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Purdue students need help funding trip to install water filtration systems in Dom. Rep.

 WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind (WLFI) – A group of Purdue students are preparing for a life-changing trip to the Dominican Republic. They’re all a part of a multidisciplinary service learning class that aims to bring clean water to the world’s developing countries.

Agriculture student Natalie Donovan and nursing student Hayley Hartsough stopped by 24-Hour News 8’s sister station, WLFI Friday morning to explain more about the project and how the public can help.

“The class has been building and designing a water treatment system for about four years now,” began Donovan. “We have a system that is up and going in Las Canas, Dominican Republic. We all work together with a common goal to teach the communities about health and disease prevention through safe and clean water.”

This is the second year in the course for both Donovan and Hartsough, and Hartsough told us the impact last year’s trip made on her.

“The trip we went on last May was such an amazing experience,” she said. “We really got to see the system and how it works and help them further implement it in their community.”

Now the class wants to bring the filtration system to three other communities in the Dominican Republic, and they’re needing donations to help them make the trip.

Donovan said based on the amount of money donated, people will either get a photo showing the students at the school where the filtration system is being built or emails and letters from the students.

You can donate through Purdue’s crowdfunding site.  

To see a video the students made for last year’s trip, click here.