Jim Goodrich, President, Rotary Club of Groveland, CA

Safe Water saves Children ….

Ron DenhamChair, Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group

March 2011

The Background:The Background:• 900 million people (one in six) lack 900 million people (one in six) lack

access to safe wateraccess to safe water

• 2.5 billion have no sanitation2.5 billion have no sanitation

Child Mortality

Safe Water & Sanitation

Disease & Health

Primary Education

Child Mortality

Gender Equality

Poverty & Hunger

This lack of access has profound This lack of access has profound implications for the children: implications for the children:

Water borne disease is a major cause of mortality among children: • 8000 people die every day from water-related 8000 people die every day from water-related

disease; 5000 of them childrendisease; 5000 of them children

• 150 children of every 1,000 born in Africa die before 150 children of every 1,000 born in Africa die before the age of five, 25% from water-related diseasethe age of five, 25% from water-related disease

Largely from a small number of water related diseases:

Disease Estimated Ann. MortalityDiarrheal disease 2.2 to 5.0 million

Intestinal worms 200,000

Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia) 500,000

Guinea Worm 100,000

Sleeping Sickness 150,000

Trachoma 6 million blinded*

*Few direct deaths, but thousands of indirect deaths

Economic consequences are equally Economic consequences are equally serious:serious:

• 40 billion hours spent, per year, in Africa 40 billion hours spent, per year, in Africa alone collecting and hauling wateralone collecting and hauling water

• Women and children (usually girls) spend up Women and children (usually girls) spend up to six hour per day fetching waterto six hour per day fetching water

• Families often spend up to 25% of their Families often spend up to 25% of their income to purchase waterincome to purchase water

Water access was the only Millennium Water access was the only Millennium Development Goal (MDG) agreed on by all Development Goal (MDG) agreed on by all countriescountries

Goal #7: By 2015 reduce by 50% the proportion of people without access to sustainable safe water and sanitation

But the challenge is formidable;But the challenge is formidable;too many lack access:too many lack access:

Sub-Saharan AfricaSub-Saharan Africa 47%47%

East AsiaEast Asia 29%29%

South AsiaSouth Asia 28%28%

Middle EastMiddle East 18%18%

Latin AmericaLatin America 18%18%

Water & Sanitation is an RI strategic area of focus, it implies:• Rotarians should be aware of world water Rotarians should be aware of world water

issuesissues

• Rotary clubs should implement a water Rotary clubs should implement a water and/or sanitation project or programand/or sanitation project or program

57Other

18Peru

11Nicaragua

55Mexico

51Honduras

27Haiti

25Guatemala

32Ecuador

17Dom. Rep.

12Bolivia

ProjectsCountry

57Other

18Peru

11Nicaragua

55Mexico

51Honduras

27Haiti

25Guatemala

32Ecuador

17Dom. Rep.

12Bolivia

ProjectsCountry

90Other

38Thailand

50Philippines

35Indonesia

212India

ProjectsCountry

90Other

38Thailand

50Philippines

35Indonesia

212India

ProjectsCountry

100Other

29Zambia

58Uganda

15Tanzania

27South Africa

21Nigeria

10Malawi

55Kenya

25Ghana

9Cameroun

5Burkina Faso

ProjectsCountry

100Other

29Zambia

58Uganda

15Tanzania

27South Africa

21Nigeria

10Malawi

55Kenya

25Ghana

9Cameroun

5Burkina Faso

ProjectsCountry

Rotarians are striving to meet the challenge:Rotarians are striving to meet the challenge:

They are responding to every imaginable need: Drilling boreholes, digging wellsDrilling boreholes, digging wells Implementing rainwater harvestingImplementing rainwater harvesting Installing household filters and purificationInstalling household filters and purification Building earth and concrete damsBuilding earth and concrete dams Installing pipelines/distribution systemsInstalling pipelines/distribution systems Protecting pondsProtecting ponds Building latrines and toilet blocksBuilding latrines and toilet blocks

But, together we can do much more:

• BIGGER• BETTER• BOLDER

We should be BIGGER, have more impact:• Water is the #1 humanitarian challenge• But only a small number of clubs are active• Little leverage with other organizations• Limited use of Rotary Community Corps• Few opportunities to scale up to the larger

community • Too small to attract outside financing

We should be BETTER:• Too many projects are unsustainable• Much emphasis on activity, too little on

humanitarian outcomes• Projects “owned” by foreign Rotary clubs• Little consideration of life-cycle implications• Software, training, behavior change, ignored. • Failure to get community/host ownership• No monitoring and evaluation

Millions of dollars, hours of investment - wasted

We should be BOLDER: • Create “programs” not “projects”, e.g. “WASH in

Schools” • Scale up to the region, watershed, river basin, etc. • Focus on humanitarian and economic outcomes

e.g. children’s health, education, poverty etc• Leverage other organizations: local authority,

NGOs, government agencies• Appoint and pay a professional team• Ask for “big” money—$$$millions

Wasrag can help you becomeBigger, Better, Bolder:• Assist in preparing “Needs Assessments”• Show how to find a project and get started • Create a compendium of best practices• Design training programs• Evaluate alternative technologies• Match with clubs and NGOs• Facilitate partnerships, attract sponsors, to

match club, district and TRF grants

Wasrag is Rotary’s resource for WASH. You can help Rotary clubs everywhere:

• Volunteer your expertiseVolunteer your expertise• Become a link in the Rotary-wide networkBecome a link in the Rotary-wide network• Report your successes, share your experienceReport your successes, share your experience• Become a member of WasragBecome a member of Wasrag• Persuade your friends to support WasragPersuade your friends to support Wasrag• Go to: Go to: www.wasrag.org• Click on “Sign Up”Click on “Sign Up”