High Grace.

Altagracia is a batey (sugar mill incorporated town) of around 2,000 people, roughly 300 families. Altagracia is bordered by a fetid pool of animal and human excrement, and garbage and sugar cane mill run off. The Lake, or Lago as it is referred to in these parts, is also the preferred breeding ground for mosquitoes and biting flies.

 If you are lucky your parents have a job at the mill or in a nearby town.  If you are lucky your parents will earn eight times below the national average salary.  If you are lucky you have a latrine, and if you are lucky it is not full and does not overflow into your house.  But the truth is, not many are lucky.

Of the 300 families, only 30 have latrines at all. With no latrine, your only option is to use someone elses. If there is not one available then you must go to the bush.  Everyone has access to running water, with street faucets distributed around the batey. Finally, they get a break right?  No, this water is a poisonous cocktail of E.coli which causes diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and sometimes death. If you were to visit Altagracia, you would see children drinking this water within a few minutes of arriving. You would also see distended stomachs from parasites and children loosing their hair.

Altagracia, meaning high grace, has not experienced much grace lately. How ironic and cruel that such a rich name would be a home to such extreme poverty.  

Over the past two years I have become familiar with this batey, with its poverty, with its people and with its issues. In this time we have designed and began to deliver a project to Altagracia that will change everything.

Over the next 12 months we aim to deliver 50 new latrines and a clean water project. This year a team from Southminster has installed five, and in the Spring three teams are hoping to install a further 30! It is all part of a three pronged strategy attacking the issues of sanitation (latrines), clean water and hygiene.

And as a sign of God's blessing over this strategy we have easily, with little work from me, raised $12,000 for this batey! This will allow us to install a community water purifier that will generate money for the community as well as eliminate many diseases.  With the help of Children of the Nations and people like you have shared high grace with Altagracia and soon this batey can become a place with clean water, adequate sanitation and great hygiene!

Gracias from the people of high grace.