[D9640general] [eFlash_Rotary] Digest Number 861

[Garry Krischock]

* Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail 

1.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eFlash_Rotary/message/1548;_ylc=X3oDMTJxcDY3b
DZjBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzI3ODYwNzYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDY0MDg2BG1zZ0lkAzE1N
DgEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIzMTk3MDM2Mg--> 1628: Pumping water for
life in Zimbabwe 

 

Wed Jan 14, 2009 1:08 am (PST) 

Pumping water for life in Zimbabwe By Dan Nixon
[http://www.rotary.org/SiteCollectionImages/News/Zimbabwe.jpg]
Cecilia Nedziwe, of the Centre for Peace Initiatives and a former Rotary
World Peace Fellow, visits the Rotary water project's pump well at
Mupamombe school in Zimbabwe. Photo courtesy of Stein Nørve
Amid famine, water scarcity, disease outbreaks, and rampant inflation in
Zimbabwe, six Rotary clubs in as many countries are bringing hope to
people there.

The project is establishing water wells and vegetable and tree gardens
at seven schools in the country. A US$6,650 Rotary Foundation Matching
Grant, combined with sponsor contributions, has provided a total of
$16,950 in funding for the effort.

The project began in 2007, sponsored by the Rotary clubs of Grenaa and
Grenaa-Djurs, Denmark; Tûri, Estonia; Grossefehn/Wiesmoor, Germany;
Drøbak, Norway; and Hunyani, Zimbabwe. Recent support has also come
from the Rotary Club of Åmål, Sweden.

Pump Aid, a nongovernmental organization, is managing installation and
maintenance of the wells. Environment Africa, another NGO, oversees
creation of the gardens, designed to help feed area residents and
provide some with a livelihood. The organization is headed by Charlene
Hewat, of the Hunyani club.

"The technology is simple and efficient and requires no special
technical skills," says Stein Nørve, a member of the Drøbak club.
"The pumps may be operated manually by anyone."

In 2008, Cecilia Nedziwe assessed the project's progress in the course
of her work as manager of operations for the Centre for Peace
Initiatives in Africa. At the Mupamombe school, she found the water pump
functioning efficiently and workers planting seeds in the garden.

"There was life and happiness around, and I was delighted to see
everyone smiling and extending their gratefulness to Rotary for
supporting the well project," said Nedziwe, who is based in Harare,
Zimbabwe's capital, and is a former Rotary World Peace Fellow (Zimbabwe
to Australia, 06-08).

She found the situation similar at three of the other four schools. Only
at the school in Kwayedza was the well for the pump yet to be completed.
Two wells are also scheduled for installation at other schools.

Nedziwe said that the project is vital, "given the level of humanitarian
crisis in the country. The project is making a difference and saving
many lives."

Source: Rotary International News / Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://rotary9640.org/pipermail/d9640general_rotary9640.org/attachments/20090115/c823a8fa/attachment.html>