Global Grant helps RC Cranbourne fulfill a dream in Tonga.
In October of 2014 a team of 30 Rotarians and volunteers completed a major project at Hango Agricultural College in Tonga. It involved the laying of 2.5km of 100mm pipeline from a permanent spring in the high country on the island of Eua to a new 100,000 litre steel header tank also constructed by the Team. 
The tank was connected to the existing reticulation system in the College. Unfortunately the upgraded supply soon found weak spots in the old system.
This prompted a commitment by the Cranbourne Team to organise another visit to replace and upgrade the reticulation system.
It has taken two years to plan and arrange the finances but on Friday 22nd July a second 40ft container was loaded with polypipe and fittings, a trenching machine, lay flat drip irrigation hose, fencing materials and a range of other materials. The 11.5 tonnes of goods in this latest container follows 21.6 tonnes of building materials dispatched in the first container during June. While the pipeline crew are doing their work the builders and plumbers in the team will be building new staff residences and replacing the roof on two existing 3 BR staff houses.
The water component of this large scale project has benefitted from a TRF Global Grant totalling almost Au$56K enabling the redirection of some of the Club’s contribution and those of a very philanthropic member to additional building materials and other goods. The Team for this trip includes Rotarians and volunteers from Ballarat as well as Cranbourne members and tradie volunteers from the District. The Club has also received generous support from businesses in donations and discounts for materials. Their work and the training provided during the project will principally address two of the focus areas of RI. Water and Sanitation and Economic & Community.
The real value of Rotary’s work was best demonstrated during the summer of 2014-15 when the monsoon rains failed and other water supplies on the island dried up. The 6000+ population of Eua were able to rely on the water supply constructed in October 2014. How do you put a value on that?
