Not Sure What to Give the Person Who Has Everything? Give a Bucket of Life
PITTSBURGH – Dec. 16, 2013 – Deep Springs International, a nonprofit organization that addresses the safe drinking water crisis in Haiti, announced that they are launching a new program called Buckets of Life, which can make a great alternative Christmas gift.
“In spite of the economy, many Americans are realizing that we are truly blessed and live in luxury compared to the poor in developing countries,.” says Michael Ritter, CEO and Co-founder of Deep Springs International. “This year we are launching our new Buckets of Life program, which makes a unique alternative Christmas gift for the same price as a shirt or sweater, and has a lasting impact.”
A Bucket of Life is a simple, sustainable and affordable way for the poorest of the poor in Haiti to purify their own drinking water, regardless of its contaminated source. It is a simple five-gallon bucket with a lid to keep out dirt, a tap for sanitary dispensing, and three year’s worth of chlorine subsidy and education for just $34.
Donors can honor a friend or loved one with the gift of clean, life-saving water for a struggling family in Haiti whose only concern during the holidays will likely be survival. Donors have the option to send a personalized gift card to the Haitian family when ordering a Bucket of Life at http://deepspringsinternational.org/Home/BucketsofLife.aspx. A copy of the card can also be given to the friend or loved one who is being honored by the gift.
Low tech by design – The Bucket of Life has few moving parts, no complicated filters to clean or replace, and requires no electricity. All it takes is a capful of locally produced chlorine solution for a family to have five gallons of clean water. To assure sustainability, local health agents earn an income by distributing the chlorine product. The Agents – equipped with chlorine test kits – visit families or communities to train in proper hygiene and system usage and to re-fill chlorine bottles.
There are currently about 900,000 families in rural Haiti who lack access to clean and safe drinking water. That is nearly half the entire population of the country, which is still considered the poorest in the western hemisphere. Over 8,500 lives have been lost in Haiti to cholera, a completely preventable water-borne disease. The Bucket of Life is a key tool in the arsenal to fight this deadly disease, which has now spread to the Dominican Republic on the other side of the island.
Deep Springs International has been working to provide safe drinking water in Haiti since 2006, working through the 2010 earthquake and the 2011 cholera epidemic. They estimate that they have saved 3,000 lives since 2006 with their water treatment systems.
Join Deep Springs International in the effort to fight cholera and bring safe drinking water to Haiti. For more information, please contact Steve Bostian at 828.773.7242 or partnership@DeepSpringsInternational.org, or go to www.DeepSpringsInternational.org.
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About Deep Springs International
Deep Springs International is a non-profit organization that provides a solution to the water crisis in Haiti, with the goal of sustainability. Using a simple and affordable chlorine system, they empower individuals to provide safe water to their communities as a sustainable business. Even the poorest families can treat their water with this system, regardless of the source. There are currently 320,000 rural Haitians using the system that has been recognized by UNICEF, the Centers for Disease Control, Save the Children, and the World Health Organization. For more information, please visit http://www.DeepSpringsInternational.org.
About Michael Ritter
Deep Springs International Co-founder and CEO Michael Ritter is living proof that young leaders can accomplish anything they set their minds to, with the right preparation, passion, and purpose. While still a graduate student, Ritter co-founded Deep Springs International along with Dr. Timothy Mech and Ruth Entwistle. Starting out with a shoestring budget was no obstacle for Ritter – his passion for saving lives by bringing clean water to poor Haitians was so strong that he literally operated out of his backpack for the first few years!
Ritter earned a B.S. in molecular biology from Grove City College and a Masters of Public Health from Emory University in Atlanta. He also serves as the National Director in Haiti – leading an entirely indigenous team of over 260 Haitians. As a specialist in water interventions, particularly Household Water Treatment and Storage (HWTS), he has served in leadership with U.N. Committees and presented at key health and water conferences.
