Well Designed Water Project in Kenya Requires Pledges The Yombra Village Water Project Is Tailored for Modern Times • Experienced Rotary Clubs working together • 3,000 engaged village residents • Water: free of sediments, viruses, bacteria and harmful minerals • Distribution via pipes to kiosks • Payment via mobile phones • Budget: $125,000 (all funds in $US) • Contributions needed: $17,000 plus equivalent DDF • Implementation: November 2020

Characteristics of a Successful Project Most important in an international project using a Global Grant from The Rotary Foundation is an experienced host in the receiving country and a determined international partner. Gentle, but continual, communication is vital. Rotary Club Sarnia Bluewaterland is therefore fortunate to be working with the Rotary Club Kisumu Central in Kenya on this $125,000 borehole water project that will require cash in 2020. The project has three qualities that foretell a successful outcome. The International Host is an experienced Rotary Club. Kisumu Central completed another modern water project in 2018 that is almost identical to the Yombra project. Christopher Omira, a Canadian from Kenya, advises on cultural issues and is familiar with the region. Communication with Kisumu Central Rotarians is excellent; from the onset the two clubs have talked or emailed each other every two weeks. In April of 2019 a group of four Canadians visited the club in Kenya for ten days and witnessed Kenyan business culture. That visit resulted in a solid relationship. The Canadian Rotarians are grateful to be able to work with the Kisumu Central Rotarians, a tested, enthusiastic group who are mostly under the age of 45. This water project most strongly falls under Rotary’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Area of Focus. The project contributes to two additional Areas of Focus: Disease Prevention and Treatment, and Community Economic Development.                         Benefits to the Community The project will provide sustainable safe drinking water to the village, neighbourhood primary school, health centre and preschool. Three thousand people will receive clean water supplied by a bore well and delivered by pipeline to kiosks. The water will be pumped using energy from solar cells. A reverse osmosis and filtration system will remove solids, bacteria, and harmful minerals. People will pay small amounts for their water using a cashless system operated on their mobile phones. A Safe Water Committee will manage the system and educate the community using the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) curriculum. Rotarians of Kisumu Central completed Community Assessments with the villagers during four meetings in 2019 and 2020. The Community has offered to dig trenches, secure materials, and supply hot food to all workers of the project during construction. Rotarians of Sarnia Bluewaterland are confident that this water project will improve the health of the community. It will enable more children to go to school, decrease time wasted by adults transporting water, reduce abuse of women travelling alone, and encourage economic development. The water will attract business to the region and increase each Kenyan’s share of their gross domestic product that now is 6-7 % of Canadians and Americans.                                                                           Funding The Yombra Village Water Project will give residents a step upward, enabling them to exercise their abilities and to harvest the results of their labours. Funding Rotary Clubs Sarnia Bluewaterland, Kisumu Central and ten clubs in District 6330 have committed 37,000 US$ to this project. An additional $17,000 cash with matching DDF is needed to fund a budget of $125,000. Learn more about this project through this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R66hwlfLvA