For the Fall 2008 DSI Fall Newsletter, please see dsi-fall-newsletter-2008. (PDF)

Quick Updates:

• DSI health curriculum completed and revised by Emory Team members Bret Walker and Haitian teachers.

• DSI Business curriculum completed and being translated into French.

• Teacher Training Conducted for 37 teachers

• Monitoring and Evaluation Baseline Study Completed

Learn more about our primary partners. If you would like to become a partner, contact us now.

Grove City College

Grove City College served as the birthplace of DSI. The Entrepreneurship Department and the Business Plan Competition provided the opportunity and resources to develop the concept. The Education Department has helped DSI prepare the educational curriculum. DSI looks forward to further partnerships with GCC and its students.

Emory University

The Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University has provided valuable contacts and expertise. Several graduate students at the Rollins School have worked alongside us in Haiti.

World Concern

World Concern and its partners work closely with communities to determine their immediate and long-term needs, providing food, clean water, tents, medical supplies, health services and other essentials to victims, as we did in the 2004 tsunami in Asia, the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, and the devastating East Africa drought in 2006. World Concern Haiti is performing the role of in-country partner providing program headquarters, personnel, and support.

Jolivert Safe Water for Families

Deep Springs International assumed management of the Jolivert Safe Water for Families program, which was established by Bill Gallo and Missions of Love, with assistance from the CDC and USAID. The Jolivert project uses the water purification process that is recommended in the Safe Water Systems (SWS) for Developing Countries Manual published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. DSI’s Michael Ritter is the Director of this program.

Partner With Us

In our efforts to impact poverty through education and empowerment, Deep Springs International strives to connect organizations through invaluable partnerships. There are a variety of ways that you can become involved in the work of DSI. Deep Springs International works with many organizations including those in the area of education, microfinance, public health, and entrepreneurship.

Educational Institution

Deep Springs International desires to partner with educational facilities in Haiti and the Dominican Republic that are dedicated to quality education and sustainable development. DSI will provide curriculum and training workshops for teachers which will empower schools to expand their programs and subject areas. DSI will assist in providing the resources and support necessary to carry out these new programs successfully. Schools will benefit from enhanced communication and partnerships with other DSI partners in the area. We are most interested in working with schools which are located in a region with a need for safe water, have students ages 16-22 willing to participate in the DSI program, and have staff members willing to learn and teach the DSI curriculum.

Microfinance Organization

DSI will refer graduates to interested MFIs, enabling MFIs to support entrepreneurs in new markets. Graduates of the DSI program will be equipped with education in entrepreneurship and water treatment technologies. They will have developed a high quality business plan and will be in need of funding. DSI will only recommend students of the highest caliber for loans from the local MFI. Partner MFIs will report to DSI about an entrepreneur’s progress in starting the business and in repaying the loan.

Water & Sanitation Sector Organizations

DSI seeks to prepare students with focused knowledge on available water treatment methods and marketable skills related to hygiene education and water treatment. Since graduates will be well-equipped to become local vendors of household water treatment products, DSI seeks to establish partnerships whereby DSI will refer qualified graduates to in-country organizations which can provide supplies or products for the graduates to distribute. We invite individuals and organizations to assist us in educating students about various water treatment methods. DSI seeks to offer opportunities for individuals and NGOs to promote those water treatment methods with which they work and to offer hands-on experiences for students related to water treatment methods.

Entrepreneurship

DSI seeks to bring entrepreneurship to a higher level in less developed countries. We would like to partner with organizations promoting sustainable business in Haiti and the Dominican Republic as well as other impoverished nations. We are currently seeking partners in curriculum development and revision for youth. In the future we are also looking to provide a business mentorship program to each graduate.

Deep Springs International is committed to promoting evidence-based policy and programs. The DSI concept is based on the integration of technical approaches that have been shown to be effective, and DSI seeks to contribute to the evidence base in the areas of education, water treatment, and entrepreneurship.

