The 5020 IMPACT with The Rotary Foundation

Posted by Treacy Duerfeldt 
 
Editor Note: Treacy Duerfeldt is the District 5020 Rotary Foundation (TRF) Fundraising Chair
 
As a TRF Zealot I sometimes get my message lost in the details of how contributions are recognized, Club standings, numbers of projects, big numbers, etc.  At our Conference this year I had the chance to ask some questions of a man from Africa who had first hand experience with the impact of our projects on his community.  I was amazed at how simple his answers were.
 
Without a community well, how many miles do people walk for water?  The answer initially was six miles...then it was noted that the trip is typically made four times a day by the mother of the house or children old enough to carry water safely.  I did some math (as is my nature) and that's 24 miles per day.  I then asked how many families are served by a well in a typical community.  The answer was about a thousand.  Twenty four thousand miles per day, or nearly 9 million miles per year.  District 520 has nearly 400 wells to it's credit....3.5 BILLION miles per year.
 
 
 
I then asked, "After a community has water, what is done next?"  The answer was logical...toilets and their education to proper use.  I ask what the IMPACT of toilets were in the form of disease...."How many people are sick when there is not a proper toilet or similar sanitation system?"  The answer was about 50%.  Fifty percent was "on average" since during cholera season it peaks at about an 80% sickness rate.  It left me wondering who would have been left to fetch water but I followed up...."When a community has sanitation, what is the sickness rate then?"  The answer was 15%.  A huge impact.
 
The next question came from a curiosity of how a village might have more time than ever and while healthier than ever...What kind of education projects have an impact?  The answer in short was about whiteboards and laptops with Internet connection.  The impact was six more years of schooling on average with class sizes reduced from over 50 to under 30.
 
The average cost of 9 Million miles per year?  About $6,000.  We certainly have gotten good at these...and they last for quite a while.  That's less than $0.00067 US dollars per mile first year only cost.  As we've enjoyed Foundation Month and conclude or year end giving season, ask yourself: "Where else can my dollars have this kind of impact?"
 
Spread the word and thank you in advance,
Treacy Duerfeldt