Welcome to Week 4 of Rotary International’s Month of Basic Education & Literacy.
This is the last week of RI’s month of focus on Basic Education and Literacy. Rotarians are getting ready to welcome the next month’s theme: Economic and Community Development. In the meantime, two clubs organized and secured a Rotary Foundation Global Grant to improve sanitation for a rural community in Kenya. This Global Grant is a partnership between the Rotary Club of South Haven, MI and the Rotary Club of Milimani, Nairobi, Kenya. Together with Rotarians of District 6360, MI, they have raised $74,731 for the construction of a 600,000 liter (approx. 160,000 gallons) concrete water storage cistern for the Ngoswani Maternal and Child Hospital. Before the construction of the hospital, the nearest health care was a three-hour drive (two day walk) from Ngoswani. The cistern system will be able to take advantage of the solar power already being provided to the nearby hospital. It will have two filtering systems to provide safe drinking water. The grant also supports the construction of latrines outside the hospital, hand washing and drinking water stations.
The population served by the hospital numbers 300,000 Masai. Until recently, 95% of the births in the community were delivered by untrained members of the community in the traditional mud/dung homes of the Masai. The death rate of babies and children up to five years of age has been as high as 30%.
This is the last week of RI’s month of focus on Basic Education and Literacy. Rotarians are getting ready to welcome the next month’s theme: Economic and Community Development. In the meantime, two clubs organized and secured a Rotary Foundation Global Grant to improve sanitation for a rural community in Kenya. This Global Grant is a partnership between the Rotary Club of South Haven, MI and the Rotary Club of Milimani, Nairobi, Kenya. Together with Rotarians of District 6360, MI, they have raised $74,731 for the construction of a 600,000 liter (approx. 160,000 gallons) concrete water storage cistern for the Ngoswani Maternal and Child Hospital. Before the construction of the hospital, the nearest health care was a three-hour drive (two day walk) from Ngoswani. The cistern system will be able to take advantage of the solar power already being provided to the nearby hospital. It will have two filtering systems to provide safe drinking water. The grant also supports the construction of latrines outside the hospital, hand washing and drinking water stations.
The population served by the hospital numbers 300,000 Masai. Until recently, 95% of the births in the community were delivered by untrained members of the community in the traditional mud/dung homes of the Masai. The death rate of babies and children up to five years of age has been as high as 30%.