PUBLICATIONS

 Fall 2008 DSI Newsletter: Read exciting news about:

Hope Springs Deep in Haiti: By Michele Kloes.  Read the September 19th, 2008 Grove City College Collegian artcile featuring Deep Springs International.  The articles also features news of the current events plaguing Haiti such as hurricanes, floods, riots and food shortages. 

Watch Michael’s presentation on his summer 2007 field experience in Jolivert, Haiti. Mountains, Motos, and Mules: Removing Barriers to Household Water Treatment in Rural Haiti

Safe Water System: A Community-Based Approach by Samira Sami — Article produced by Haiti Innovation regarding Deep Springs International and the Jolivert Safe Water for Families Program

Executive Summary (PDF)

Deep Springs International Launch (PDF) — Excerpted from 2006 Grove City College Annual Report.

There are three primary methods of filtering water to make it potable, BioSand Filter, Safe Water System, and PuR. Read on to learn about each.

BioSand Filter

The filter is a concrete container, enclosing layers of sand and gravel whose purpose is to eliminate sediments, pathogens and other impurities from the water. Water is poured into the top of the filter as needed, where a diffuser plate placed above the sand bed dissipates the initial force of the water. Traveling slowly through the sand bed, the water then passes through several layers of gravel and collects in a pipe at the base of the filter. At this point, the water is propelled through plastic piping encased in the concrete exterior, and out of the filter, for the user to collect.

Advantages

• Effective against bacteria, viruses, and parasites
• Removes turbidity
• Quality of water improves with time
• High flow rate - 60 liters/hour
• No on-going costs - no replaceable parts
• Durable & robust- lasts at least 5 years
• Fabricated from local materials
• Water tastes & looks good

Constraints

• Heavy - difficult to move
• Biological layer takes 1-2 weeks to develop to maturity
• Must be maintained, especially in situations where water is very muddy
• Requires that someone conduct maintenance checks by going from house to house
• Requires that the filter be used periodically on a regular basis

Additional Resources

• Clean Water for Haiti

Safe Water System (SWS)

Chlorine disinfection is accomplished by adding chlorine into the water. Users add one cap of solution to their storage container. Chlorine disinfection reduces diarrhea by 22-84% (CDC 2005). By providing sufficient contact time with the water, the chlorine causes chemical reactions which change the contaminants in the water, inactivating or killing them. It also causes chemical reactions which inactivate organic matter.

Advantages

• Kills bacteria and viruses effectively
• Residual chlorine protects water for a period of time
• Extensively field tested
• Easy to use

Constraints

• Requires clear water to be most effective
• May not be effective at killing parasites
• Taste unacceptable to some
• Contact time for chlorine to sit in water required
• Chemical dosage required varies with water quality

Additional Resources

• CDC Website

PuR

PuR is a Point-of-Use (POU) water treatment product sold in powder form by Population Services International (PSI). One packet of powder is added to 10 L of water. Users stir, let the solids settle, strain the water through a cloth, and wait 20 minutes. PuR reduces diarrhea by 16-90% (CDC 2005). PuR inactivates pathogens like chlorine disinfection, but an added chemical allows it to make the solids in the water drop out.

Advantages

• High drinking water quality – drinking water is visibly clean
• Effective even in turbid or muddy waters
• Kills bacteria, viruses, and parasites effectively
• Residual chlorine protects water for a period of time

Constraints

• Requires multiple steps for correct use
• Users must have two buckets, cloth, and stirring device
• May be too expensive for some
• Contact time for chlorine to sit in water required

Additional Resources

• Treating water at its point of use: Procter & Gamble
• Technical Information: PuR

Over the next year, Deep Springs International will be expanding in Jolivert, Haiti and launching a new program in Les Cayes, Haiti. In Jolivert, DSI assumed the management of an organization that creates jobs and supplies water treatment chemicals to over 2,500 rural households (over 8,400 individuals). Within the next year, we will be making changes to insure the long-term viability of this business and adding between 1,000 and 1,500 additional households from three remote villages. In addition, we will be working with Missions of Love to provide microloans to entrepreneurs that sell water treatment products.

