Haitian Owned Water Utility Company

The Haitian Water Utility Company

Empowering Communities Through Clean Water

One of the most pressing—and persistent—questions we hear in Haiti is this: How do we help the Haitian people truly take ownership of the solutions they need? For decades, many well-meaning humanitarian organizations have poured resources into Haiti, treating the country as if it were drowning and could only be kept afloat by constant rescue.

But what if the “rescue” is actually part of the problem?

Free aid, while helpful in moments of crisis, often unintentionally keeps people stuck in cycles of poverty. It creates dependence, not opportunity. It can suppress local initiative and leave no room for dignity, ownership, or long-term solutions. At Turning Point Missions, we believe there’s a better way forward—one rooted in local leadership, job creation, and sustainable business.

That’s why we’re excited to introduce the Haitian Water Utility Company, an effort to build something different… something Haitian-owned, locally operated, and economically empowering.

We’ve been inspired by the work of Water4, an international clean water organization that has successfully launched locally owned utility companies across Africa. Seeing the potential of their model, we reached out—and they graciously shared their expertise and experience to help us map out a plan tailored to Haiti’s unique challenges.

Why a water utility company?

Because the need is overwhelming, and the current system isn’t working. In many parts of Haiti, people are paying $0.85 for a 5-gallon jug of filtered water—a staggering amount for families earning just $1 to $2 per day. Clean water isn’t just a basic need—it’s a daily struggle. We believe we can offer a more affordable solution: clean, filtered water at a cost of just $0.20 to $0.30 per 5-gallon container.

Our vision is simple and scalable: a village-based filtration and distribution system that can grow with the community. Here's how it works:

  • A deep well powered by a solar pump

  • A filtration system housed in a small structure that also serves as a water sales station

  • An elevated water storage tank to provide pressure for distributing water to additional kiosks

  • A local team made up of system supervisors, operators, salespeople, and maintenance workers

This isn’t just about water—it’s about jobs. It’s about giving young men and women a reason to stay, to work, and to build a future in their own communities. And it’s about dignity—because when a person can provide for their family with the work of their own hands, something powerful happens. Hope grows.

We plan to launch our first Haitian Water Utility system in the summer of 2025. With God's help, this will be the first of many. We’ll keep you updated through our newsletters as this vision takes shape.

The goal isn’t charity. The goal is change.

Let’s build something together!

Cachimen Farming Project – A Story of Hope and Hard Work

In the summer of 2023, three young men from Pastor Judelin’s congregation approached him with a dream—to start a farming project on 6.5 acres of land in the village of Cachimen, Haiti. Seeing their passion and determination, Pastor Judelin brought the idea to Turning Point Missions (TPM), asking if we could help turn their vision into a reality.

At TPM, we believe in offering a “hand up” rather than a “handout,” and this project aligned perfectly with our mission: creating sustainable development, empowering local communities, and providing real opportunities for economic independence. A plan was set in motion with a clear scope of work, including:

  • Clearing the land of brush, trees, and weeds—all done by hand

  • Constructing a control building near the center of the property

  • Drilling a well at the center of the property

  • Installing a high-pressure solar-powered pump

  • Mounting 27 solar panel to power submersible pump

  • Laying 2” irrigation on N-S & E-W grid at property center

  • Purchasing water reel irrigation equipment

  • Training the Haitian farmers to operate/maintain system

As is often the case with complex projects—especially in regions experiencing unrest and resource shortages—not everything went according to plan. We faced delays with sourcing concrete blocks, securing solar panels, and even obtaining simple items like 2-inch PVC piping. But through perseverance and teamwork, the project was completed during an early spring mission trip to Haiti.

In an inspiring show of responsibility and partnership, the young farmers of Cachimen have committed to sharing a portion of their profits with TPM after each harvest. These funds will help launch similar agricultural projects across Haiti, multiplying the impact.

Today, these three young men are no longer just dreamers—they are farmers, providers, and examples of what hope, hard work, and faith can accomplish. Their success is more than a harvest; it’s a sign that dignity-based development works—and it begins with believing in people and investing in their potential.

Church Planting

In the early 2000’s while on a US mission trip with Living Water International to Haiti we meet Gelin Joseph and immediately struck up a friendship with Gelin and several other Haitian interpreters which would last many years. Gelin and several other interpreters were attending seminary to become pastors. While on the mission trip Gelin told us of a vision, he believed God had placed on his heart – a vision of a Christian church, a grade school and a medical clinic in the Village of Cite Mon Boudou where he lived.

