Blog

Classroom Water Testing

Newsletter – Fall 2017

It's that time of year again, time for the AVFCW newsletter! This issue introduces our plans to assist with a Rotary project in Guatemala, as well as various class attendees noting how AVFCW-led training assisted them with their clean water and sanitation projects abroad. Water is the foundation of life. A Vision For Clean Water is bringing potable water to those who do not have it. The organization is in good hands. Eileen cares; her heart and soul are in it. She is known as “the American angel” in Lebanon. Your volunteers are goodwill ambassadors from the U.S. to Lebanon. Fantastic, keep...
Read more
WAVES @ Valparaiso University

Newsletter – Summer 2017

It's that time of year again, time for the AVFCW newsletter! This issue introduces a collaboration between Valparaiso University students and members of Engineers Without Borders -- WAVES -- that is currently focused on building a water tank in Nicaragua, as well as a separate educational project in Haiti. When completed, the water tank in Nicaragua will meet the clean water needs of a growing village of more than 1800 people whose current tank regularly runs dry in the middle of the day during the dry season, forcing them to resort to Lake Nicaragua as their source of water. This new tank...
Read more
Clean Water Workshop Speakers

April Workshop Evening Speakers List

We are proud to announce our evening speakers for the upcoming dual Water Testing & Treatment Workshop, taking place at the Columbiere Center in Clarkston, Michigan on April 27th till the 30th, 2017.

Thursday, April 27, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Things I Wish I Had Known Before Starting a Water and Sanitation Project

Eileen Heasley co-founded A Vision for Clean Water in 2003.  Since that time, she has worked as safe water advocate, collaborator, consultant, grant writer and more. Under her leadership, A Vision for Clean Water has helped over 400,000 people with clean water. Eileen will talk about her successes and lessons learned.

Working to Bring Safe Water to Rwanda

Bob Johnson has worked with Aqua Clara International to supply filters in Rwanda. He has helped to place 1,100 sand filters, 9,600 micro-filter units for household use, larger filters for 65 schools and health clinics and assisted in the construction of 60 rainwater harvest systems.

Continue reading
Read more
Workshop Discussion

Newsletter – Spring 2017

This issue of the AVFCW Newsletter focuses on the upcoming back-to-back workshop series that will be held from April 27-30, 2017 at the Columbiere Center. The Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage workshop will be held first, on April 27th and 28th, followed by the workshop on Drinking Water Quality Testing on April 29th and 30th. Instructors from CAWST will be leading the teaching and hands-on portions of the workshops, and there will be four evening speakers coming to discuss the challenges one faces in the field while doing water and sanitation work. For more information on both workshops please click here. To sign...
Read more
Erica Gwynn WASRAG Interview

WASRAG Interview with Erica Gwynn

The former chair of AVFCW (and current board member) Erica Gwynn was recently interview by WASRAG -- Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (a volunteer organization made up of members of Rotary International). Erica spoke about "beginning with the end in mind", in regards to starting and maintaining water and sanitation projects around the developing world, and her work within Rotary International as the Area of Focus Manager for Water & Sanitation. The key reason for failure of many large WASH programs is that there is no provision for post-completion financing. In the past, many programs did not factor in ongoing...
Read more
Water Workshop Team

Water Testing & Treatment Workshops (4/27-30)

The next workshop will be on Water Testing & Treatment, and will be held from April 27th – 30th, 2017 at the Columbiere Center in Clarkston, Michigan. [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]

This workshop will be split into two separate portions–you may choose to do both, or just do one or the other. The Household Water Treatment & Storage Workshop will take place on April 27th and 28th, while the Drinking Water Quality Testing Workshop will take place on April 29th and 30th.

Continue reading
Read more
Workshop Discussion

AVFCW Annual Letter 2016

The power of water has been a major news story in 2016, from the drought that threatened to severely deplete our nation’s fruit basket in California, to the most unfortunate water supply contamination in Flint, Michigan. Flint’s children will suffer the negative health effects for years to come. Clearly this past year demonstrates that water is a life force. And, depending on the quality and quantity of water available, it can easily shift from a life force to a life threat.

Lack of access to clean water leads to disease, deprivation and unsanitary living conditions that can perpetuate a negative health spiral all the way to untimely death. Most unfortunately, this is the reality for 20% of the world’s population. More than 6,000 children under the age of five die each day from diseases spread by unsafe water.

Continue reading
Read more

Newsletter – Fall 2016

This issue of the AVFCW Newsletter highlights former AVFCW workshop attendees Ron and Carol Cousineau and their recent efforts to establish biosand water filter installations in rural Ecuador. "In Ecuador there are few cities with adequate water supply and few with sanitation. The vast majority of the population does not have access to potable water. Biosand filters offer hope to poor families, who get water from shallow polluted wells or rivers and streams and must spend a significant portion of their daily earnings to boil their water." Also, please note that the preferred method of sending out the newsletter has changed to an e-mail based format,...
Read more
AVFCW Newsletter - Summer 2016

Newsletter – Summer 2016

This issue of the AVFCW Newsletter recaps our recent Sanitation workshop that held last month and some information on former student Shafali Bhavsar's clean water project in Nicaragua. "Most of the villagers rely on shallow wells which have significant arsenic levels and also bacterial contamination. The proposal is to drill a deep well in a central location and provide a distribution system to homes." Also, please note that the preferred method of sending out the newsletter has changed to an e-mail based format, instead of a PDF attachment. (Those that receive it in the post will continue to do so.) To sign up for the new e-mail...
Read more

Like Us on Facebook

Facebook