In Les Cayes, DSI has forged partnerships with World Concern, the Haitian Ministry of Education, the Haitian Ministry of Health, and nine partner schools in Les Cayes to provide business and health education and financial services for local entrepreneurs. We will also provide logistical support for a new water treatment business with the capacity to produce water treatment products for 3,000 families (about 10,000 individuals). Over the past year, our staff has been conducting field research and designing educational materials. We have launched our educational project at our 9 partner schools with a train-the-teacher program which ran August 18th-22nd and trained 37 teachers.

Our activities in both regions will improve Haitian communities permanently by equipping them with the education, business techniques, and financing to supply their own needs for safe water.

Specific Activities

With the groundwork DSI has established in Haiti and the requisite funding, we are prepared to:
1. Train 27 teachers from nine partner schools to teach business and health;
2. Support teachers as they train 180 Haitian secondary students in the subsequent academic year;
3. Work with World Concern and Missions of Love to design micro-lending programs for graduates of DSI training programs and local entrepreneurs working with DSI;
4. Establish supply chain for five remote markets in Les Cayes and three remote markets in Jolivert;
5. Establish two business centers in Les Cayes to support and sustain graduates of training programs;
6. Add between 1,000 and 1,500 households from the Jolivert region to the safe water program;
7. Provide training and logistical support for a new water treatment business with the capacity to provide safe water to 3,000 households in Les Cayes.
8. Provide training through Jolivert employees for safe water projects started by NGOs in two other Haitian communities.

Ruth Dykstra Entwistle

President

Ms. Entwistle graduated in May 2007 from Grove City College with a BS in Entrepreneurship and a minor in Christian Thought. She is an MBA graduate student at Eastern University concentrating in International Economic Development. After holding several internship positions in non-profit organizations and working with communities in the US and abroad, she has developed a passion for business development in the third world. During the summer of 2006 she interned with Hope for the Children of Haiti - researching and analyzing potential business venture creation in Haiti. Ms. Dykstra desires to continue to positively impact poverty through empowerment and sustainable business development.

Michael Ritter

Vice President

Michael’s trips to the Dominican Republic while attending Grove City College in Pennsylvania piqued his interest in working in developing countries. Michael then obtained a Masters of Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. During that time he held research internships involving water and sanitation projects at the Center for Global Safe Water and the Task Force for Child Survival and Development. In the summer of 2007, he collected data on the Jolivert Safe Water for Families project in northwest Haiti under the direction of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This led to his masters’ thesis on the determinants of adoption of household water treatment products in rural Haiti and his appointment as the Program Director of the Jolivert Safe Water for Families project. Michael is currently the principal investigator on a research grant from the Religion and Health Collaborative at Emory University to assess the contribution of churches and faith-based organizations to safe water projects and to leverage partnerships between donors, in-country organizations, and communities in the US and Haiti.

Board of Directors

Dr. Timothy Mech : Chairman of the Board

Dr. Mech is Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship at Grove City College, with expertise in poverty alleviation through business and entrepreneurship. Dr. Mech has taught at the University of Rochester, Saint John Fisher College, Boston College, Suffolk University, and Grove City College. Professor Mech’s current activities include research into the design of a new type of retirement fund that channels a portion of the assets into investments that fight poverty, the development of microenterprise training materials, and various poverty reducing projects in India. He is enthusiastic about DSI’s potential to make water treatment sustainable and scalable for the first time!

Joe Cicero, CPA

Successful Entrepreneur and Startup Consultant, Acting Director of Entrepreneurship Program, Grove City College

Elizabeth Kemeny, MS, CTRS

Adjunct Professor Slippery Rock University and Health Care Consultant

Robert Kinelski, MBA

Award Winning Marketing Executive

Gerald Walle

Senior Executive, Technology, Former Chair, Hope For The Children Of Haiti

Pictured above from left: Ruth Dykstra, Michael Ritter, Tim Mech, Joe Cicero

Deep Springs International was founded at Grove City College (GCC), a highly rated Christian liberal arts college in Pennsylvania. Many GCC students are involved in helping disadvantaged people in the United States and around the world, often using their professional training and expertise. These experiences apply and reinforce classroom instruction and, more importantly, show students how they can fight poverty in the context of their vocations. In fact, several Grove City professors have made concerted efforts, with successful results, to provide opportunities for business and entrepreneurship students to fight poverty.

