Honduran Water & Sanitation Project receives Global Grant
The Milford, New Hampshire and the Danli, Honduras Rotary Clubs are pleased to announce that The Rotary Foundation has approved a Global Grant which, when completed, will improve the health of 425 families – including many children - by providing them with clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education. This project will serve nine dispersed, remote communities in the rural municipality of Trojes, Honduras, located along the Nicaraguan border, about three hours northeast of Danli. The total cost of the project is $188,000, of which $138,300 was funded by Rotary Clubs, Rotary Districts and The Rotary Foundation. The remaining funds will be provided by a Native Energy carbon credit program.
The goal of the project is to virtually eliminate water borne diarrheal disease in the communities by providing practical, simple sustainable tools, including appropriate point-of-use filtration technology, toilets; hygiene and sanitation training to individuals, teachers and communities; and on-going monitoring and follow-up.
In addition to the Milford Rotary Club, five other New Hampshire Rotary Clubs supported this project - Nashua, Nashua West, Souhegan Valley, Monadnock and Jaffrey-Rindge as well as the District Foundation Committee. Fourteen other Rotary Clubs from Maine, New York, New Jersey, Montana, Oregon and Washington also partnered on this project.
Milford Rotarian, Doug Rupert, who spearheaded this project, said “In a country where 80% of all known illnesses are caused from drinking contaminated water, this project will help address that issue for 425 families. We are pleased that Rotary, and the Milford Club in particular, can be part of the solution.”
Pure Water for the World, Inc. (PWW), who has been working in Honduras for 12 years, has been selected as the implementing organization. Pure Water was founded in 1999 by the Brattleboro, Vermont Rotary Club, and in that time has provided over 500,000 people with a source of clean drinking water.
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Pictured is a Honduran homemaker with a PWW water filtration unit similar to what will be deployed as part of this project. Photo courtesy of PWW and PDG Tony Gilmore
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