PUERTO RICO

The need for humanitarian assistance is always greatest at the beginning of a natural disaster; however, even after the aid organizations return home and the press stops reporting, there remain people in dire need of help. In April 2018, seven months after Hurricanes Irma and Maria made landfall, The Waterbearers Co-Founder Jane Brinton and volunteer Andrés Morales traveled from Ecuador to Puerto Rico to distribute 150 clean water systems to some 20,000 people still living without power or access to clean water. They joined in-country partner, Jana Stone and her team of volunteers who were determined to stay and help when most other aid groups had left.

Trauma continues for thousands of Puerto Rican families

Puerto Rico – In January of  2020, Jane Brinton and Andres Morales from The Waterbearers joined Jana Stone and OpenWorldRelief.org, in response to yet another disaster on the island. This time it was devastating earthquakes and aftershocks that struck Puerto Rico, forcing thousands of people from their homes to seek shelter in makeshift camps or to sleep out on the streets.  Adding to the trauma and difficulties is that residents were still recovering from hurricanes Irma and Maria which struck the island at the end of 2017.

The Waterbearers and Open World Relief distributed 1000 water filter systems to those displaced from their homes and without reliable access to clean water. The filter systems and training from Jane and Andres not only provide clean water but also a sense of security and empowerment, knowing that they can safely drink readily available (and now filtered) water from mountain streams, without having to worry about accessing often difficult-to-find bottled water.

PARTNER Open World Relief