During his presentation he repeatedly explained, “Clean water helps reduce diseases and changes daily lives in the villages.” He told the members and guests how excited the villagers get when they learn about receiving their fresh water, the planning involved, and the jubilee that breaks out when the drilling rig team strikes water.

Last year the club donated $7,500 to Villages in Partnership to drill a borehole in the village of Nkagula. Cydney described how the responsibility for every completed well is passed on to the villages. Each one, under the supervision of the tribal leaders, is operated by the local village's Water Council. They ensure participating households pay a small monthly tariff and care for the well. This well services 238 families, typically consisting of 5 or more members living in one-room mud brick homes with dirt floors, thatched roofs, and, of course, no electricity or running water. The village's women don't have to carry water from distant wells or polluted streams, freeing up time for the young girls to go to school and allowing mothers to care for their babies, tend to chores, or work on a farm as a day laborer.

Last year's well followed our clubs spearheading a Rotary Foundation Global Grant that began in 2020. Over the past few years, it has provided over 1,400 households access to clean potable water through boreholes drilled in five remote villages. You can see the locations on the map.


Cydney further explained that the Grant also provided handwashing stations for two market areas where not only hands are washed, but also fruits and vegetables can be cleansed from dirt and insects.

The Board of Directors recently completed this year's donation to VIP of $22,000 so that additional boreholes can be drilled. The wells are expected to be functional in May. Three villages with approximately 4,000 inhabitants will receive your gift of life-changing water. So, as we prepare for Rotary GroveFest, please keep in mind that your efforts are saving lives across the globe.