Salisbury Couple Raise Money to Help Haitians

Du l'eau est ici! The water is here, a Haitian man says pointing his videocamera to the stream of clear, clean drinking water pouring out of a spigot in the poor village of Camp Perrin, about 120 miles south of Port au Prince.

That scene was captured on video on July 28, now visible on YouTube, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked the opening of the village fountain, thanks to the continued efforts of and the non-profit group, Source de Vie, they helped form.

The Eriprets got involved in helping the Haitian village near Les Cayes in September 2009 through their church, St. Paul's Catholic Church in south Allentown. They learned of the village's plight when its priest, Father Pascal, came to visit and Marc Eripret, who is from Lille, France, and Bridget, who played basketball in France, were asked to translate for him.  Even before the earthquake struck Haiti in January 2011, many parts of Haiti did not have potable water.

"The women have to walk three or four miles with a bucket on their heads to get water that was not even drinkable," said Marc Eripret.

The Eriprets helped form a non-profit group with friends called Source de Vie to help raise money so the village could drill wells to find clean drinking water. Father Pascal, who is visiting from Haiti, will speak to the group at 6 p.m. Aug. 23 at St. Paul's Church, 920 S. Second St., about their progress. The meeting is open to the public.

In addition, the group will discuss plans to address the village's need for other basic amenities, such as toilets and showers, as well as the second annual fundraiser on Oct. 8 at Locust Valley Golf Club in Coopersburg.

"We take so many things for granted. We can get a cold drink, have a bed to sleep in and can take a shower," Marc Eripret said.