Clean water is a critical need in Haiti—and Stuart Dykstra is committed to helping the Haitian people find it.
Dykstra, a hydrogeologist and member of Milwood Christian Reformed Church in Kalamazoo, Mich., has made multiple trips to the world’s most water-poor nation, successfully finding groundwater and effectively delivering it.
The work is rewarding, he said, because it challenges him to understand the complexity of this world as well as God’s plans for places like Haiti.
Dykstra is vice president of environment, water, and natural resources for V3 Companies Ltd., a Chicago-based engineering firm that has worked on development of groundwater resources in Haiti for the past four years.
After the January earthquake, Dykstra and a colleague spent nearly a month there doing water supply assessment and repair work in Port au Prince and villages to the west. They returned to Haiti in March to do more.
“Our Haiti experience and our professional skills give us a particular ability to help people in practical ways,” Dykstra said. “For many of us at V3, Haiti has become a place of special concern, and it is a privilege to be able to provide help.”
Dykstra expects to continue working there for many more years.
“Haiti is a passion of mine, both personally and professionally,” he said. “I don’t absolutely know God’s will for my life, but I do know that Haiti is a place where I am able to help others. It feels right to do this work.”
