COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- A pair of relief workers from Colorado Springs were home Friday after spending three weeks in Haiti.
The two men are with Engineering Ministries International or EMI, a non-profit Christian development organization made of up architects and engineers dedicated to helping children and families around the world step out of poverty.
"With the whole world descending on Haiti in a massive relief effort, I feel like there is a renewed hope for the Haitian people," EMI Disaster Response Coordinator Scott Powell said.
Powell left for Haiti on January 16th, just days after the devastating earthquake.
He said his team had to hurry to the country as they were tasked with setting up clean water systems.
"We set up and put into operation eight filtration systems that put out about ten thousand gallons of water per day, and Water Missions International actually developed them and then we mobilized the technical assistance to be able to install them and train up the local population in running them," Powell said.
Powell said the clean water will help prevent what he calls a second wave of death from diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
In addition to setting up the filtration systems, the team also helped organize camps for displaced residents.
They said what they saw in Haiti was not all death and destruction.
"About day 15 we saw people coming out and picking up rubble outside their homes and workplaces, setting up vendor booths and getting commerce going," EMI Volunteer Scott Peck said.
Both Powell and Peck said they want to clarify what the situation was actually like in Haiti.
They said there was not bad temper in the streets and constant looting in the city.
"When we arrived around six days after the earthquake there was no evidence of that, everyone I came in contact with reciprocated a hand shake, a smile or a wave, they are a beautiful people and that shined through after their initial shock wore off," Peck said.
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