Alumnus Fights Devastation in Haiti

When an earthquake struck the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12, 2010, Grove City College alumnus Michael Ritter was already on the scene. 

He had moved to the country one and a half years ago to serve as the in-country director for Deep Springs International (DSI), a non-profit organization that provides water treatment solutions for communities with limited access to clean water.

Immediately following the earthquake, Ritter and DSI leapt into action to support water relief efforts: fixing generators, inspecting water availability in outlying areas, and discussing a response plan with a water expert at the Center for Disease Control.

Founded by three Grove City College alumni and their business professor, DSI is uniquely equipped to meet the water crisis in Haiti because of its signature product, a water purification system that uses modified 5-gallon drums and Gadyen Dlo, a chlorine product that works as a disinfectant.

“The DSI model is the only household water treatment program in the world that focuses on providing water treatment to the poorest of the poor with a full cost-recovery, sustainable business plan,” CDC water expert Danielle Lantagne said in an interview for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, Ritter chose to focus DSI’s relief efforts in the suburbs and rural areas surrounding the capital, due to the number of Haitians fleeing the city and their need for clean water. DSI quickly made arrangements with a Port-au-Prince factory to make 10,000 buckets for their treatment systems. Production is already underway, with the goal of delivering DSI’s clean water systems to as many people as possible.

In addition to providing water purification systems, Ritter has networked with a number of non-government organizations and sought ways to connect relief and medical workers as well as supplies to the areas that most need them. During his travels, he has observed the living conditions of earthquake survivors.

“A friend told me, ‘The Haitian people have learned how to master misery,’” Ritter said. “People here are getting the job done – the job of survival. Their efforts are remarkably creative and effective, like setting up A-frame shelters with the boards and tin they have salvaged from houses.” Ritter has visited several well-organized camps featuring signs that said, “We need help,” in multiple languages.

Concerned about his home’s structural integrity following the earthquake, he lived on a nearby hillside for a few days. His sandals made a poor pillow, but his neighbors were equally ill-equipped, using a blanket or a sheet to make beds on the rocky ground. To brace themselves against the night’s chill as well as the aftershocks, his Haitian neighbors sang and prayed late into the night. “This was inspiring,” Ritter said.

This same resilience is described in Ritter’s Jan. 23 notes concerning his trip to Ti Goave, where relief efforts were showing progress. Residents in the town of Ti Goave are able to sleep in their front yards rather than living in camps, and the community center is a hub of activity. Ritter said, “The place is buzzing with community leaders drawing maps and discussing the best ways to respond.”

The urgency of the situation leaves little time for reflection. Yet Ritter also keeps an eye toward the future, when DSI might expand the services that it offers in Haiti.

Ritter said, “Deep Springs International is … providing people with a way to treat their water. Now we may be called upon to do that on a larger scale, and instead of ‘treating water in the home,’ we’re thinking in terms of ‘treating water where people live.’”

DSI personnel hope to bring people through the current crisis and equip them for better lives than they had before the earthquake. Ritter said, “We hope that we can give the [next] generation … a chance to avoid dying from preventable causes like diarrhea from unsafe water.”

Though Ritter promoted the importance of charitable giving and prayer, he also encouraged a far-reaching perspective.

“Make a commitment to remember Haiti. Put it on your calendar – six months, one year … 10 years from now,” he said. “Haiti is going to need long-term commitments if she’s going to overcome the challenges we face.”

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What is Deep Springs International?

Deep Springs International (DSI) was conceived by Ruth Dykstra ’07, who was guided by Dr. Timothy Mech, professor of business and entrepeneurship at Grove City College. She enlisted the help of other students, entered the College’s Business Plan Competition and earned first place in the non-profit category.

Following the award, Dykstra partnered with three other Grove City graduates including Michael Ritter ’06 to create DSI in 2006. Ritter moved to Haiti one and a half years ago to serve as the in-country director. Mech serves as chairman of the board.