R.A.I.N. brings water to poor countries

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R.A.I.N. brings water to poor countries

Somewhere in the world there is always some place with people who need help to live a better life.

Real Action for International Need, a nonprofit organization based in Alton, was co-founded by Jeremy and Brittany Dube in the fall of 2012.

R.A.I.N is the byproduct of Jeremy and Brittany's unwavering belief in the capability of individuals to positively impact the world. Jeremy and Brittany are ardently committed to developing creative solutions, which yield sustainable and meaningful change to communities in need.

R.A.I.N's conception began with Jeremy's return from his latest trip to Africa where he and a team of engineers were sent to remove clean-water technology being field-tested. Jeremy's return was described by Brittany as, "Deeply troubling for Jeremy."

The tested technology, which successfully produced safe, drinkable water would be replaced. However the quality of the replacement was not comparable to the product being removed, which Jeremy confessed is, "A part of research and development that I do not enjoy." Jeremy has had several experiences working abroad on various projects that left him searching for alternative solutions to the problems communities were faced with. He did not believe that methods currently in place by other organizations were the only viable option. These opinions and experiences prompted the conversations with Brittany, regarding the possibility of helping communities in a way they thought would be truly helpful.

The couple did not languish in indecision. Brittany and Jeremy acted decisively. R.A.I.N would be a nonprofit balanced by Jeremy's field experience installing and implementing water-purification and energy systems and Brittany's prior experience working with another New Hampshire nonprofit organization: Global Awareness Local Action.

Brittany aptly describes the cohesive partnership as follows: "I am creative and really wanted to empower people using art as a language. Jeremy is very technical and has worked in clean water and power for about 10 years. He dreamed of providing clean water and power to some of the poorest countries in the world, many of which he has traveled before. So together, we married those ideas and each other in the meantime. R.A.I.N was born."

R.A.I.N's mission is to empower communities lacking the ability to provide for their own sustainable future. The organization provides tailored support to meet specific needs of individual communities. R.A.I.N's mission, as advertised on their webpage:www.betherain.org, is very broad. The breadth of R.A.I.N's mission is by design and not a lack of focused intent. Jeremy and Brittany intentionally created a mission statement that would not limit or restrict the nature of the aid offered. The organization has structured itself so it can remain flexible and relevant to a wide variety of people in need. R.A.I.N's aid packages are capable of injecting meaningful, broad-spectrum support to the communities they establish relationships with.

R.A.I.N's strategy for aiding communities is holistic. A four pillar system: technology, education, creativity and relationship building is at the core of the organization. R.A.I.N identifies these specific pillars as paramount components to successful aid work allowing communities to be: happy, healthy, sustainable.

Technology is often the area of the work that garners the most attention, it is often what creates the immediate solution to a problem. If there is no electricity, a solar panel installed can provide that missing resource. R.A.I.N utilizes technology to improve water collection systems, purification capabilities and install the aforementioned solar panels. Technology is certainly a vital organ in the system, but to fulfill their mission of establishing sustainable communities, it is one component of R.A.I.N's efforts.

R.A.I.N's education focus is multifaceted. R.A.I.N educates target communities about methods and techniques of maintaining a clean water supply, first-aid, successful development of school boards and other aspects determined to be critical to specific community's needs. The educational impact of R.A.I.N's mission is not only operational abroad. R.A.I.N works with schools throughout New Hampshire. Brittany currently facilitates outreach programs with New Durham, Alton, Effingham and Kingswood Regional Middle and High School. Her discussions with students establishes a broader world perspective and promotes the positive impact of volunteerism.

R.A.I.N utilizes art to transcend boundaries of differing spoken languages, cultural norms and to relate people to one another, which establishes bonds of shared experience, particularly after the nightly Art Gatherings R.A.I.N facilitates while at a project. Art Gatherings are vital to a successful project by providing a forum for people join one another in experiencing, sharing, learning and respecting one another.

The pillars of R.A.I.N's operational philosophy work in cohesion with one another, not autonomously. A successful example of this application is the impact the Art Exchange Project has on both local communities in New Hampshire and the Ti Palmiste Community School in Haiti. The Art Exchange Project is a visual art version of Pen Pal. Students from Haiti and New Hampshire share artwork they have specifically created for one another. Their creative expression acts as a portal, which shares information, both personal and cultural. The impact of the Art Exchange Project is a practical, first-person education about different cultures, which is capable of broadening global awareness. Students can now apply real faces, the faces of their global counterparts, to an area of the world that was once only a brief talking point in class or a place defined by lines on a map.

