Tears2Water
Clean Water for Thirsty People
Clean Water for Thirsty People
Clean Water for Thirsty People
Ecuador’s Earthquake Inflicted Extensive Destruction…
Damage to Homes,
Devastation to Communities.
Working with Refugee Agencies,
Tears2Water Provides Water Filters to Refugee Camps and Orphanages
Clean Water to Villages,
Clean Water throughout the Countryside,
Clean Water to Refugees,
Clean Water to Families and Children.
A Message from Gary
There have been several significant developments here at tears2water.org that we are very excited to tell you about! Tears2Water originally started in Ecuador as a disaster relief organization in the wake of a devastating earthquake in 2016. During that year, we documented the provision of clean water for over 5,000 Ecuadorians using Sawyer water filters. We have supplied many filters over the ensuing years to survivors of natural disasters in many countries. Most filters are donated directly to disaster victims struggling for survival. Tears2Water is now expanding the scope of our work to include those who chronically suffer from bad water as well as continuing to serve survivors in the wake of disasters.
A new Tears2Water project is underway in Ecuador that is supplying filtered water to indigenous school children in remote areas! Ned Meisner, a dedicated humanitarian living in Cuenca, helped to liaison a partnership between tears2water.org and Dr. Mario Silva, a physician in Guaranda. The doctor had learned that 45% of the children in his province suffer from malnutrition due to parasites in the drinking water. This results in poor health and hinders the physical and mental development of the children thus robbing them of their best future. He was hoping to install filters in the rural schools in his area to help correct the problem. We sent down 20 Sawyer filter kits in 2022 for Dr. Silva to launch his clean water pilot program. He went to work, forming partnerships with teachers, and installing filters in multiple remote indigenous schools around Guaranda.
Tears2Water originally started as a disaster relief organization and has supplied many filters over the years to survivors of various natural disasters in many countries. Last year, we broadened the scope of our work by supplying filters to some missionary friends in Guatemala. They have established sustainable work there and have added Sawyer filters to their monthly food distribution program. One project has begun deploying filters in villages doing a monthly demonstration and are projecting that every family in these villages will soon have clean water.
Partnerships in Ecuador
Tears2Water founder, Gary Vance, recently visited Ecuador and met with Ned Meisner and Dr. Silva to assess the viability of the work and its continued sustainability. Gary took them to numerous remote schools where he had implemented the filters. There, they met the teacher/partners and saw firsthand the effectiveness of the program and determined that the work has great potential for growth and sustainability. In response to his compassionate vision and hard work, Dr. Mario Silva has been appointed to the position of Director of Education for all T2W projects in Ecuador. Tears2Water has now donated 150 more of the requested filters to Dr. Silva, who will be personally vetting and training other doctors, teachers, and fellow Rotarians in the deployment and maintenance of the Sawyer water filters.
Tears2Water has now forged partnerships with an amazing team of Ecuador doctors, teachers, and Rotary Clubs. Using the schools as strategic hubs brings solid accountability and stability to the program and eases the logistical burden of sustaining the work. This template also maximizes the potential of each filter to provide daily clean water for dozens of families within a community rather than just a single family.
Having met the strong Ecuador partners, and observing their passionate work gives us at T2W great confidence in the vision and plans for the expansion and continuation of the program. We look forward to meeting the challenge of doing our part by donating the filters, but we can only accomplish this with the help of friends! The Sawyer filter kits are costing us about $21 dollars each. One kit can provide clean water for everyone at a small school and their families. Your donation of any amount will go directly toward providing clean water for school kids that desperately need it!
Your donation to Tears2Water.org will quench the thirst of needy people throughout the world.
Where We've Been...
What started as a specific project to bring clean water to Ecuador earthquake victims in April, 2016 continues to grow. Since inception, Tears2Water has been donating filters at no cost, to numerous groups and individuals traveling to other countries on mission trips and various kinds of relief efforts. These countries include Haiti, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, India, the Philippines and Bali, and within the continental U.S., the Navajo Nation.
Published On - 4/26/23