India: Rainwater Harvesting System for a School
Sponsoring a School in India: More than 16,000 Euros from Rotary Munich International since 20033,000 Euros in 2008/2009 for clean drinking water in India The rural district of Jhabua is situated in an arid deforested area, which is particularly affected by receding ground water levels. As a result the fluoride levels are increasing, which leads to fluorosis, a condition affecting teeth and bones, specifically of children.
In order for the students to have clean drinking water, two wells have already been dug in the school compound and a pump will be installed with a generator to ensure continuous water supply. All children will benefit from RCMI generosity to support 2 bore-wells and a generator.
Photos: Hans-Jürgen Tögel next to one bore well (left). Girl with fluorisis (right) |
API - Aktionsgemeinschaft Partner IndiensSince 1992 Hans-Jürgen Tögel and his son Fabian Tögel engaged themselves in India by running the association "Aktionsgemeinschaft Partner Indiens". The project is located in one of the poorest regions in Central India, inhabited by the Bhil-tribe. More than 1.5 million people live in this area with extreme poor infrastructure and lack of academic institutions, in India's district with the lowest literacy. It became a basic task for Hans-Jürgen Tögel to establish a school: the Chetna School in Gadwada, teaching in Bhili and Hindi. What began simply in the educational sector soon grew to become a charitable institution with a wide range of activities: English Medium School, Health care with a small hospital and medical staff and care for pupils as well as the surrounding population in this epidemic area for malaria, dengue fever and lots of other infectious disease outbreaks. Fabian Tögel, after having finished his medical studies in Munich and Harvard-University, now works in India, Delhi, for the Clinton Foundation in the field of health care and HIV prevention and visits the project every two weeks.
The two main projects: English Medium School and Health Care In 2004 the BHILS was founded by API. In 2006, BHILS opened the Bhil School, a residential English Medium School for poor tribal children. English language has become essential for being able to work in any services industries. In addition, nursing, medicine, engineering and agriculture are all taught in English in India.
Currently, 185 students (1/3 are girls) go to the school. They all live in the school's hostel, either their villages are too far away or the parents are migrating, With teachers and hostel-in-charges looking after them 24 hours the school has become more or less their home. Apart from studying, the children also play sports and learn handicrafts. Since all the children are from poor families, there are no school or hostel fees, and they receive free school uniforms, books, soap, tooth paste and washing powder. A nurse works fulltime for the students' health and all medical cases are referred to hospitals. At the moment a new school campus with hostel and dispensary is under construction outside Jhabua to accommodate 250 girls and 250 boys, which will be studying from Kindergarten to twelfth class. The school campus will be equipped with a solar kitchen as well as a rainwater-harvesting-system. Photos: Solar Cooker (left) and girls learning certain handicrafts |
Rotary Munich International sponsored the following projects in India:2007/2008: 3,000 Euros to the rainwater-harvesting-system in India
Rotary Club Munich International is supporting API in the Rotarian Year 2007/08 with a donation of 3,000 Euro. In this way, the water supply for the whole new English Medium School will be assured and children and employees are provided with clean and safe water. A large water tank on the Southern side of main school building with a capacity for 100,000 l. This tank will be connected with pipes to the roof of the main buildings, from where the rain water during the rainy season will be stored in the rain water harvesting tank and will store water for bathing, washing clothes and the toilets. At the same time, students and their parents will be educated about the use of rainwater harvesting. The whole rainwater system will be constructed entirely by the students and staff and the maintenance of the tank will also be done by them after having a special training for this in Rajasthan. Additionally a recently employed new local manager and architect will supervise all new improvements. Young German volunteers staying in Jhabua also constantly control all construction work and report us back.
Photo: Site for rainwater tank |
2005/2006: RCMI has supported API in the Rotarian Year 2005/2006 with a donation of 3,000 EUR for 80 new school tables cum benches for the 148 school children. So far they all had to sit on the cold stone floor which could cause health problems in winters. Photos: Before (left) and after the school got tables, donated by Rotary Munich International |
| 2004/2005: RCMI donated 4,500EUR for solar cookers which were installed in the Indian school project in 2004/2005. These parabolic dishes called Scheffler cookers provide enough renewable energy to prepare the midday and evening meal including porridge, rice, vegetables and chapatis. |
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2003/2004: The children benefited from the RCMI's generosity when it donated 3,000 EUR for a yellow 32-seater-school bus, which picks them up every morning and thus permits them to remain in the school as their daily walks are too long. The bus also serves the hostel by transporting the tons of rice and wheat which are consumed every month (see photo above).
If you want to help, please contact Dagmar von Tschurtschenthaler at Rotary Munich International.
Information about Aktionsgemeinschaft Partner Indiens |
The wells will be connected with 2,000 feet of water pipes, which bring the water to a tank on the roof of the two hostel buildings and the main school building. This water will be for drinking purpose only and will be periodically tested for fluroide content.
