WASRAG Newsletter - September 2019 View as Webpage

Why Do Some Projects Waste Money? Why do some WASH projects waste time, money and resources? Why do some partnerships produce results and others fizzle? What can we learn from the 75 year partnership between Rotary and the United Nations? World Water Summit 12 being held in Honolulu, Hawaii on June 5, 2020, will focus on Building WASH Partnerships that Work. Space is limited! To learn more and register go to World Water Summit 12. You can download the presentations from World Water Summit 11 by going to WWS11.

Polio and Clean Water The recent cases of Polio in the Philippines are a reminder that Polio happens with limited immunization coverage and inadequate sanitation and hygiene. The WASRAG World Polio Competition is being held to encourage clubs and districts to emphasize the importance of clean water in your local community. The competition will recognize two projects. The one that is the Most Impactful and the one that is Most Innovative in regards to improving the quality of water and/or awareness in your community. For more details go to World Polio Day Competition. Submit a brief description of your project, by Dec 1, 2019, to info@wasrag.org.

WATEC 2019 - Tel Aviv, Israel Every two years, the Water and Sanitation Committee of Rotary District 2490 of Israel, plans a symposium on technology, education and awareness of water and sanitation challenges worldwide, in conjunction with the Water Technology and Environment Control (WATEC). The symposium will be Thurs. Nov 21, 2019 in Ashdod, Israel from 8 am to 4 pm, consisting of keynote speakers and breakout sessions. Contact WASRAG Ambassador, Avner Fuchs to register and obtain more details.

Samuel Owori Memorial WASH Project When Rotary International President Elect Samuel Owori passed away suddenly in 2017, many donated to complete a significant WASH project in Uganda, Owori's home country. A recent update on the project indicated that a high capacity borehole has been completed and solar powered pumps are filling a 100,000 liter storage tank. Distribution lines have been run to a health clinic and six schools. Hygiene and hand-washing training has been provided. At each school two blacks of latrines have been constructed and microflush toilets are being built at the health clinic.

Mission Pink Menstrual health and hygiene was a cornerstone in the Mission Pink Health and Hygiene program implemented by the Rotary Club of Chandigarh Midtown , India Using a Global Grant from The Rotary Foundation they developed a program they delivered to 30 schools and over 15,000 young women. In the past year, the schools have seen decreased absenteeism and drop-outs and classroom performance has increased. Go to WASRAG Stories to read more about Mission Pink

MH Day Resources The Menstrual Hygiene Day Impact Report 2019 highlights the achievements of this year's annual May 28 event. Recently, WASH United, which coordinates Menstrual Hygiene Day, has renamed their newsletter to the Periodical. You can subscribe by going to https://menstrualhygieneday.org/newsletter/ There are excellent resources on Menstrual Health Management at the menstrualhygieneday.org website.

Hawaiian Beer Party Benefits WASRAG The Rotarian Fellowship, Beers Rotarians Enjoy Worldwide (B.R.E.W.) has donated thousands of dollars to WASRAG over the past few years, by holding an event during the RI Convention. This year on June 7, 2020 they have rented the entire Honolulu Beerworks. Those attending the Hawaiian Beer Luau will enjoy a beer inspired meal and taste beers brewed fresh onsite. Tickets are LIMITED to the first 140 participants. To purchase your ticket go to Hawaiian Beer Luau.

World Toilet Day - Nov 19 More people have a mobile phone than have access to safely managed sanitation. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 has a target to eliminate open defecation and ensure everyone has access to sustainable sanitation services by 2030. World Toilet Day, which is held annually on November 19, draws attention to the people without sanitation. This year's theme is "Leaving No One Behind". You can obtain resources from the World Toilet Day website or the Globalwaters.org sanitation and hygiene resource page.

Clean Water at Delhi School The Rotary Club of Delhi South East working with the Project Aspire - Today to Eternity Foundation recently cut the ribbon on a 44 station clean water system for the Kendriya Vidyalaya School in Delhi, India. The reverse osmosis based system will benefit over 7,500 children. Costing $11,500 USD the water stations are estimated to last 10 - 15 years.

Calendar of Events Oct 24, 2019 - WORLD POLIO DAY https://www.endpolio.org/world-polio-day   Nov 19, 2019 - WORLD TOILET DAY https://www.un.org/en/events/toiletday/ March 22, 2020 - WORLD WATER DAY http://www.worldwaterday.org/ May 28, 2020 - MENSTRUAL HYGIENE DAY http://menstrualhygieneday.org/   Oct 15, 2019 - GLOBAL HANDWASHING DAY https://globalhandwashing.org

To submit stories, videos, and pictures for the WASRAG Newsletter send an email to info@wasrag.org .

The Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG) is pleased to consider partnerships with any corporate supporter. Due to the unique attributes of water sources and water provision, acceptance of corporate support does not imply an endorsement of any particular water technology. Rotarians, Rotary clubs, and Rotary partners must evaluate any technology to determine if it is the best solution for the conditions where the program will be implemented. WASRAG can provide guidance about where different technologies work best, but Rotarians and Rotary clubs must make the final decision about how to implement their programs.