Integration of Jesuit Values into the ILAC Water Quality Program
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Authors
Michels, Gary D.
Turco, Lauren
Issue Date
2012-02-02
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Abstract
The Institute for Latin American Concern (ILAC), Creighton’s Jesuit mission in the Dominican Republic, was established almost 40 years ago to provide healthcare to impoverished, rural Dominicans. Early in its history, the organization realized that systemic change required a focus on public health. As a result, water quality became an integral part of the public health effort. In 1997, a program was established to distribute home-based water filters to families in the rural communities. In 2005, a service-learning program for undergraduates was incorporated into a model to sustain this program. The objective of the water quality program is to increase accessibility of safe drinking water and to provide education on correct filter usage and maintenance. The three facets of the program are cultural awareness, service and immersion, and water testing. It is through the former two facets that the Jesuit ideals of men and women for and with others, forming and educating agents for change, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, and Magis are realized. Since its inception, 87 students have participated in the program. These students have supported five rural communities by funding materials for construction of latrines and for concrete floors for homes, thus providing the opportunity for participants to live and work with Dominicans. The program has overseen the installation of approximately 1,500 filters that provide safe drinking water for about 7,500 Dominicans.
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Creighton University