Hand Washing Stations on the Navajo and Hopi Nations

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Nizhoni Ranch Gallery received this information from Red Feather. Red Feather is a non-profit organization that supports American Indian Nations and who we have supported for years.

With the COVID-19 pandemic they have shifted their main focus of helping Navajo and Hopi with housing needs, to improving access to hand washing in communities without running water.

We hope you will consider making a donation to this worthy cause.

Soaring Rates of COVID & Lack of Access to Running Water Put Native Communities at High Risk

Navajo Nation now has the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the country, per-capita. Please help us reduce this number and protect valuable lives by improving access to handwashing in communities without running water.

One the best preventive measures for stopping the spread of COVID-19 and staying healthy is thorough handwashing. Yet, for many families living on the Navajo and Hopi Nations, doing so on a regular basis is a tremendous challenge due to the lack of running water in their homes. It is estimated that roughly 40% of Navajo homes lack running water, and a sizable portion of Hopi homes, as well.

It is recommended that people wash their hands for a minimum of 20 seconds, but when you have limited water supplies this can be a real challenge. Generally, most homes already have a method for securing water, whether this be hauling it themselves or having it delivered. They also have some type handwashing system in place, but they tend to be small, perhaps only a basin of water that is shared by multiple family members numerous times.

What is needed most is running piped water to every home in need, but this a massive undertaking that will take decades if not longer to implement. What is needed in the interim, to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and help with improving general hygiene, are easily accessible, durable, and high capacity handwashing stations. Fortunately, the nonprofit LavaMaeˣ has developed a DIY design and toolkit for a station that allows for up to 500 handwashings with one fill-up of the unit-pictured below.

Our goal is to raise enough funding to facilitate the construction of 100 units. At an estimated cost of $300 each we are hoping to raise a total of $30,000.00   Our plan for construction of the units is to use volunteer and homeowner labor.

Since first posting this idea on Facebook, we have had over 40,000 views. We do not pretend this an easy undertaking, nor that we have every detail solved. Procurement of materials alone poses significant challenges, but we cannot sit idly by and do nothing.  We must act, and we must do so now.

Both financial contributions and volunteer labor are needed.   Please help however you can, and we ask that you share this campaign widely with your family and friends. By acting quickly and collectively, we will make an impactful contribution to the health and safety of Hopi and Navajo communities during this time of crisis.

Warm Regards,

Joe Seidenberg
Red Feather Development Group
Executive Director