MG No. 73285 – Banmi, Lopburi. Clean drinking water systems in 15 provincial schools.

Project

We will install reverse-osmosis water filtration systems in 15 schools in rural Lopburi province here in Thailand so that poor students, teachers and surrounding communities can have access to clean drinking water daily. Lopburi province is about 150 kilometres north of Bangkok.

Need

Contaminated water is a major cause of illnesses for poor rural children, men and women. By installing these 15 clean drinking water systems we help to improve the lives of up to 7,500 people in many ways. Typically, attendance at school improves dramatically when children have access to clean water, as do grades after a while, as healthier children make for better learning.

Cost

The total cost of this Matching Grant project is US$ 38,640.

Contributors

This Matching Grant is entered into by the Rotary Club of Amsterdam Minerva, who coordinated the project internationally and the Rotary Club of Bangkok South, who coordinated the project locally. It is furthermore made possible by the generous co-operation of our friends in Australia, the Rotary Club of Surfer’s Paradise.

The contributions are as follows:

- Rotary Club of Bangkok South                                          US$    2,000
- Our District Designated Fund (DDF) (District 3350)   US$    1,000
- Rotary Club of Banmi, Lopburi (Thailand)                     US$    1,000
- Rotary Club of Amsterdam Minerva                                US$    6,000
- Overseas DDF (District 1580, The Netherlands)           US$    6,000
- Rotary Club of Surfer’s Paradise                                        US$    5,427
- Overseas DDF (District 9640, Australia)                         US$    1,500
- Matching Grant from The Rotary Foundation                US$  15,713 US$  38,640

Comments

This Matching Grant project was done in a very collaborative environment among Rotarians.

Rotarians from the Rotary Clubs of Bangkok South and Banmi made physical visits to the recipient schools to advise teachers and address comments and questions from teachers, students and families alike. They obtained water samples and sent them to Bangkok South for lab tests, coordinated with the teachers for publicity to students, families and nearby communities with regards to this clean water project, as well as monitoring the construction of the actual sheds.

RC Bangkok South Rotarians took care of the water lab test, ordered the equipment and coordinated the installation.

Due to the significant distance, most of the coordination with the Dutch international partner club was done by Rtn. Hans Mannheim who, in turn, took charge of the publicity for the project, both within his own club and at the District level. Rtn. Hans also made regular inquiries on the progress of this project and was personally present at the Inauguration, which was greatly appreciated by everybody there, not least the recipient schools. He kept his club fully in the loop with personal updates at club functions. President Alan Guignon played a similar role with his club, Surfer’s Paradise.

This Matching Grant was finalized in the 2011-12 Rotary year.