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Rotary to scale proven water and sanitation initiative in Haiti

Program aims to improve living conditions and reduce waterborne disease by 25% in three local government areas in Haiti by 2030

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (May 18, 2026) — As conflict, recurring natural disasters, climate change, and geographic disparities continue to disrupt access to clean water and sanitation services across Haiti, millions of people remain highly vulnerable to waterborne and hygiene-related illnesses.

Rotary is expanding a collaborative national model, the Haiti National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Initiative (HANWASH), that has proven success working with 11 water service providers to maintain infrastructure and sustain paid access to clean water and sanitation.

The scaled-up effort, Collaboration for Sustainable Water and Sanitation Systems in Haiti — led by Rotary clubs in Haiti and the Caribbean in partnership with nonprofits and government bodies including Haiti Outreach and Direction Nationale de l’Eau Potable et de l’Assainissement (DINEPA) — aims to improve access to clean and safe water, sanitation, and hygiene while strengthening demand, governance, and sustainable use for approximately 70,000 people in Cavaillon, Ferrier, and Pignon by 2030.

The program will strengthen community capacity to develop, maintain, and expand pay-for-service clean water and sanitation services by:

  • working with women and other local leaders in 40 urban and rural communities to build demand for high-quality water services and promote the benefits of fee-based clean water access and healthy hygiene practices, including handwashing and avoiding open defecation;
  • coordinating the construction and restoration of clean water systems while training local operators and community leaders to strengthen governance and ensure sustainable management and monitoring of water services; and
  • driving accountability and community buy-in as water service providers in the selected communities will contribute 10% of their revenue to regional and national water regulatory bodies to further expand clean water and sanitation services.

“In a fragile setting like Haiti, clean water and sanitation is one of the biggest challenges the country faces, and Rotary aims to address it head on. By partnering with local leaders, other nonprofits, and government agencies, Rotary members are helping to facilitate access to clean water and best sanitation practices for all, reducing waterborne and sanitation-related diseases for the most vulnerable, including children under five, and creating healthier communities for generations to come,” said Marlène Gay, a HANWASH Board and Collaboration for Sustainable Water and Sanitation Systems in Haiti Transition Team Member and member of the Rotary Club of Petion-Ville.

Collaboration for Sustainable Water and Sanitation Systems in Haiti is Rotary’s sixth Programs of Scale recipient — an annual competitive grant process that awards funding to an evidence-based program that aligns with one of Rotary’s causes and has the capability for scaling-up to help more people. The programs are sponsored by Rotary members in collaboration with local communities and partner organizations.

“Rotary members across the Caribbean and Haiti are working side by side with local partners to deliver lasting solutions that protect health and strengthen communities,” said Rotary International President Francesco Arezzo. “By supporting Collaboration for Sustainable Water and Sanitation Systems in Haiti, Rotary will be able to help more people gain access to safe water and sanitation—one of the most basic human needs—and lay the groundwork for a healthier, more resilient Haiti.”

Rotary members throughout the world develop and implement sustainable, community-driven projects that fight disease, promote peace, provide clean water, support education, help mothers and children, grow local economies and protect the environment. Over the last 100 years, US $5.5 billion has been awarded through The Rotary Foundation – Rotary’s charitable arm that helps clubs work together to perform meaningful, impactful service.

Rotary and Partner Quotes

Holger Knaack, Chair of The Rotary Foundation Trustees said, “Through Collaboration for Sustainable Water and Sanitation Systems in Haiti, Rotary is doing more than delivering clean water—we’re helping communities build long term health and resilience. By strengthening local capacity to manage and sustain water systems, this effort will help more children stay in school, improve public health, support livelihoods, and create lasting opportunities for Haiti’s future.”

Neil Van Dine, Haiti Outreach Co-founder and Director and a member of the Rotary E-Club of WASH said, “Since 1997, Haiti Outreach has helped lead the development of a community-led model for safe water access in rural Haiti built on durable infrastructure, local leadership, and long-term management. This approach has reached more than 300,000 people across 550 communities and helped shape WASH practice nationally. We are proud to partner through Rotary to help scale this Haitian-led model across the country.”

Edwige Petit, Direction Nationale de l’Eau Potable et de l’Assainissement (DINEPA) Director of Sanitation said, “Rotary, through its HANWASH program, supports the Haitian government’s efforts to achieve the goals of access to clean, safe drinking water for all as well as ending open defecation in rural and peri urban communities. As the regulatory body for the sector within the Haitian government, Direction Nationale de l’Eau Potable et de l’Assainissement (DINEPA) is amenable to continuing  this collaboration and extending clean water access to every Haitian.”

About Rotary: Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges and creating lasting change. Rotary connects 1.2 million people of action from more than 45,000 Rotary clubs in almost every country in the world. Their service improves lives both locally and internationally, from helping those in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit rotary.org.

Contact: Stephanie Graff, +1-847-425-5797, stephanie.graff@rotary.org

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