We are delighted that The Michigan Catholic website has published an article on the founders of AVFCW–Eileen and John Heasley–and how they came to start AVFCW and grow it into what it is today.
The couple’s “vision” started in 2002, with a trip to Nepal to visit their son, Mark, whom John Heasley described as a “world traveler.” It was a trip that left a lasting impact.
“When John and I saw for the first time how bad the water was when we were in Nepal … we realized that we have everything,” Eileen Heasley said. “We just felt mandated to help them.”
Upon returning home, the Heasleys — Eileen a retired educator, John a retired fire protection consultant — researched solutions until they came across a biosand water filter being studied by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
With the help of ENPHO (the Environment and Public Health Organization), a water testing lab and non-governmental organization in Kathmandu, the Heasleys arranged the funds to send a filter to an orphanage in Nepal where a friend of their son worked.
As word of the couple’s project spread back home, church groups and nonprofits began to approach the Heasleys, offering funding for similar projects in other countries. Soon, A Vision for Clean Water was born.
Click here to access the whole article on the TheMichiganCatholic.org website.
Note: AVFCW is not a religiously-associated organization, and we believe in everyone’s right to access to clean water and sanitation.
