We've Changed Our Name. With the approval of Rotary International our organization is now going to be called "Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Rotary Action Group" or "WASH Rotary Action Group" to reflect the emphasis Rotarians are placing on hygiene as an important component of projects.  Our new logo, has WASH in a font to represent water pipes. The water spurt is in the many colors used in the Rotary logos. "Rotary Action Group" is spelled out at the bottom in blue to complete the logo. A downloadable logo, revamping of the website, and more will be coming in the upcoming months . There is lots to look forward to. You are invited to view all of the back issues of the WASRAG  / WASH Rag Newsletters at  http://www.wasrag.org/news    For more Water, Sanitation and Hygiene News for this month,  please Read More.......

 

 
NEWS:  Learn more about Rotary success in the WASRAG stories.

Looking for a Water Project?:   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.

Recently Created or Updated Projects: Since 2009, the Rotary Club of Newmarket has been supporting the Ongutoi Health Centre, located in North Eastern Uganda through a variety of projects. They have completed one phase of a water collection system, and now are embarking on a planned further expansion of this important water resource for this medical facility. Information on their project can be found here. The excellent video they produced in conjunction with their partner High Adventure highlights the work they have completed and the work that is planned. They are looking for partners to help them with the next phase of the project. For more details and to get involved contact Richard Mewhinney.  

 

Join us for the first of a three-part webinar series on global grants focused on WASH in Schools (WinS).

Learn about

·     How global grants are evolving

·     What makes a great global grant program

·     Successful assessments – the why and how

·     Key tools and resources

Presenters include The Rotary Foundation’s WASH Area of Focus Manager, Erica Gwynn, TRF's Cadre Technical Coordinator Chair for WASH, Wade Nomura, and members of the WASH Rotary Action Group Professional Resources Group. 

The webinar will be offered twice:

October 22 at 6 - 8 pm CDT (11 pm - 1 am GMT), and

October 23 at 10 am - 12 noon CDT (3 -5 pm GMT)

Register now to save your spot!  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5116009603120/WN_6m4v0VjjS7qRQSGZKO5pew

 

CALENDAR:

E-Club of WASH - Online Meetings - On the first and third Thursday of every month at 8 pm Eastern and the second and fourth Tuesdays at 12 pm EDT attend an online meeting focused on a common interest of WASH Issues. To learn more visit https://www.rotarywasheclub.org/ or join at https://zoom.us/j/314362718

Oct 3, 2020 - Virtual WASH Symposium - 2020-Virtual-WASH-Symposium-District-5450

Oct 15, 2020 - GLOBAL HANDWASHING DAY - https://globalhandwashing.org 

Oct 26-30, 2020 - Water and Health: Science, Policy and Practice Virtual Conference - https://waterinstitute.unc.edu/conferences/waterandhealth2020/

Nov 19, 2020 - WORLD TOILET DAY - https://www.un.org/en/events/toiletday/

Mar 22, 2021 - WORLD WATER DAY - http://www.worldwaterday.org/

Apr 30, 2021 - Deadline for People of WASH video and photograph competition

May 5, 2021 - HAND HYGIENE DAY - Hand Hygiene Day

May 28, 2021 - MENSTRUAL HYGIENE DAY - http://menstrualhygieneday.org/ 

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?

Our Members Asked?  - WASHRAG 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 & Hygiene 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. WASH RAG operates in accordance with Rotary International policy but is not an agency of, or controlled by, Rotary International. 

The Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Rotarian Action Group (WASH Rotary Action Group) 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.