For the last two years it was COVID. And here we are: the first serious armed conflict in Europe in well over 50 years [yes, Henrietta, Ukraine is indeed in Europe, and so was Czechoslovakia 😐] and – puff – all other concerns are swept from the front pages. What chances then that a bland, mundane theme such as Water and Sanitation would even come to our conscious mind? OK, exception: over the past two weeks, we’ve had quite a bit too much of the stuff falling out of the sky…
In our (relatively) civilized society we take water and sanitation for granted. Isn’t that what we pay Water Rates for? Yet, visualise for a moment: you have no (running) water. (Paradoxically, some regions in District 9640 are in that very position right now; let’s hope it is only temporary).
You can’t? Well then, walk out to the street and turn the mains water tap off and see how long you last before you crack. You will also discover that without water, there isn’t any sanitation either. Now, suddenly your problem is bigger than whatever leads the TV news.
Well, that is exactly what, in the third decade of the third millennium, an awfully large proportion of our planet’s population faces every day. And it’s not just “over in Africa” (forgive me if that sounds callous). As an individual, in concert with your Rotary club, you very much can make a difference. For example, about 2015, a team from Stanthorpe Rotary Club delivered and installed a massive system to provide secure water to Naiyala High School in Fiji. It didn’t make the evening news on TV, but then, that’s not what Rotary is all about. As Rotarians, we are proudly part of an organisation which boasts the most esteemed of charities, The Rotary Foundation and, on the local scene, the Rotary World Community Service (RAWCS). Click on this link, then apply a filter of ‘Water’ and you’ll find a list of 55 water related RAWCS programs currently running.
About 100 years ago, Austrian philosopher Karl Kraus wrote about war: “first, one hopes to win; then one expects the enemy to lose; then, one is satisfied that he too is suffering. In the end, one is surprised that everyone has lost.” As individuals, we can’t do much to change the course of a major conflict. But that doesn’t stop us from winning some battles which bring joy rather than misery. In contrast to an armed conflict, this is a battle that we can win.