system and community.

A provider of sustainable solutions.

To us, sustainability isn't just a buzzword. We know the best help is the kind that provides long-term solutions, because we've seen it in action. Our water projects in Haiti are designed with ease-of-use and cost-effectiveness in mind. We treat the problems affecting whole communities, not individuals or small households, and we don't install expensive, complex systems that have dependencies like electricity – which can be hard to come by in Haiti.

Our energy-free tablet chlorinators have been proven effective by both scientific studies and personal testimonies and cost less than $300 to manufacture and ship. The chlorine tablets and granular chlorine we provide are safe and stable, even in harsh conditions, and can disinfect up to 25,000 gallons of water for days. The albendazole pills we deliver eliminate and prevent intestinal worms with only a few treatments per year for only 1¢ per pill. Additionally, many of our communities charge a small fee (6¢) for water collection and use the profits to buy water, chlorine, educational materials, or medical supplies – providing a truly self-sustaining water system in their neighborhoods.

A willing partner.

The most important thing to us is creating a healthy Haiti. Cooperation with other groups in Haiti helps us, and the organization we partner with, to achieve that goal. We gladly provide training and materials to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other groups serving communities throughout the nation – particularly those in areas we can’t currently reach. We partner with local churches, schools and orphanages, DINEPA (the Haitian water agency), and with NGOs like the International Committee of the Red Cross, the American Institutes for Research, Oxfam, and many others. We’re actively seeking opportunities to add to our list of partners.

No organization or group is too small, and local community leaders and representatives contact us regularly to request aid. We do our very best to fulfill each and every request to bring more clean water to Haiti.

Why our programs?

Our Campaign for Clean Water projects have brought clean water to one-in-five Haitians in Port-au-Prince – over 600,000 people nationwide.
We currently serve 62 communities, three IDP (internally displaced persons) camps, four hospitals and clinics, seven orphanages, and 92 schools in Cité Soleil alone.
We’ve distributed over 700,000 doses of de-worming medication.
Our new Books for Schools initiative has delivered 3,000 books to schools throughout Haiti.

Learn more about our work and partnering with us.