Water. In our community we may take for granted the many uses for and the easy availability of water. It’s hard to imagine a member of your family or community being responsible for hours dedicated to gathering water for you and yours. With water at the touch of our fingertips, and surrounding our towns in Southern Georgian Bay, we truly cannot imagine what it would be like without easy access.
But most folks know, this is not the case everywhere.
The Meaford Rotary Club works diligently to ensure access to clean water for communities on the other side of the world.
In 2014, the 2022-2023 President of Rotary Club of Meaford David Glass, together with his wife, Sonja, former club president, were introduced to Ukerewe Island in Lake Victoria, Tanzania. Ukerewe Island is roughly one-quarter the size of Manitoulin Island but is home to more than 400,000 people. For comparison, Manitoulin Island’s population is roughly 15,000. Most villages are sustained by small farms, fishing, and independent small businesses. The population is generally very poor. David and Sonja travelled to Ukerewe as part of a volunteer medical group that provided free medical care to the island inhabitants. During these trips they came to understand how profoundly the lack of access to clean water affects the daily lives of the island residents.
On Ukerewe, women and young girls are responsible for the gathering of water from hand-dug water holes or the parasite-riddled lakeside water. Many of the girls and women must walk for hours, in isolated areas, where there have been many incidents of sexual assaults. Whether because of the assigned water gathering or the resulting effects of assault, the women and girls most certainly miss out on school or other ways to elevate their lives. This suffering is endured so water can be shared with their families. The contaminated water, unfortunately, presents a health risk to all who must use it.
In 2016, the Glasses brought the story and plight of the island residents to the Meaford Rotary Club and made an appeal for funds to support the building of hand-pumped water wells. The Meaford Rotary Club has since constructed a total of seven hand-pumped water wells on Ukerewe Island over the past four years. Materials used for the construction of the wells are locally sourced. Each village that receives a new well must establish a Well Committee made up of local village representatives. These committees oversee the care and maintenance of the well. The ‘Well Committees’ are also responsible for opening a bank account to receive payments from the well users. These funds are put towards the sustainability and maintenance requirements of each well. Each well serves approximately 750 people.
To date Meaford Rotary Club has provided over $25,000 in funding to construct the seven new wells. These funds are raised from a variety of sources including other Rotary Clubs, Meaford Club members, and the residents of Meaford who have expressed an interest in this type of charitable work.
The Meaford Rotary Club has also provided support to the solitary hospital on the island which provides care for the entire island’s population. This hospital has a very active obstetrical department which delivers an average of one baby per hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Meaford Rotary Club’s assistance with the purchase of an infant incubator and an ultrasound machine were both welcome additions to the sparsely equipped labour and delivery department. This equipment has resulted in a marked reduction in both mother and infant mortality experienced in the obstetrical department.
If you would like to become involved or contribute to these types of projects, the Rotary Club would welcome your support. Tax receipts can be provided for financial contributions. Please contact Dave Glass, Meaford Rotary President, at sglass1217@rogers.com for more information.
Locally, the Meaford Rotary Club is providing financial assistance to the following groups:
the Meaford Coyote Track Club, the Meaford Dragons, the Meaford Library “Hot Spots”, the Meaford Scarecrow Invasion, and the Meaford Hospital Foundation Mental Health Initiative.
It only takes a few hours per month to be a Rotary member, and it’s an adventure that can help change lives. Please consider becoming a Meaford Rotary Club member.
