MG No. 73640 – Angthong. Clean drinking water systems in 11 provincial schools.

Project

We installed reverse-osmosis water filtration systems in 11 schools in rural Angthong province here in Thailand so that poor students, teachers and surrounding communities can have access to clean drinking water daily. Angthong province is about 100 kilometers north of Bangkok.

Need

Contaminated water is a major cause of illnesses for poor rural children, men and women.  By installing these 11 clean drinking water systems we help to improve the lives of up to 5,500 people in many ways.  Typically, attendance at school improves dramatically when children have access to clean water, as do grades. Healthier children make for better learning.

Cost

The total cost of this Matching Grant project was US$28,334

Contributors

This Matching Grant was entered into by the Rotary Club of Suzuka Bay, who coordinated the project internationally, and the Rotary Club of Bangkok South, who coordinated the project locally.

The contributions were as follows:

– Rotary Club of Angthong  (Thailand)                                             US$       50o
– Rotary Club of Bangkok South  (Thailand)                                   US$    2,750
– District Designated Funds from District 3350 (Thailand)         US$    2,247
– Rotary Club of Suzuka Bay  (Japan)                                               US$    2,000
– District Designated Funds from District 2630 (Japan)             US$     2,000
– District Designated Funds from District 2500 (Japan)             US$     6,000
– Matching Grant from The Rotary Foundation                             US$    12,837 US$28,334

Comments

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

Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Bangkok South and Angthong 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, and monitored 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 international partner club was done by Past President (PP) Hiroo Miyazaki who, in turn, took charge of the publicity for the project, both within his own club and at the district level. PP Hiroo 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 by the recipient schools.  PP Hiroo kept his club fully in the loop with personal updates at club functions as well as pictures and stories from the inauguration ceremony.