Various detrimental conditions, corrosive to a community's welfare, are addressed by R.A.I.N's efforts. However, the organization's primary focus remains the establishment of clean water solutions. Securing and maintaining clean water, a basic necessity of daily life, is the first step in a lengthy process of empowerment. If contaminated water supplies are not addressed, an individual's ability to perform in their daily life is undermined. One community leader in Ti Palmiste told Jeremy and Brittany, "Clean water is life. Without that, we have nothing." An honest assessment and useful illustration of the significant impact R.A.I.N has on the communities they work with.

The education component of R.A.I.N's work is essential to fulfilling goals of self sustainability. Educating a community is the necessary follow through that makes installing new technology truly effective. Jeremy explains that, "The education process of teaching the community what to do with the water is more difficult then the physical work of installing the clean-water system. The hardest part of the project is usually re-enforcing the education of how to maintain the clean water source."

The individuality and unique character of the communities R.A.I.N works with are not softened with generalization, but embraced and highlighted by the staff and volunteers. "We are coming in and working with these schools to try and empower them within their own culture," Brittany remarked. A sentiment reflected during training sessions organized so volunteers could discuss and learn how to work within the specific framework of the community they will visit.

R.A.I.N's current project in Ti Palmiste, Haiti began, as all R.A.I.N projects do, with a site visit by Jeremy and Brittany. The site visit is the germ from which the proceeding project blossoms. Jeremy and Brittany meet with local leaders and present them with a series of questions, Brittany explains: "We ask them, what do you want, how do you want it and how can we help you become a sustainable organization?"

Once the wish list is compiled, Jeremy and Brittany work with the community leaders to prioritize needs and formulate an action plan that will be deployed to the community. The unique quality of R.A.I.N's methods are evident in the response of community leaders. Brittany describes the surprise of the community, "They often look at us with wide eyes and say, 'No one has ever asked us these questions before. We don't really know what to say."

Ti Palmiste Community School is R.A.I.N's inaugural project. Due to the school's need for extensive aid, all of the services R.A.I.N provides are being implemented: water filtration system, solar power, strengthening infrastructure, and technical training for locals will be provided. "This has been a great first project because it is testing all of our ideas," Jeremy states. He acknowledges that it has been a very challenging project in regards to resources, both financial, human and necessary supplies. "We are a small organization, these are brand new models and for a lack of a better term, it is 'baptism by fire'. Logistically it is one of the most challenging places I have worked in."

The challenging logistics Jeremy refers to are due to the remote location and meager infrastructure, which makes acquisition of supplies, when on-site, highly unlikely.

Unreliable sourcing of materials and supplies requires the R.A.I.N team to transport all necessary supplies themselves. Each member carried three bags, one of which is a carry-on item containing personal belongings, the other two bags were filled to capacity with: tools, instructional coloring books created by students at Kingswood Regional High School, medical supplies, schoolbags for children, musical instruments and other various items necessary for a successful trip to the island. "We have to be overly prepared," Jeremy reiterates.

R.A.I.N departed for Ti Palmiste on April 26. The R.A.I.N team was comprised of 10 enthusiastic and inspired people, of varying backgrounds, but united by the common goal of R.A.I.N's mission. The pace of the week was fast and furious. The R.A.I.N team returned home successful, fulfilling all of their intended tasks. R.A.I.N installed a modern rainwater collection system, repaired the schools's crumbling concrete walls, oversaw and supported the creation of a school board and community council, co-facilitated training sessions for local staff and teachers, nurtured relationships with students and community leaders through the Art Exchange Project, and nightly gatherings where volunteers and local residents share a variety of artistic talents.

In the interest of long term sustainability, R.A.I.N has helped establish a relationship between Ti Palmiste and a model school, Matenwa, located approximately 45 minutes away on the same island. "We have linked the model school, which has trained teachers and works on issues like domestic violence and empowering youth with the Ti Palmiste school." The two communities are now able to function as a resource for one another.

One member of the R.A.I.N team, Kyra Dulmage, an elementary school teacher and R.A.I.N board member, summarized her experience and the trip as, "Unbelievable. I fell in love with so many people. We really did everything we set out to do, including the empowerment of the school so they can grow and support themselves."

Brittany and Jeremy are die-hard optimists and human enthusiasts effectively impacting communities in both New Hampshire and around the world by finding what Jeremy refers to as, "Creative solutions for complex problems." R.A.I.N will continue to bring hope and empowerment to parts of the world where tragedy and devastation have left people in need of aid that treats issues at the core of the problem and establishing sustain futures. R.A.I.N is maintaining a steady pace with their strategic plan, suggesting they will be operational in another country in a year-and-a-half. Currently, Central America is a likely candidate. While R.A.I.N's work progresses and physical changes take form within communities, connections and bonds are established: linking volunteers, community leaders, children abroad, and schools in New Hampshire: people to people.

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