Angrand Rhuts Winsly is a 19 year old young man who exudes immense wisdom and integrity for such a young age. He is completing his final year of high school, and intends to go on to study clothing design and mechanics. A jack of all trades, he enjoys making clothes and fixing things. He also farms to help support his family. He is a member of the Site Jonathan Community in the municipality of Terrier Rouge. The people of Site Jonathan used to gather water from a well they called: “Wells Site Jonathan”. Unfortunately, two years ago their well broke down. After they lost access to their well, they had to start getting up very early to fetch water from another well that was over an hour away by foot.
One day, while Angrand was making clothes at home, he saw another young man with a toolbox. The man was taking apart the broken down well near his house, and was also accompanied by the mayor of Terrier Rouge. Out of curiosity, Angrand approached the man and started asking questions. The man explained that he was working at the request of the mayor and that he was part of an organization called Haiti Outreach. Haiti Outreach had just repaired the well to bring relief to a nearby community who suffered from lack of clean water access for a long time. Angran was overjoyed and expressed, “I was so glad that I walked around calling other people in the area to come and see this miracle!” Inspired by this new discovery, he solicited his community to request the support of Haiti Outreach to get a well too!
A week later, the mayor accompanied a young woman who works for Haiti Outreach as an animator and gathered the community members of Site Jonathan to talk to them about the possibility of having clean water just a short distance from their homes for life! The woman asked the people of Site Jonathan, “Would you like to have water for your community?”
They all exclaimed “Wi!” (Yes).
Then she asked, “How long would you like this water to last?”
A little confused by the question, they hesitated, and finally someone spoke up and said, “Forever.”
With a wide grin, the Haiti Outreach animator began to engage them in a conversation about what it would require of them to ensure their well was sustainable for generations to come. They were a little taken aback initially as they had expected her to simply tell them what to do, but eventually they started to understand that they would need to take ownership of this new well if they wanted it to last indefinitely. They created a management committee who determined a budget and maintenance plan for the longevity of the well.
Angrand was deeply encouraged by this prospect, and was overcome with joy. He prayed that this well would be built quickly for his people.
Their well was inaugurated in December of 2021, and Angand now serves as one of the committee management members. He shared, “I am very happy to volunteer my time to serve my community. I am in school and I am a tailor, but I have created time to participate in this management training. In the days to come, we will live because we have access to drinking water. It is a great relief for not only me, but also for our entire community population. After my secondary studies, I intend to continue my university studies in tailoring and mechanical engineering.”
Angrand and his community are thrilled to have this opportunity and will indeed use the time saved gathering water to invest in other activities that will help them build a more sustainable future for themselves and future generations.
