Profile of Cistern Recipient Nerlie Calixte Cius

Nerlie Calixte Cius, 42, is a proud grosmornian (native of Gros Morne) who lives with her two children, Laura and Richard, her brother, his wife and their two children. She explained that her connection with Mercy Focus on Haiti “began in March 2023, when I became the beneficiary of a ferrocement cistern.”

The cistern had an immediate, positive impact on Nerlie’s life. “With the help of some of my friends,” she said, “I was able to water my yard and plant flowers and fruit trees, which help me feed my family.” Amid the heightened social and political turmoil in her beautiful country, Nerlie feels lucky: “I know I am very fortunate, just by watching others in my community struggle with water consumption.”

She also sees reason to hope for the future because of the many cisterns being built in the Gros Morne region, and she is grateful to Mercy Focus on Haiti. “This wonderful program [Rainwater Harvesting] has brought so many changes to the lives of the people who now have them,” Nerlie said. “The yards are greener, and it helps us improve our livelihoods from the small crops we can grow in our backyard gardens.”

For Nerlie, the cisterns provide so much more than the tangible benefits; they represent a Haiti that she and her neighbors long for. “Access to water,” she said, “would be a small contribution of hope toward progress in Haiti.”
“This will help us out of the difficult times that the country is going through,” she added. Asked what she would hope to see in the coming years, Nerlie answered: “Mta swete pwogram sa a touche plis komìn plis depatman epi rive kouvri tout peyi!” (“I desire to see this program expand to more communities and other departments in Haiti, even cover the entire country!”)