In 2018, Turning Point Missons purchased a piece of property near Gelin’s home with the hope that one day a church could be built there. Gelin didn’t wait for ‘someday”, and he personally financed the construction of a corrugated metal structure and began holding church services there.

During the Covid years, faithful TPM donors made it possible to build a permanent church for the community. Seventeen men were employed during the construction, and more than 100 people were fed as a result. By late fall of 2022, the doors of the church were opened to the community.

The first part of Gelin’s vision came into existence with the its construction, and the church building is now the thriving community hub, used six days a week for worship, Bible studies, choir practice and other community get togethers. You will hear more about the original corrugated metal church building later and how it continues to benefit the village of Cite Mon Boudou.

Bible Distribution

While clean water is vital to physical life, spiritual nourishment is even important. Several of the Haitian pastors and grade school headmasters approach our Haitian Water Team members telling them that the grade school had no books to start a reading program in the higher elementary grades. TPM’s board decided that we needed to look for a solution. One of the pastors we work with suggested Haitian Creole New Testament Bibles be used in the reading program. TPM’s Board concluded that there was no better way to spread the Good News of the Living Water of Jesus Christ to the children of Haiti. A source of Haitian Creole Bibles was found in Port au Prince and we began our Bible distribution program to Christian Grade School in NE Haiti.

As word of the Bible distribution to grade schools spread, several church congregations requested Bibles for their members and so the distribution spread to churches. While we had a US mission team in Haiti working on replacement of a broken hand pumps, the team was approached by a leader from the Cap Haitian Public School. He asked if TPM would be willing to provide the grade school there with Bibles to start a reading program. TPM immediately said yes to the request. Shortly after that, another request was made for Bibles, this one from the warden at the national prison near Cap Haitian. They wanted a 1000 Bibles for the inmates. Once again, we felt this was another calling we should not say no to, so the Bibles were provided.

With the gang take over of the Port au Prince area, our source of Bibles has closed. We are looking for a new source of Haitian Creole Bibles so we can continue the distribution program. Please the Bible distribution program in your prayers.


Small Village Filter Systems

Village Water Filters

During our initial years in Haiti, we found several community wells that had been contaminated, and were providing water that was unsafe to drink which led to many residents suffering from persistent water borne illnesses. Seeking a solution, TPM partnered with Aqua Clara, a non-profit specializing in clean water technology. Aqua Clara had found a 0.01 micron filter which eliminated 99.9% of the bacterial causing water borne diseases and they were having great success with the filters in Central America, Mexico and several countries in Africa. We decided to use the same technology in Haiti.

Our first filtration system was built in Campion, where many residents were frequently sick from drinking contaminated water. CrossPointe Church of Athen, Alabama had started a school in Campion and we partnered with them to solve the water problem. A small building is built to house the filters, and the well is provided with a submersible pump which pumps the water through the filters and into a storage tank from which the filtered water is provided to the residents. After six months of use the filters had significantly reduced the water borne diseases reported and at year end the water borne diseases were essentially eliminated.

Since then, TPM has built 16 small village filtration systems each serving from 500 to 1000 people. We expanded their use from known problem wells to any wells serving the majority of a village’s population. A local resident was taught how to operate the system. Water from these systems was provided to the residents at no cost, which eventually led to some problems we discuss in the web section entitled “Building a Haitian Water Utility”. The small village filtration systems have definitely provided another lifeline to the rural Haitian people by providing them with a much more reliable clean water source.

Transforming Lives with Small Village Water Filter Systems in Haiti

In Haiti, where clean water scarcity fuels health crises, small village water filter systems offer a lifeline for rural residents. These compact, community-managed systems, often implemented by organizations like Turning Point Missions, deliver safe drinking water directly to villages, addressing the dire need for accessible sanitation. In areas like Cap-Haïtien, where contaminated water sources lead to diseases like cholera, filters remove harmful bacteria and sediments, drastically reducing illness rates.

A single system can serve dozens of families, providing up to 10,000 liters of clean water daily at a low cost. This accessibility saves residents hours of walking to distant wells, freeing time for education and work, especially for women and children. Moreover, these systems empower communities through local training on maintenance, fostering self-reliance and sustainability. By ensuring consistent access to safe water, small village filter systems are a game-changer for Haiti’s health and economic future.


Our Mission

Turning Point Missions exists to bring the Good News of the Living Water of Jesus Christ to the people of Haiti and beyond.

We reflect God’s love through our prayers, our presence, and the provision of clean drinking water to those in need.