Deep Springs International began when Ruth Dykstra, a student majoring in entrepreneurship, began working with Hope for the Children of Haiti (HFC), a Christian NGO that serves children in Haiti, primarily through its school in Port au Prince. With guidance from Gerald Walle, Chairman of HFC’s Board, and Timothy Mech, Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship at GCC, Ruth explored ways to create jobs for HFC clients in Haiti. It quickly became apparent that there was an enormous need and potential for water treatment businesses, and that additional help would be required to evaluate possible ways to enter this market. In addition to making many phone calls to NGOs and government agencies involved in water treatment, three other students were recruited to assist in this research.

Katie Garland and James Palmer contributed business, research, and financial skills, while Michael Ritter — a senior in molecular biology with a strong interest in public health — studied water treatment methods and already had made three visits to the Dominican Republic.

After exploring the activities of other organizations, it became clear it would be feasible to incubate water businesses by building partnerships between schools, MFIs, and other NGOs. The GCC students involved in this effort wrote an 80-page business plan to establish Deep Springs International to facilitate these partnerships. This plan was reviewed by outside experts and received first place in the not-for-profit sector in the Grove City College Annual Business Plan Competition in spring 2006. Since then, Dykstra, Ritter, and Mech, with logistical support from HFC, have taken steps to incorporate DSI and to undertake its first project.

For general information, please email info@deepspringsinternational.org.

President/Chairman of the Board

Ruth Dykstra

• rdykstra@deepspringsinternational.org

Vice President

Michael Ritter

• michael.ritter@deepspringsinternational.org

Chairman of the Board

Timothy Mech

• timothy.mech@deepspringsinternational.org

 
First, we ask for your prayers. In the coming months and years as DSI strives to complete the tasks set before us by our Father, your prayers will help us succeed.

Additionally, if you or your organization is interested in joining one of our projects, we would be eager to explore the possibility of partnership. You can learn about how we might be able to work together by reading more about our partnerships or by contacting us directly.

Finally, DSI needs your financial support. Deep Springs International is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible.

DONATE WITH PAYPAL

Now you can donate by using our convenient Paypal service!

DONATE BY MAIL

You can also donate by sending a check made out to “Deep Springs International” to:

Deep Springs International
c/o Dr. Timothy Mech
100 Campus Drive
Box #3010
Grove City, PA 16127

PURCHASE A DSI SACKPACK!

DSI SackPacks only $10.00.

CHANGE YOUR SEARCH ENGINE

Raise money with every internet search you conduct and purchase you make. Use GoodSearch and iGive.

Don’t forget DSI is listed with GuideStar.

Deep Springs International’s strategy is to partner with existing organizations in a community to promote the development of water treatment businesses.  Here is our process:

Step 1.  Choose site and partners.

The first step is to choose a specific location and partner organizations.  The selection process begins by choosing a broad geographical region, and then narrowing the focus with increasingly intensive research.  DSI will not consider working in a location unless there is a need for safe water and there are educational institutions and MFIs that would be suitable partners.  The final choice of location and partners is made by the Board of DSI after detailed on-site investigation.

Step 2.  Tailor services to the site.

After choosing a site and partners, DSI will work in conjunction with community leaders to tailor its services to fit local conditions and to capitalize on the distinctive strengths of its partners.  This includes:

·         Defining how DSI will work with specific public health NGOs and MFIs in this locality,

·         Tailoring the water treatment and business curricula to reflect local conditions,

·         Determining which water treatment products are most likely to succeed,

·         Writing sample business plans for students who plan to start water treatment businesses, using treatment systems that DSI judges to be viable.

Step 3.  Equip schools and partners

Next, DSI equips its schools and local partners by providing curricula, scientific analysis, business plans, and financial assistance that will enable them to incubate water treatment businesses.  

