Deep Springs International

Onward

• DSI has been blessed with the financial, in-kind, and human capital support to continually grow in new and challenging ways.  Over 4,000,000 rural Haitians need safe water and we intend to make sure the Haitian produced and managed Gadyen Dlo system is there to help meet that demand.  To review DSI’s programs, click here.  To join in the effort, click here.

2010

• On January 12, a massive earthquake devastated the population centers including and surrounding Port-au-Prince and Leogane.  Because of the great generosity of DSI’s supporters and empowered by a large unrestricted donation from LANXESS within days of the earthquake, DSI brought its resources to bear for Haitians and the aid community to begin the distribution of immediate relief and establishing long-term solutions for the earthquake recover.
• DSI received a generous in-kind donation of raw materials from Nova Chemicals to allow DSI to obtain Haiti-manufactured buckets for 30,000 households.
• DSI partnered with Save the Children to bring the Gadyen Dlo safe water system to over 70,000 additional Haitians who were living outside of camps.
• In order to continue expansion of Gadyen Dlo system to the poorest of the poor in Haiti, two DSI donors provided a $50,000 challenge grant to match $1-for-$1 contributions to expand the parish partnerships that DSI took over in 2009.  The US parishes have stepped up their efforts, and DSI has deployed additional financial and human capital resources into the local communities served by Gadyen Dlo and sponsored by parish partners.
• Michael Ritter was asked to serve as the Co-Leader for the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene cluster in Leogane, which is a leadership role allowing Michael to assist other NGOs (from large groups such as CHF International and Doctors Without Borders).
• Tearfund UK and the CNP partnered with DSI to bring over 12,000 more Haitians safe water through Gadyen Dlo.
• Severn Trent Services donated equipment which greatly increased DSI’s capacity to produce Gadyen Dlo.  The equipment allowed DSI to quickly set up bulk distribution of sodium hypochlorite solution in response to the cholera outbreak.  In addition to the equipment, Severn Trent Services is providing technical support to optimize production.  This support allowed DSI to produce and distribute enough Gadyen Dlo to treat over 86 million liters of water in the first five months of the epidemic, which is estimated to have saved 460 lives.

2009

• DSI was asked by a number of US Catholic parishes to assess and manage safe water programs in Haitian Catholic parishes to which they are partnered, which today covers approximately 15,000 families across the country.  DSI continues to match US churches (regardless of affiliation) with communities in need of safe water.

2008

• DSI, under Michael Ritter’s leadership, began to expand the impact of Gadyen Dlo in Jolivert while establishing relationships with NGOs on the ground in Haiti that would continue to reap dividends in the coming years.
• In partnership with the Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti (CNP), DSI distributed 1,500 household systems serving approximately 7,000 in Leogane.  This project marked the beginning of a long-standing partnership between DSI and the CNP, and provided DSI with the experience in the Leogane Corridor that would allow for its efficient and effective earthquake response in 2010.
• DSI was awarded the Templeton Freedom Award for Social Entrepreneurship.

2007

• Michael Ritter completed his Master of Public Health at Emory University, where he studied under the guidance of Daniele S. Lantagne (a safe water systems expert).  Michael moved to Haiti to establish long-term partnerships and expand DSI’s impact.
• DSI takes over the Jolivert Safe Water for Families program, which was established by Bill Gallo and Missions of Love, with assistance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and USAID. Today, DSI’s Jolivert program is managed by Christophe Velcine (a local Haitian entrepreneur), employs several technicians and distributors of Gadyen Dlo, and provides safe water to 5,000 households (approximately 23,000 individuals).

2006

• DSI was organized in 2006 as the outgrowth of a business plan competition at Grove City College.  Designed by Ruth Entwistle, the DSI business plan focused on creating jobs in rural communities through business education programs.
• DSI’s first program was an enterprise education program for youth in Les Cayes, Haiti.
• Based on the relationship between unsafe water and unemployment in developing countries, DSI designed its curriculum and business model around assisting Haitian entrepreneurs in establishing safe water.