Contact: Whitney Wyatt-Kovar, (800) 583-8003 ext. 5894
Mr. Rooter, 3M Purification Inc. Empower Haitian Women to Sell Purified Water
Imagine unsafe water, no plumbing and barely any jobs. While this is earthquake-stricken Haiti, Mr. Rooter Plumbing and 3M Purification Inc. spent May 23-29 in Ferrier, making clean water and the ability for Haitian women to sell it a reality.
“I’ve seen devastation before having served eight years in the Marine Corps, but nothing like this,” said Mary Kennedy Thompson, president of Mr. Rooter Corporation. “Bringing clean water to the Haitian people has to be one of the top goals right now.”
These companies are doing more than just ‘talk the talk’ - they created a micro-fund to help the Haitian women sell purified water to families in their village. To sell the water, though, the women needed to know where to find clean water and how to bag it.
Along with 3M Purification Inc. engineer Satish Chamyvelumani, Thompson tested 10 wells finding 45 percent of the water unsafe. The river water also tested high for bacteria.
“The water was sickening,” Thompson said. “You don’t want to put your hand in it, let alone drink it or use the water for cooking and taking baths, and the Haitians didn’t even know if was unsafe.”
After interviewing more than 100 Haitian women, Thompson found most of them had either headaches or stomachaches, and their children also had whelps on their bodies. She described her findings as a ‘Catch 22’ for the Haitian people: staying hydrated was essential, but obtaining safe drinking water was very difficult.
Using a chlorinator, Thompson and Chamyvelumani treated the unsafe water while Toronto-based Mr. Rooter franchisee Derek Moreland taught the Haitians how to make water filtration devices that cost less than $35 per family. Chamyvelumani left behind capsules and bags 3M Purification Inc. donated, so they can continue to treat and bag water.
“The Haitian people were eager to learn about their water,” Thompson said. “Despite everything they’ve gone through, they were joyful and gracious.”
Mr. Rooter Plumbing and 3M Purification Inc. hope selling the clean water can become a trade for Haitian women. To help enable some of the 87 percent of jobless Haitians, Mr. Rooter Plumbing will return to Haiti later in the year.
On the next trip, they will work more on the micro-funding while several Mr. Rooter plumbers build a water tower for 10 recently built homes in Leogane, Haiti - the epicenter of the earthquake. They will then lay a piping system with multiple spigots throughout the village.
“We want to make their lives easier,” said Moreland, who made the pledge to help Haitians during a leadership meeting with fellow franchisees in January. “Instead of the Haitian people having to fill up buckets and walk back and forth to get clean water, we want to provide a piping system for them.”
Another major item on the plumbing company’s to-do list: collect money for another drill. Despite the team’s 12-hour ride in the back of a pickup, two flat tires and sleeping on metal poles in a mattress-free bunk bed, Thompson says they want to do more.
“It was extreme and harsh for us, but it was luxurious conditions compared to the Haitians,” Thompson said. “I am filled with admiration for the people in Haiti. They showed me no matter what happens we can choose how we respond to bad circumstances with a positive attitude.”
Chamyvelumani agrees. While he was giving back, he got something in return.
"The trip to Haiti provided many lessons that will enable 3M Purification Inc. to develop sustainable solutions to water quality issues faced daily by people in areas such as Haiti in an effort to bring those less fortunate clean water,” Chamyvelumani said.
About Mr. Rooter®
Established in 1970, Mr. Rooter is an all-franchised, full-service plumbing and drain cleaning company with approximately 300 franchises worldwide. Recognized by Entrepreneur magazine among its Franchise 500 and Franchise Times Top 200, Mr. Rooter franchisees provide services to both residential and commercial customers. Mr. Rooter began franchising in 1974 and is a subsidiary of The Dwyer Group, Inc. For more information or to find the location nearest you, please visit our Web site at www.mrrooter.com or www.mrrooter.ca.
About 3M
A recognized leader in research and development, 3M produces thousands of innovative products for dozens of diverse markets. 3M’s core strength is applying its more than 40 distinct technology platforms – often in combination – to a wide array of customer needs. With $23 billion in sales, 3M employs 75,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com.
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