Step 4.  Equip student entrepreneurs

With the help of partner schools, DSI will choose outstanding students who have completed the business and water treatment curricula and wish to start businesses in this field.  These students will be paired with local MFIs and given coaching and financial assistance. 

Step 5.  Evaluate

At each stage, DSI will seek advice from its partners and conduct its own analysis about the effectiveness of its services in educating students and in expanding the availability of safe water to the community.  DSI will use this information to improve its curricula and its other services.

Learn how you can help.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 1.1 billion people lack access to safe water.[1]  This poses a major health problem for developing countries.  More than 2 million people die every year due to diarrheal diseases, 88% of which are attributed to unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene.[2],[3] It has been estimated that 6,000 children under five years of age die each day from waterborne diseases.[4]  Underemployment is another pressing issue in impoverished countries.  While many very poor people work, they don’t earn wages sufficient to escape poverty.  The United Nations and development experts recognize that productive employment is essential to fighting poverty.[5]

The resources necessary for addressing the problems of underemployment and unsafe drinking water are available.  Schools give students the knowledge and skills to become productive members of society.  Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) coach entrepreneurs and facilitate the formation of new businesses in developing countries.  Multiple water treatment technologies, known as point-of-use treatment systems, have been designed specifically for treating water at the household level in developing countries.  Sand filters, ceramic filters, and chemical disinfectants represent a few of the products which families can use to make their water safe to drink.  These systems cost between $3 and $60 per family per year and have been shown to reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases in developing countries.  In fact, some non-government organizations (NGOs) are specifically devoted to the production and distribution of these technologies. 

What is lacking in the current environment is the alignment of these resources.  Existing schools and vocational training institutes provide little or no focus on training for jobs in the water treatment industry.  NGOs which provide water treatment technologies rarely focus on providing jobs.  Most NGOs provide products at subsidized cost, which limits the sustainability of their work and their potential for growth due to the fact that they depend on the current and changing priorities of funding sources.  The NGOs that do provide job opportunities for local people normally do not invest time, money, or resources in the dissemination of business knowledge, the coaching of entrepreneurs, or the provision of start-up capital.

At Deep Springs International, we believe that partnerships between schools, NGOs, and MFIs can accomplish what their individual efforts cannot.  By working together, they can equip people living in low-income nations with the training, coaching, and financing they need to create their own water treatment businesses.  This is the premise behind our work.

Learn more about how we work.

REFERENCES

Our vision is to initiate a novel approach to fighting poverty that integrates sustainable solutions to the problems of lack of safe water, lack of job-relevant education, spiritual poverty, and unemployment. This model will have the ability to be scaled up and implemented around the globe.

Our Mission

Deep Springs International will improve life in developing nations by identifying and encouraging the use of affordable water purification systems, teaching the importance of proper household water treatment practices, and creating new business opportunities for individuals via the teaching of entrepreneurship principles. With local partners, DSI will provide the mentoring, financing, and business relationships needed by new entrepreneurs.

DSI’s mission is driven by the belief that sustainable access to safe water can be achieved through locally owned businesses that provide water treatment products at prices that rural Haitians can afford. We equip local people to create their own solutions by providing business and health education, business coaching, and access to financing.

IN THE WORLD TODAY:

• Over 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water
• 6,000 children die each day due to waterborne diseases
• 88 million young adults are without work
• 60-63% of youth worldwide do not complete secondary education

Find out how we work and read about our projects.

DEEP SPRINGS MAKES A LASTING DIFFERENCE!

• Instead of giving one-time handouts, we are partnering with Haitians to establish the first sustainable water treatment business model in Haiti. This not only provides safe drinking water at an affordable price, but can be replicated from town to town and village to village until all of Haiti is reached!
• Instead of bypassing local organizations, we develop partnerships with local schools, churches, microfinance institutions, and public health organizations;
• Instead of just giving advice, we are empowering young people with entrepreneurial skills through a business educational program to earn a living by helping their communities.

Learn more About Us.