From April 27 through May 1st 2026, Rotarians from District 7020, which comprises 10 countries in the northern Caribbean, including Haiti, attended their District Conference in Kingston, Jamaica.
District Conference is always a time for fellowship and celebration, in addition to the more serious aspects of training. It’s a time when old friends meet in person after a year of online contact; it’s a time when ideas are shared; a time when the diverse languages and cultures of the Caribbean combine in an exciting melting pot.
Jamaica 2026 was a landmark event for HANWASH. Usually a minor adjunct to the main conference programme, this year, HANWASH was upfront and centre on several occasions – notably enhanced by the presence of over 140 Haitian Rotarians, whose enthusiasm and charisma added tangible reality to the goals HANWASH had set.
Notable also, was the gathering of many Board Members, volunteers and staff, many of whom had only previously met online. The energy of face to face interaction is a world away from the confines of electronic media. New directions are discussed, issues are resolved – or at least acknowledged! – and most of all a sharing of the way forward in a rapidly evolving project, which started as an audacious idea and has now burgeoned into a full-blown programme.
HANWASH took centre-stage on Tuesday evening, hosting a cocktail party which was attended by scores of excited Rotarians, all eager to learn more about the District’s star project. They were welcomed by HANWASH Chairman PRID Jeremy Hurst; a few major donors were thanked; Board Member PDG Robert Leger translated for the non-English speakers; we welcomed the new HANWASH in-country Director, Lunise Jules. Many attendees, for whom HANWASH had only been a vaguely acknowledged project, left the event full of enthusiasm and pride in this District 7020 born programme.
For Haitian Rotarians, HANWASH convened a group session to review plans for the time ahead. The session was conducted by Richard Kohl, a Programs of Scale Consultant, in French. Attendees were grouped together and were advised to discuss the way ahead, review any issues or obstacles which had arisen in the past and to forge a new path to encompass major changes to come in the time ahead. Also on hand were representatives from the National Directorate of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) in Haiti, Director General Théophil Ostinvil and Director of Sanitation Edwige Petit. They both confirmed DINEPA’s commitment to HANWASH and expressed their excitement at plans being laid for the future expansion and enhancement of the programme.
On Friday, the excitement was palpable – everyone knew something was in the air! First, HANWASH Board members were called up on stage. Then the volunteers. Then all Haitian Rotarians were asked to join everyone. They rushed the stage, flags waving, the air of anticipation was electric. Then, it was announced…HANWASH had been selected as the recipient of the Rotary International Program of Scale Grant for 2026! The entire room went wild. Laughter, tears, cheers, hugs, kisses – the entire meeting room erupted.
Rotary International made the official announcement on May 18th at 10:30 am…
HANWASH has been selected as the recipient of the Programs of Scale through The Rotary Foundation. This program will support the expansion of sustainable water and sanitation systems in Haiti. As conflicts, recurring natural disasters, climate change, and geographic disparities continue to disrupt access to clean water and sanitation services across Haiti, millions of people remain highly vulnerable to waterborne and hygiene-related illnesses.
Rotary is expanding the collaborative national model known as the Haiti National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Initiative (HANWASH), which works alongside water service providers, communities, and public sector partners to strengthen sustainable water and sanitation systems in Haiti.
The scaled-up effort, Collaboration for Sustainable Water and Sanitation Systems in Haiti — led by Rotary clubs in Haiti and the Caribbean in partnership with nonprofits and government bodies including Haiti Outreach and Direction Nationale de l’Eau Potable et de l’Assainissement (DINEPA) — aims to improve access to clean and safe water, sanitation, and hygiene while strengthening demand, governance, and sustainable use for approximately 70,000 people in Cavaillon, Ferrier, and Pignon by 2030 and put the necessary measures in place to enable the scaling of the program to other communes throughout Haiti.
After years of building not only wells but confidence in the programme, HANWASH is now at a new beginning…follow us to see where that leads us in the years ahead.
To learn more about Programs of Scale, visit
https://www.rotary.org/en/4-questions-about-programs-scale-grants-kr-ravi-ravindran
