Save Water Save Lives
Save Water Save Lives (SWSL) originated in District 981. John Van Der Haar of the Rotary Club of Ringwood, returning from a trip in the island of Flores, was concerned by the plight of the local people who spent six months of the year faced with desperate water shortages. For the other half of the year there was abundant rainfall.John was able to make use of his knowledge of swimming pool constructions to design a transportable and reusable framework which, with a little training, allowed villages to construct a concrete water tank in one day. Construction used mainly material available locally. These water tanks transformed the social and economic fabric of the island of Flores.
This type of framework has been used in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Thailand and India, and is possibly still in use. As one half of the people of the world do not have ready access to safe drinking water and water-related diseases may claim as many as 25 million lives a year, there is a huge need to be met.
SWSL as an activity of RAWCS (in full) has expanded its approach to the provision of water. It now encompasses the provision of water catchments, reticulation and the construction of a variety to tanks.
Clubs are encouraged to provide members for SWSL training teams and financial support for the water projects.
Rotary district 9640 chair preserve planet earth
Contact Keith Reinke for more information: (07) 5541 0580
Email: randmore@hotkey.net.au
reinkefj said,
February 22, 2008 @ 3:42 am
It might be nice to link to a few pictures of the framework being used. I assume that some one is “panhandling”, “tin cupping”, or otherwise soliciting for funds. (I assume that poor villages may lack the capital to fund such a project. That is if you’re starving, it’s hard to worry about clean water.) So a link to a “tip jar” might be worthwhile. Many folks are so tired of being scammed by big organized charities that have highly compensated leaders and staff. My model is the Salvation Army, Homefront here in New Jersey where I know the lady who squeezes the nickels, and such low overhead efforts. Just a thought.