from The Rotary Club of Halifax North West
Welcome to the monthly newsletter from the Rotary Club of Halifax Northwest, where we share the club’s and Rotary’s news and activities with the communities we serve. In keeping with our aim to feature Rotary’s seven Areas of Focus, this issue highlights the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Area of Focus.
March is Rotary Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Month. Water means life. In Canada, clean water, sanitation and hygiene rarely enter into our consciousness – we just take them for granted. However, in many countries in the world these essential aspects for health and prosperity are out of reach in many communities. Rotary therefore supports projects that encourage the management and protection of freshwater resources and provides universal and equitable access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Our projects give communities the ability to develop and maintain sustainable water systems. Projects are supported through the Rotary Foundation, which provides District grants to empower governments, institutions, and communities to manage their water, sanitation, and hygiene services through environmentally sound, measurable, and sustainable interventions.
A few years ago our club and our district were involved with several clubs in Africa and other Canadian clubs, in the “Water for The Gambia” project. The objective was to fund the drilling of 6 clean water wells in different districts and several villages of The Gambia, one of the most poverty-stricken countries in the World. An estimated 18,000 people benefited directly as a result of the project, including a large decrease in child deaths.
Prior to the pandemic, our club had committed to a project to support “Help 2 Overcome”, whose vision is a world where all children will have access to clean water and sanitation in schools. Ben John, an immigrant from South Africa, is H2O’s Executive Director. H2O have completed 3 projects in Serra Leone, providing water and sanitation for girls in schools. The success of these projects is measured by the attendance, which has increased by 30%. Subject to the state of the pandemic, the next project, in which our club will be involved, will be in Kigai, Rwanda, in the fall of 2022. The project will provide washrooms with compostable toilets, cubicles with doors, and hand basins for 200 children with mental and physical disabilities.
For more information, please go to: https://www.help2overcome.org/
Our Rotary Club of Halifax Northwest welcomes everyone to explore community service with us! We pride ourselves on being diverse and inclusive – and we’re friendly! We currently meet virtually (in person when pandemic circumstances allow) every Tuesday from 1145 to 1 pm. at Freeman’s on Dutch Village Road in Fairview. For more information contact Roger Chiasson at rogerchiasson305@ gmail.com or 782 234 9408
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash; and https://www.help2overcome.org/
