Haiti Today.

Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, and home to over 11 million people.  The 2019 Mercer Quality of Living report ranks Haiti's capital near the bottom -- at 228 of 230 global cities based on its political, economic, environmental, safety, health, education, transportation, and public service factors. 

But despite these challenges, there is hope for a better tomorrow in Haiti.  It starts with cleaning up trash. But that's just the beginning of the story...

The video shows uncollected trash pouring through the streets of Port au Prince during a rainstorm while local Haitian citizens seek safety.  This is the reality in Haiti today -- and why Clean Challenge is so needed.

Why start with trash?

The waste in Haiti is a public and environmental health concern. Without a large scale organized trash collection system, trash fills many waterways, sidewalks and roads. When trash is collected, it is brought to an unlined facility near the ocean.  The build up of trash in streets and unlined landfills contaminates water, increases food and water borne illnesses, and spills into the surrounding ocean creating additional environmental hazards.  Without a lined environmental facility, the dump in Haiti causes toxic leachate contaminating surrounding communities and the ocean.

Whether you are passionate about supporting Haiti, helping impoverished nations, improving lives for children, promoting clean air,  ensuring clean water, clean oceans, improved food supplies for those in need, or creating sustainable solutions,  when you support Clean Challenge you are supporting each of these important causes.

Daily impact of trash.

Why do I support Clean Challenge?
I care about people; I care about the environment.  Most of all, I care about making a lasting difference."

 D. Lewis, Minnesota

 The photos above show normal daily occurences in Haiti:

• Acrid smoke fills the air as trash is burned in order to make room for more trash.
• ​Children sleeping on mounds of plastic bottles is a common site in Haiti.  Clean Challenge efforts lead to improved safety, sanitation, living conditions, and overall health.
• Ocean waters surrounding Haiti are littered with trash and bottles, creating environmental havoc.  Clean Challenge efforts lead to cleaner ocean waters.

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Opportunities in Haiti.

Haiti is ripe  with opportunities...Creating sustainable solutions to effectively address Haiti's trash problems is only the beginning.  With a proper waste management infrastructure, coupled with competent management, and broad-based education, the waste in Haiti can be collected, composted, recycled, and even repurposed. 

The benefits?  Improved sanitation, cleaner air, cleaner water, enhanced growing soil for food sources, new job creation, return of tourism, and multiple additional health, safety, economic, and environmental benefits.

Getting Started

• It starts with building a landfill lined with an environmentally safe liner to ensure trash has a safe place to go once collected.
• The liner, in combination with a vetiver grass filtration system, will ensure that poisonous chemicals can no longer seep into the surrounding environment to pollute food and water supplies.
• Once people have a place to put trash safely,  education is needed to change common practices, including dumping and burning trash. 

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Improved Sanitation.
Better Health.
Food Security.
Clean Water.
New Jobs.
​Return of Tourism.

Haiti's Future: Better Lives. Better World.

Cleaner, safer environments.
​New jobs created.

Composting that leads to enhanced food supplies.

Cleaner drinking water, cleaner oceans, and cleaner air.

Renewed tourism.
​Improved economy.

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