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Water for People
By Miles Messenger, North Canton
Miles Messenger, retired Manager of the Supply Division of the Metropolitan District Commission in Barkhamsted, traveled to Honduras earlier this year, representing the Connecticut Section of the American Water Works Association’s Water for People committee.
Water for People is an international, not-for-profit organization that is committed to providing safe drinking water and sanitation systems and health hygiene education to the most impoverished people worldwide. The great thing about Water for People is that the projects are built by the villagers, maintained by the villagers and owned by the villagers. Water for People provides the funding and oversees the project through an in-country coordinator during and after construction, so the project stays viable for years to come.
The Connecticut Section of Water for People has raised over $75,000 since its inception in 1994 and has dedicated over $24,000 to projects in Honduras since 1997. My recent trip to Honduras consisted of 12-hour days hiking up mountains or riding in the back of pickup trucks to tiny villages in the mountains to visit projects we have funded. The villagers sell their coffee through communal coffee co-ops.
I am convinced that Water for People takes projects no other organizations will consider. We were treated like heroes in the villages where projects were completed. The villagers made us feel very proud.
An interesting note to this story is that the sixth grade classes of Mr. Nadeau and Mrs. Manzer at the Ann Antolini School in New Hartford have raised over $3,000 in the last four years for Water for People projects in India and Guatemala.
I am interested in contacting other schools or organizations that might be interested in helping Water for People. I can be contacted at 860-693-8643, or at <mmesseng@attbi.com>.
You may also visit the Water for People website at <www.waterforpeople.org>.
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