In April of last year, thanks to you, WaterStep responded to the 7.8 earthquake that devastated the Esmeraldas Province of 
Ecuador. Thousands of people were displaced, and lacked immediate access to safe water as they sought to address and rebuild their communities.
Because of your support, WaterStep was able to meet an immediate need with a sustainable solution, focusing on empowering International Partners on the ground. WaterStep’s shift towards training, equipping, and supporting International Partners in safe water and sanitation through distance learning has allowed WaterStep to multiply their efforts. This new approach has proved significant increases in overall effectiveness and sustainability.
Now, a year later, WaterStep staff traveled to Ecuador to follow up on the 40 WaterStep safe water systems installed last year. We were pleased to discover the success of this disaster relief effort; however, in the midst of celebrating the project in Ecuador, Mark Hogg received information about the mudslide nearby in Mocoa, Columbia. “We are already this close. We have our equipment. We have to try,” says Hogg.
WaterStep responded in Colombia, mobilizing safe water treatment centers and providing training to local NGOs. WaterStep’s simple, yet effective, technology is doing more than providing safe water–it is providing hope and security for people whose lives have been shattered by disaster.
Read more about WaterStep’s recent decision to go to Colombia, in the Courier Journal.
