By Club President Neville Page
North Melbourne Rotary has been involved in many significant international projects for over fifty years, but none has been more effective than our current water filter program in Colombia. The distribution of just ten water filters to indigenous communities has transformed the lives of thousands of people.
The innovative project grew from a visit to Melbourne by Andrea Mayorga, a Rotaractor originally from Colombia. Andrea had developed close ties with North Melbourne Rotary and shared stories of her work supporting disadvantaged indigenous communities in her native hometown. Rotary North Melbourne saw the potential to help with her outstanding efforts.
When Andrea went home to visit family, she took with her ten water filters provided by the Club, distributing them among indigenous communities in the Guajira region. More than 2000 people have benefitted from just ten filters!
The filters are so simple to operate. Each connects into a plastic bucket and once a hole is cut and the filter connected, the bucket is filled with dirty water, and, hey presto, clean water (99.9% pure) comes out.
These simple filters have totally transformed the lives of entire local communities. Previously, the people had no access to clean water, other than what was available at an exorbitant cost. Before the filters, locals constantly suffered from water-borne diseases, including cholera, due to contaminated water.
North Melbourne Rotary is thrilled that the project has been such a resounding success. Andrea is planning to not only continue her work but to extend it in other areas in Colombia.
The water filters cost approximately AUS$50.00 each, which makes carrying out some very effective and highly impactful projects well within the budget of most clubs, as long as they can find suitable recipients for them.
If you would like to know more about providing water filters to indigenous communities, contact tedd@contourstravel.com.au or page@ghp.biz