You are invited to view all of the back issues of the WASRAG Newsletters at http://www.wasrag.org/news This month, there us a special Call To Action from Ron Denham, District 7070 Past District Governor and Cahir Emeritus of WASRAG. For more Water and Sanitation News for this month, please Read More.......
Dear Rotarians and Rotary family in District 7070 and throughout the Rotary world,
We are called to respond to the coronavirus crisis, as our voices and Rotarian commitment to Service Above Self are needed across the entire globe right now.
Rotary International has long committed to access to safe water and sanitation as one of the Areas of Focus The reality is that the majority of healthcare facilities in developing countries do not have adequate access to soap, water and sanitation. These conditions impact two billion people worldwide at a time when handwashing is crucial to curtailing this COVID19 pandemic.
Together we can be a united voice, helping provide safe conditions for all staff and patients.
When the circumstances permit, let’s reach out to our local healthcare facilities, the center of health in each of our communities. Are they able to maintain proper sanitation and handwashing? Ask if they have adequate quantities of soap and water, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies. Are they helping educate patients and the broader community about proper handwashing, which will be lifesaving during this pandemic?
Clubs can work with health facility administrators and local officials to help meet needs and make a real difference. We can collaborate with entrepreneurs, small businesses, and microfinance initiatives in our communities to increase the supply of locally manufactured and distributed soap. We can support our healthcare facilities as distribution points for hygiene messaging and soap to surrounding communities, and help make sure that our friends and neighbors understand the importance of frequent handwashing with soap throughout their day. Consider selecting a COVID19 lead within your club to respond to the immediate crisis. Interact and Rotaract also have important roles to play and can engage their own COVID19 leaders.
By reaching out, we have the opportunity to learn more about needs in our healthcare facilities and communities and how our Rotary Clubs can assist now and in the future. It is going to take everyone working together to tamp down this pandemic in each of our communities and prevent future outbreaks.
Rotarians join together for truth, fairness, goodwill and friendship for the benefit of all. We have a unique opportunity to make a difference and unite our voices and visibility globally on behalf of health and healthcare everywhere.
NEWS: Learn more about Rotary success in the WASRAG stories.
Looking for a Water Project? Click here and see 12 projects looking for your help.
Recently Created or Updated Projects: Ongutoi Health Centre - Budget $275,000 Updated Feb 26, 2020 , Rotary Club of Newmarket, Canada
CALENDAR:
E-Club of WASH - Online Meetings - On the first and third Thursday of every month at 8 pm Eastern attend an online meeting focused on a common interest of WASH Issues. To learn more visit https://www.rotarywasheclub.
May 1, 2020 - Deadline - People of WASH Photograph and Video Competition - https://wasrag.org/page/people-of-wash
May 7 - 8 pm - Tania Vachon - Social Art for Behaviour Change
May 28, 2020 - MENSTRUAL HYGIENE DAY: http://menstrualhygieneday.
Oct 15, 2020 - GLOBAL HANDWASHING DAY https://globalhandwashing.org
Oct 24, 2020 - WORLD POLIO DAY https://www.endpolio.org/
Nov 19, 2020 - WORLD TOILET DAY - https://www.un.org/en/events/toiletday/
WASH in Healthcare Facilities : Over the past year, there has been an increase focus on clean water, adequate sanitation and hygiene training in healthcare facilities. Some significant partnerships have been forged and some great resources developed. In September, Emory University completed an excellent series of videos on the topic. Their website http://washconhcf.org/ is full of useful resources. One of the resources is a WASH Conditions Assessment Tool, which they call WASHCon . The WHO and UNICEF have been taking a very active role in this area and have created a very good website of information at https://www.washinhcf.org/. One of their recent resources is an Advocacy Toolkit
Building WASH Partnerships that Work! As Rotarians scale up WASH programs, what can we learn from the United Nations and other partnerships? Why do some partnerships produce results and others fizzle, wasting time, money and resources? How should we: choose the right partner, select the right project, learn to work with others, develop a shared vision - towards SDG-6, agree on the right role for Rotary clubs and Rotarians, develop the best relationship with governments and local authorities, assemble a team that builds on mutual strengths, reconcile money issues, and Most important - what can we learn from mistakes - ours and others?
Let Us Help You With Your Project - WASRAG members are working on a wide assortment of wonderful projects. However, getting partners to help support the project is always a challenge. Dr. Omar Helferich, Visiting Scholar for Calvin College Institute for Clean Water, has accepted the volunteer position of Project Listing Manager. He will work on developing the Projects section of the WASRAG website and assisting clubs in getting their projects listed. He will also be assisting the WASRAG Professional Services Team in reviewing and revising Rotary Grant proposals to achieve project approval and meet budget targets. To get help with your Project Listing send an email to info@wasrag.org and indicate Project Listing in the subject header.
We Want to Help! - WASRAG has assembled a group of professionals to assist Rotary Clubs with their WASH projects. The team have experience in needs assessment, planning, grant preparation, implementation and WASH training. Members of the Professional Resources Team are from many countries, experienced in working in developing countries and are fluent in a number of languages. If you need help with a project send an email to: info@wasrag.org. For more details visit http://wasrag.org/page/
Our Members Asked? - WASRAG is extremely fortunate to count many dedicated and knowledgeable Rotarians on its team. Which is good - as our membership has lots of questions about the best technology to use on projects, how best to assess local needs, and best practices for sustainable projects. We would like to start a new feature in the newsletter, where you ask the questions and we get answers from our experts and the readers. We will provide the input in a future newsletter. Send your email to info@wasrag.org and indicate QUESTION in the title
The Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group is a group of Rotarians whose purpose is to support Rotary clubs to effectively plan, finance, implement, monitor and evaluate water, sanitation, and hygiene programs, where they are most needed in a collaborative, cost-effective, timely, and sustainable manner, true to the principles of Rotary International. Wasrag operates in accordance with Rotary International policy but is not an agency of, or controlled by, Rotary International.
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.
To submit stories and pictures our Newsletter, please email: info@wasrag.org to the attention of Wasrag newsletter editors Ian Rumbles and Terri Black.
Wasrag needs your membership. Membership revenue helps cover our administrative costs, website upgrades, training, development of support materials etc. To check whether your membership has expired, email Anna Shepherd
We love hearing about your projects and are delighted to relay these great opportunities for Rotarians to get involved in WASH projects! When posting your projects on the wasrag.org website, please remember to include the name of your Rotary club and District number. Contact us at info@wasrag.org if you need help with your posting.