Havant Rotary Club 1

The Rotary Club of Havant working with the Rotary Club of Jinja, Uganda

I belong to the Rotary Club of Havant, Hampshire, which is a dynamic club, involved in many projects both at home and abroad.

When I was last in Uganda working on my personal projects, I took about a week out to go with members of both of the Rotary Clubs that are based in Jinja, the second largest town in Uganda, to learn about the work they're doing and find out about their future plans to redress the needs of local communities. When I returned, our Club's International Committee, of which I am a member, reviewed this information and with the agreement of the whole Club, it was decided to support and fund three of these projects. Two projects are with the Rotary Club of Jinja and one with the Rotary Club of Source of the Nile, Jinja.

Below are brief details of the first of these projects to come to fruition. As you can see, the community is now enjoying the basic human right of clean water for the first time in their lives.

The Protected Spring at Naziri village, Budondo, near Jinja, Uganda
funded by the Rotary Club of Havant, UK with all the planning and work undertaken by the Rotary Club of Jinja, Uganda.

Collecting water from the natural spring at Naziri village

which was still running despite the recent drought.

        After the first day, the male and female villagers mostly
        alternated their days of helping to minimise the impact
        on their normal daily tasks. Here you can see some of
        the women mixing and carrying the cement.

The local village chairman (in white shirt) working on site

The first children collecting clean water. Their tummies
aren't big from over eating. They have malnutrition and
worms, but at least they now have clean water which will
improve their health and reduce the risk of dysentery.

   At the Official Opening Ceremony, the local MP makes
       speeches of thanks to the Rotary Clubs of Havant, UK and
   Jinja, Uganda for their cooperation in providing this source of
   clean drinking water for the people of Naziri Village, Budondo.

A female member of the Rotary Club of Jinja has a drink
using a banana leaf as a cup.

Villagers and Rotarians inspect the new plaque, although
some may not be able to read it.

More media interviews ..........

More than 90 villagers left their daily subsistence farming
to help with the first day's work to start protecting the spring

      Engineer, Mr Dan Bam, working on the retaining wall. His
    apprentice looks on. Soon he will be able to do the work
    unsupervised. In the background, a village boy can be
        seen collecting water for his family.

Close up of the village boy collecting water

       These village elders are thanking Rotarian Joseph. The
       local village Chairman is with them. These old men have
       had to wait all their lives for the basic human right of clean
   water. Now at last they have it.

       The MP crouches to take a drink from the spring. Villagers
   couldn't wait for this Official Opening Ceremony. Clean water
       is too important. So, they have actually been using the water
   since the spring was finished some weeks ago.

     This plaque was cemented into place in the retaining wall of
       the spring. It celebrates the cooperation of the two Rotary
       Clubs. working together to help poor Ugandan villagers.

Media filming the event and the local dignitaries. but the
people can't wait to continue collecting their water.

Meanwhile, children queue up to fulfil their twice daily
duties of collecting water for their families

This protected spring has a very good flow, despite the recent drought. It takes between 70 and 90 seconds to fill a 20 litre jerry can. All they have to do then, is carry it all the way home. A 20 litre jerry can weighs 20kgs - the same as your airline luggage.

The spring will provide clean drinking water for the dispersed village community of Naziri which has a population of more than 1,500 people who live by subsistence farming.

To contact the Rotary Club of Havant please see their website: www.havantrotaryclub.org.uk

To contact the Rotary Club of Jinja please email William Okello (International Projects) at:
logistics@picfare.com or willingokello@gmail.com

Many thanks go to International Projects Chairman and Past President: William Okello,
Past President: John Kirkwood, and everyone else in the Rotary Club of Jinja who have all worked so hard to

Make this Dream Real.

The name chosen by the villagers for their protected spring is Kyomusangavu meaning 'Someone is Happy'

Welcome to Ann Chawner's website!

A person does what they can until their destiny is revealed