WASH Rotary Action Group Newsletter - December 2020
Webinar on Monitoring and Evaluation
The webinars provided by the WASH Rotary Action Group have received wonderful reviews as practical and informative. Hundreds have participated in the previous two sessions.

The THIRD and final webinar in this series will cover the important topic of Monitoring and Evaluation of WinS Projects.

The webinar will be offered twice:
Thursday, January 14 at 6 pm Central Time
and
Friday, January 15 at 10 am Central Time
WASH Rotary Action Group YouTube Channel
We are continuing to add new videos to our WASH Rotary Action Group YouTube channel, which has almost 1,500 views since July. You can watch videos from the World Water Summit 12 and the recent WinS based webinars.
Some Projects Require a Story Page
We are always looking for clearly described WASH project stories with submissions with good quality images. Here is a great example.

Road to Tabuk - Rotary Open Endless Opportunities, submitted by Charter Member Ruth Carlos Martinez, Rotary Club of Melbourne, is a great story about overcoming significant obstacles to bring WASH to the poorest of the poor in the Philippines.
Washing Sheets in Water with HIV
Bringing clean water to a hospital in wartorn Nigeria was a project undertaken by the Rotary Club of Naperville, spearheaded by PDG Pat Merryweather-Arges.

When assessing the initial situation they found that sheets and gowns used in surgery were being washed in a tub where the water was not being changed, even when patients were known to have HIV.
Glitterball teaches about Germs
The Rotary Club of Bath, Maine teamed up with Getting Water Right to teach children in Cambodia about personal hygiene. In the video, you will see how they use a glitterball to show how germs spread through a village. The students were also involved in building their own a tippy-tap hand-washing station.
Water Borehole Project in Nigeria
The Rotary Club of Winnipeg - Transcona and District 5550, utilized a Rotary Global Grant to drill a 900-foot borehole to get clean water for two schools in Anambra State, South-East Nigeria. The project which included a 10,000-litre catchment reservoir also included washrooms for the school.

The club's Water Borehole Drilling project webpage includes photographs and videos from the project that will be submitted to the 2021 People of WASH Photograph and Video Competition. The deadline for submitting items is April 30, 2021. For more information on making a submission contact PeopleofWASH@wasrag.org
Increased focus on WASH in HCF
The statistics on the status of WASH in Health Care Facilities in developing countries is shocking. 50% lack basic water services and 60% have no sanitation services.

The World Health Organization and UNICEF have recently released the Global Progress Report on WASH in Health Care Facilities - Fundamentals First.
Fellowship of Doctors
In the upcoming years, the WASH Rotary Action Group are encouraging clubs and districts to focus on improving the situation of WASH in Health Care Facilities.

Recently, members of the WASH Rotary Action Group met with the International Fellowship of Rotarian Doctors. Read the report from that meeting.
Clean Water for Developing Countries
John Dracup, a member of the Rotary Club of San Monica, recently released his book "Clean Water for Developing Countries"

A reviewer of the book wrote: "Dracup brings his impressive wealth of knowledge to this book, in an approachable easy-to-understand manner. He tackles complex feats and explains them simply."

This five-star book is getting rave reviews for providing practical information on providing clean water.

You can order a book through Amazon
WASH Rotary Action Group Projects
The WASH Rotary Action Group Project Page continues to grow with a variety of projects from around the globe. The project list provides Rotary members with a place to obtain expert advice and obtain financial support from other clubs for major project grants. Future newsletters will include a featured project and a few additional projects from the WASH Rotary Action Group Project page.
WASH Ambassador Highlights Project
Recently, the WASH Rotary Action Group Ambassador for District 6970, Rosemary Takacs, Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach Rotary Club, gave a presentation on the WASH in Schools (WinS) project in Jocotenango, Guatemala.

Using Zoom they had an excellent presentation that brought together presenters from the Clubs and Districts involved and partners from the Peace Corps and the University of North Florida.

This was an extensive multi-faceted project, but one unique element was the inclusion of a handicap bathroom.

Recently Added Projects
Host Club - Solana Beach Eco International Club - District 4400
Total Project - $65,000 Needed: $60,000

Host Club - Suna-Migori International Club - Downtown Los Angeles
Total Project - $65,000 Needed: $22.000
Calendar of Events
Jan 14, 2021 - 7 pm ET - Monitoring and Evaluation in WinS Projects

Jan 15, 2021 - 11 am ET - Monitoring and Evaluation in WinS Projects

Mar 11 and 12, 2021 - Colarado WASH 2021 Virtual Symposium

Mar 22, 2021 - WORLD WATER DAY


May 5, 2021 - HAND HYGIENE DAY

May 28, 2021 - MENSTRUAL HYGIENE DAY

Oct 15, 2021 - GLOBAL HANDWASHING DAY

Oct 24, 2021 - World Polio Day

Nov 19, 2021 - WORLD TOILET DAY
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.