The Tidlund Foundation supports Clean Water for Haiti in filter production, a recent workshop expansion and the major vehicle repairs.

The following is an excerpt from Clean Water for Haiti’s most recent newsletter:
Here in Pierre Payen we are trying to accelerate the filter program somewhat because we have a better funding outlook than we did last year thanks to some very timely year end giving. This funding puts us in a position of being able to plan filter production and we have set a goal of installing a minimum of 100 filters each month. This time last year we were trying to figure out how to keep things running, so it’s very nice to not have that stress. Fundraising is always an ongoing project though so we are constantly focusing time and energy there and are grateful to have a board that is gearing up their efforts.

Our work continues on the workshop expansion. Yesterday we put up 23 sheets of plywood, and tomorrow we should be able to finish off the rest. The temperature in the workshop dropped about 15 degrees after putting the wood up, so I can see that our work environment will be much more pleasant when the work is done! We are putting the new roof on above the old roof. Then, after the new roof is complete and the walls are extended to reach up, we will remove the old roof. It sounds like an awkward way to build, but it isn't very much trouble and we need to do it that way to keep our equipment secure. The old roof is pretty much ruined, so the timing couldn't be any better. The new roof should last 20 years or more without a major hurricane.

We finally got our Daihatsu truck back from the shop! We replaced the motor with a used motor instead of rebuilding the old one to save money. After everything was installed and the mechanic was paid we ended up spending about $1500 US less than the dealership quoted us, and we've found a good mechanic in the process. The new motor is bigger, more durable and more powerful than the old one so it is more fun to drive now. It took more than six months to get everything sorted out with that truck. The VW truck is running great, but we are having big problems getting it registered and legal. For now, it remains a yard ornament…

The new roof going on. You can see the old roof and back wall of the current shop.	Jean and Thony screwing down the new plywood.