Lakeview Rotary Helps Improve Water and Sanitation in Togo
Posted by Mark Jak
on Mar 03, 2011
The
Rotary Club of Chicago Lakeview has paired with 2 other local clubs
(Oak Forest and Oak Park River Forest) to complete an international
project with the village of
Glei in Togo. Rotarian Jane McDonald (of Rotary One Chicago) has been a
Peace Corps Volunteer stationed there for almost two years, and is
acting as the on the ground coordinator for the project. The village
members in Togo are working to move their waste-site
further outside of the village limits in order to improve water and
sanitation conditions. Historically, they have been doing this by hand
without efficient or safe equipment. Funds raised by the clubs here in
the Chicago area will go to purchase gloves, work
boots, wheel barrows, rakes, shovels and uniforms. As of today, each
club has donated $500 toward the cause.
Oak
Forest Rotarian and International Director Michele Thornton will be
visiting the village in Togo to meet with Jane McDonald and observe the
completion of the project
as well as join in the local celebration of Easter. She will be touring
the area and attending the local Rotary meetings between April 16th and
30th. Michele hopes to develop a long term partnership with the village
and identify future opportunities where small
clubs like ours, can make a big impact overseas. Between now and April,
we hope to raise further awareness about Togo, and hopefully gather
additional items to bring along on the trip. Jane has reccommended
things that are easy to transport, such as art supplies,
hard candy, USA flags/stickers for the children in the village. Read More About Togo On Wikipedia