One of the goals of Rotary International is to provide clean drinking water to those without it. Clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education are basic necessities for a healthy environment and a productive life. Through WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) projects, Rotary Clubs throughout the world seek to assist those living without these basics. When people have access to clean water and sanitation, waterborne diseases decrease, children stay healthier and attend school more regularly, and mothers can spend less time carrying water and more time helping their families.
The Bath Rotary Club has made addressing this issue a priority. After seeing how well-intentioned water and sanitation projects can be ineffective without careful planning, they decided to introduce a comprehensive program to villagers in Cambodia. Richard Cromwell, a member of the Bath Rotary Club, led the project. He explains:
“Since 2010, I have ridden my bike across most of the countries in Southeast Asia. A roadside encounter with a young orphan boy ignited my desire to help people in this part of the world. I have now made eight trips to Cambodia. Friends and neighbors have contributed to my efforts to improve the lives of Cambodian kids, and in 2013, the Bath Rotary Club and Rotary District 7780 funded the water and sanitation work at the Bridges Orphanage there.
The following year, the Rotary District and the Bath Rotary Club sponsored my trip to five remote Cambodian villages to study the water and sanitation disaster, which has trapped the villagers in a cycle of poverty.
During our initial visit, we found 105 uninstalled latrine kits. The cement rings, cover plates and porcelain squat toilets were strewn about the villagers’ yards with not even one having installed. The villagers had paid the equivalent of a month’s earnings for the latrine components and had received a community hygiene class which included installation instructions months before, however, the vast majority of the villagers were still “answering the call of nature” in the open. Instances of diarrhea, urinary tract infections and gastrointestinal illnesses that cripple the villagers financially still prevailed. Children were not able to attend school while ill, and adults missed out on the little work to be had when they were sick. Medical attention was difficult to receive with no local medical facilities. At this point, it was clear that the solution to these issues had not yet been provided.
Our club executed a holistic approach that addressed all of the contributing issues: we drilled and/or dug wells in each village, we supplied latrine materials to curtail open defecation (a huge source of contamination), we promoted self-help installation from the villagers, we installed water filters in a least 70% of the households, and most importantly, we educated the villagers through intense health and hygiene training. We also knew that follow up was critical in order to be successful, so all households, latrines, wells, other water sources, and water filters, were registered to facilitate a contracted follow-up program. Each year roughly 30% of the facilities are randomly selected and inspected with the proper follow up steps taken to ensure success. This program has resulted in successfully addressing the problem for these five villages, and the medical and financial health of the villagers has improved greatly.”
Interested in learning more about the work of the Bath Rotary Club? Join them at noon the first three Tuesdays of the month at J.R.Maxwell & Co., 122 Front Street in Bath, or visit their website at bathrotary.org.
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