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PROJECT NAME: POTABLE WATER FOR PROVINCIAL SCHOOLS, PHASE - I
AREAS OF INTEREST: Water and Sanitation
HOST CLUB: Bogotá Teusaquillo Rotary Club
PATICIPANT CLUBS: From District 4281, Fusagasuga Rotary Club, La Vega Rotary Club, Supatá Rotary Club, Zipaquirá Rotary Club, Villa de Leyva Rotary Club, Tunja Rotary Club, Sogamoso Rotary Club, Neiva Las Ceibas Rotary Club.
PLANNED ACTIVITIES:
In view of the increased need of safe water in Colombian rural areas, Bogotá Teusaquillo Rotary Club assumed a Leading Role in the organization of several Clubs from different Provinces in the vicinity of Bogotá, the Capital to identify Provincial Schools where this need is critical. In PHASE-I of this Project, Rotary Clubs are aiming at installing SkyHydrant membrane filters at Fifty (50) schools in the Departments of Cundinamarca, Boyacá and Huila, to improve the quality of raw water that is currently provided to close to 9800 students in those areas.
Filters will be provided at special prices by the DISASTER AID FOUNDATION of Australia, including the participation of DART team experts that would provide on-site technical training for the correct installation and maintenance of the equipment. The expected life of these filters is 10 years or more, and they represent the easiest and more practical way of addressing the improvement of water for the area.
The filters will be installed at each selected school, including installation material such as PVC piping & fittings. Local communities are quite interested in an active participation, and will provide all required labor and a simple cement base and protective fenced enclosure at each place. Local Rotary Clubs will have a designated representative whom will be the focal point for all interaction between all parties. A member of the community will be named as the "operator" of the equipment, and will take care of the maintenance program established for each location.
BENEFICIARIES:
The selected schools currently have a student population of over 9800 pupils ranging from 7 to 12 years of age in areas of low income or poverty level families. Most students attend school form 7:00am to 3:00pm, including a daily lunch cooked, and prepared at the school's kitchen.
The program includes the supply and installation of the filters, training of responsible person(s) for the correct usage and maintenance of the units, several educational sessions on water usage and conservation, personal hygiene, etc., that will be presented to the student body, members of school staff and parents.
SUSTAINABILITY:
By promoting several meetings with school directives, local community associations and public in general, the participating provincial Clubs identified the need of reducing the high rate of dysentery, diarrhea and other water borne infections amongst local children.
The installation of the SkyHydrant filters will provide a quick and safe solution to the problem. In order to control the correct usage and maintenance of the equipment provided, each participating Rotary Club will designate a coordinator responsible to maintain a detailed log book of each unit, including date of installation, service/maintenance records, etc. The equipment will be assigned to each school, which in turn will need to assign one responsible person to directly and physically care for the units provided, and in constant communication with the Club coordinator.
Parent Associations and Local Community bodies will actively participate in the whole process, and detailed records of all related meetings will be kept by the Rotary Club members.
Printed material related to all water issues will be distributed between the students and the local communities
CURRENT GOALS:
Reduce water borne diseases and illnesses in the student population of Fifty (50) selected schools caused by the ingestion of untreated water from local sources. It is well know that these diseases are the cause of most of the current school absenteeism amongst children.
HOW WILL THESE GOALS BE REACHED:
By providing Ultra-filtration Membrane Filters from SkyHydrant, installing them at each school and operating and maintaining them for the life of the project (10 years).
Verification will be done with local Health Providers and Institutions, public records, as well as the attendance control at each school.
ROLES:
Host Club: Raúl Castro, Bogotá Teusaquillo Rotary Club, will coordinate all Project related activities, including fluid communication with all participant Clubs, to provide technical as well as Project Management assistance.
Participating Clubs: To facilitate communications in between Project members, each Club will name a local coordinator to be the focal point of all activities related to this Project. They will attend a regular planned Project meeting, to be coordinated by the Host Club.
Int'l Sponsor Club: David Langworthy of Endeavour Hills Rotary Club of Australia and the DISASTER AID INTERNATIONAL Foundation
District 4281, Colombia, as the host District.
Time Line: Submittal of Global Grant Application by 3Q, 2016. Execution by 3Q, 2017
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