ROTARY WATER FILTER PROJECT

Below is a revised press release Ann wrote about the water filter project she instigated in Djibouti with the help of Rotary:

"On January 29,2010 we were all honored to be part of a joint project between the Rotary Club of Djibouti, the Poulsbo-North Kitsap Rotary Club of Poulsbo, Washington, USA and Rotary International District 5020. These Rotary Clubs have together raised DJF 1.785 000 ($10,000)which will be donated to UNICEF to help defray the cost of water filters for the residents of the Lac Assal area. With the additional private donations from two individual US Rotarians, we were able to distribut 152 water filters to families from Laita and Dabale-Gahar, Djibouti. Those most vulnerable, families with children under five, pregnant women and the elderly were given priority.

This water filter project is being carried out with the help and coordination of UNICEF, Salt Investment and the Ministries of Health and Agriculture. Salt Investment is donating storage for all of UNICEF’s water filters and Mohammed Noor of the Health Ministry and Abdallah Watta of the Agricultural Ministry are providing the community organization and training.

The objective of the project is to reduce water borne illness, especially abdominal parasites in children, which is rampant in this area. This project is, in fact, a small part of an overall hygiene, sanitation and environmental project that Salt Investment is instigating for the entire Lac Assal region with the guidance and help of UNICEF. It is our goal to ensure that this project is sustainable and will expand to all families within the region.

We understand that the major problems to be solved in this area are infrastructure and the availability of water. To this end, Salt Investment and the Rotary Club of Djibouti are working together with ADDS, the government ministries, UNICEF, Inchscape, and some international foundations to develop infrastructure and a sustainable water source for the region.

We are grateful for the full cooperation of the village elders and leaders who have followed through with their commitments and we look forward to more projects which will improve the lives of the residents of the Lac Assal region."

The pictures show some of the over 150 families (mostly women) that gathered to receive the water filters, the boxed water filters waiting distribution, and two weeks later, one of the water filters in the home of one of the local residents.