The Timor Leste Rotary Consortium team of Vijay Susarla and John Walmsley has returned from Timor-Leste, from a scoping trip for the next stage of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Project. As part of the trip for the next stage of the WASH Project, they undertook due diligence and assessment of potential sites for toilet blocks and water tanks in several villages, as the project expands into the Kelikai, Baucau and Viqueque Districts. Since 2017, the consortium's WASH project has been delivered with the support of fourteen clubs from four Rotary Districts with funding from District Grants and Global Grants from the Rotary Foundation.John a
nd Vijay attended a total of 20 community meetings in a number of remote villages and schools in Baguia, Kelika and Lospalos regions in the north east of Timor Leste. They also met with each Chief of Village (Xefe Suku in Tetum), Director and Superintendent of Bacau Municipality Education, Timor Verde (an NGO supported by the United Nations Development Programme), community leaders, teachers and villagers. The Municipality of Education – Bacau and Timor Verde signed a MoU with the Timor Rotary Consortium extending their support for the efforts in the implementation of our upcoming Global Grant WASH project.
nd Vijay attended a total of 20 community meetings in a number of remote villages and schools in Baguia, Kelika and Lospalos regions in the north east of Timor Leste. They also met with each Chief of Village (Xefe Suku in Tetum), Director and Superintendent of Bacau Municipality Education, Timor Verde (an NGO supported by the United Nations Development Programme), community leaders, teachers and villagers. The Municipality of Education – Bacau and Timor Verde signed a MoU with the Timor Rotary Consortium extending their support for the efforts in the implementation of our upcoming Global Grant WASH project.During the team’s visit, and pending the Consortium’s positive assessment (and subsequently providing the required training, equipment and materials, and delivery), it was made clear that the community would volunteer its labour to construct a toilet block pit and water tank concrete stands. This ‘buy in’ ensures sustainability of the WASH Project, as communities are able to maintain their own infrastructure.
To date, the Consortium has installed 92 water tanks and constructed 12 toilet blocks in the remote villages and schools in Bacau, Baguia, Monatuto and Viqueque districts in Timor Leste. From the random inspections carried out during the visit, the facilities appeared to be maintained by the communities and schools.
The project is being delivered with the support of Rotary International District 9800 from the Rotary Foundation.
The project is seeking donations for the upcoming Global Grant project from individuals, organisations and Rotary clubs. For tax deductible donations, please click this link:
For further information, please email to susarla2008@gmail.com / jjwalmsley@hotmail.com