|
This international Global Grant-funded project will provide clean and reliable water, disease prevention,
Menstrual Hygiene Workshop as well as Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Training for a school of over
200 children and more than 6,400 community members in the villages of Bandam & Guingklo, Cameroon. The
Rotary Club of Denver Southeast is teaming with lots of District 5450 clubs, a local host Kumbo Rotary Club
and local Cooperating Organization to undertake this much-needed project. Both the local Rotary Club (the
Rotary Club of Kumbo) and the local Cooperating Organization (the Association for Sustainable Development,
ASD) have a history of successfully completing sustainable community-driven projects in Cameroon. ASD and
the Rotary Club of Kumbo have completed many WASH Projects in Cameroon and both have knowledgeable
experts to design, manage, and supervise the project as well as carefully and transparently administering grant
funds, and also to complete engineering review, hydro-geophysical & hydrology analysis, and any additionally
needed input on operations and maintenance designs. The Rotary Club of Denver Southeast is providing fund
raising and oversight to ensure the project is successful and sustainable. The first objective of the project is to
create a water supply which includes drilling a well for water, an electric-powered pump system for the well, and
storage facilities designed to distribute the water to the school and community. The second objective is a Water
System and WASH training for the local water committee and villagers to improve water-related disease
awareness and education, including a workshop on menstrual hygiene and creating sustainable feminine hygiene
pads. This initiative merges water provision and knowledge with public health to provide sustainable,
community-led WASH awareness and action in rural Cameroon that provides year-round health and
productivity services.
The Association for Sustainable Development is known to the Host Sponsor (the Rotary Club of Kumbo) which
has had several visits from members of the Rotary Club of Denver Southeast (D-5450) regarding previous
Global Grants for WASH projects in Cameroon. From 2018 to 2019, Association for Sustainable Development's
Eugene Lendzemo mobilized the village of Nkar (Cameroon) to form a Water Management Committee as part
of the preparation for developing a sustainable water management strategy and then managed and successfully
completed the Nkar Water Project (GG2013544). The Rotary Club of Kumbo has met with Association for
Sustainable Development and had the club's consulting water engineer (Ernest Aroke) review and approve the
implementation plans of Association for Sustainable Development. Mr. Aroke had provided a very positive
assessment of Association for Sustainable Development's capability to serve as the local implementer of the
previously completed Nkar Water Project. The International Sponsor has been kept informed of these
developments and concurs with the Rotary Club of Kumbo's recommendation to have the Association for
Sustainable Development serve as a participating, non-governmental organization. Association for Sustainable
Development employs Eugene Lendzemo, who has worked with the Rotary Club of Kumbo and the Rotary
Club of Denver Southeast on six previous Cameroon-based Global Grant projects in the villages of Nkar,
Didango, Sabongari, Tchim/Mvouh, Lum-Sole, Up Station Bamenda, Mape and Maetur where the work was
done (and is being done) to the clubs' satisfaction. Association for Sustainable Development's technician,
Eugene Lendzemo, is working specifically to ensure the long-term sustainability, monitoring, and evaluation of
this project by recruiting a small team of trainees in WASH from the village to become the long-term trainers
for the community. We believe strongly in the Train-The-Trainer approach. This will be comprised of two
committees: the Village Health Committee (for Disease Prevention and Menstrual Hygiene Training) and the
Village Water Management Committee (for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Water Project
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) related issues). These trainings are specifically incorporated into this budget
and project to ensure that the M&E will not rely long-term on the Association for Sustainable Development or
Rotary, but on the community itself.
| 
