Pure Water for the World Recognizes Sen. Leahy

from letters in The Rutland (VT) Herald

March 27, 2008

Over 1.1 billion people don't have safe drinking water, and more than 2.6 billion don't have access to basic sanitation. This leads to one child dying every 15 seconds from preventable water-related diseases associated with unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation. This is the sad story behind the statistics. The good news is that something can be done. Unlike many other global challenges the solutions to the safe drinking water and sanitation crisis exist now. With more financial support, public awareness, and political will, millions of lives can be saved.

Last year, Sens. Patrick J. Leahy and Bernard Sanders and Congressman Peter Welch and other members of Congress took important steps towards improving the plight of those not fortunate enough to have the basic necessities of water and sanitation when they worked to provide $300 million in federal funding to implement the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act, an act which made global safe drinking water and sanitation challenge a priority of U.S. foreign policy.

The work of Sen. Leahy, who chairs the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, resulted in a significant increase in funding for safe, affordable and sustainable supplies of drinking water and sanitation in the poorest regions of the developing world.

Due to this critical work, Senator Leahy and other lawmakers were recognized with a 2008 Water Advocate award for their outstanding contributions to address the safe drinking water and sanitation crisis in the developing world. As a leader of a U.S. nonprofit water organization, I am delighted that Sen. Leahy has recognized drinking water and sanitation as one of the world's most serious public health issues and has shown such leadership in directing funding for this issue. It is very encouraging to see the kind of leadership that Sen. Leahy has demonstrated to tackle this difficult global problem, and I hope that his example will be followed by other lawmakers. This funding will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of the world's poorest citizens.

Every American can do something to save a child who suffers needlessly from diseases related to water and sanitation. We have seen the benefits that result when communities and schools get access to safe drinking water and sanitation. More children go to school — instead of helping their mothers to haul water — and women are free to spend more time on activities that enrich themselves and the lives of their families. Water and sanitation services are at the center of improvements in health, education, and commerce. No school, no community should be without water and sanitation.

World Water Day, March 22, has just past, and it is worth thanking Vermont's congressional delegation for their leadership and support, and think how we ourselves can be a part of the solution, too.

CAROLYN CROWLEY MEUB

(Executive director, Pure Water for the World Inc.)

Rutland

The Power of Partnerships

PWW Signs agreement with leading health organization in Haiti
Petion-ville, Haiti

December 15, 2007

Pure Water for the World has formed a partnership with Management Sciences of Health to provide clean, safe drinking water and hygiene education to school children throughout Haiti.  This partnership recognizes that in order to have good health, one must have clean drinking water and hygiene education.  

One of the goals of the agreement is to forge an effective partnership with private-sector entities that can achieve MSH’s strategic objectives to (a) increase access to quality basic social services for the Haitian people and (b) to improve the quality of lives of vulnerable populations in Haiti. 

Pure Water for the World will provide 450 schools and 50 health clinics around Haiti with clean water.  Pure Water will work in areas defined by MSH as “hot spots.” 

Massachusetts-based Management Sciences for Health (MSH) is very effective community health network funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented and developed a results-based model linking together many local and international nongovernmental organizations — which in recent years has partnered with the Haitian Government health system — into a consortium that operates under common, high standards and rewards innovation and good performance. This public-private partnership has resulted in dramatic improvements in health indicators in Haiti.

Since Haitian children in 80% of the schools attend mission and private schools, PWW is partnering with these mission organizations to gain access to the children.  Pure Water through these partnerships with local organization can implement sustainable projects in communities and in schools, and health clinics.

Rotary Clubs News

Glens Falls Rotary Wins Rotary International Award

The Glens Falls (NY) Rotary Club has once again received an award from Rotary International. This time the Rotary International Public Image Resource Group has recognized the Rotary Club of Glens Falls as a leader in improving the image of Rotary. It was one of only 15 Outstanding Achievement Awards presented worldwide by Rotary International. Rotary consists of 32,000 clubs in over 200 nations and areas worldwide.

 This all stems from the use of a three hour telethon last April to promote Rotary's "Humanity in Motion" campaign and the club's Water Walk fundraising efforts. The telethon aired on local station TV8 and was the brainchild of local personality
Charles Adams. The club used this unique media vehicle as part of its Water Walk fundraising effort which culminated in the highly sucessful Pure Water Walk on May 12th which raised thousands of dollars to seed pure water programs in third world countries.

The award was presented by Past District Covernor Anne Cargile at the September 20th meeting of the club.

Burnt Hills - Ballston Lake (NY) Rotarian Pedals for Pure Water

While attending a Rotary District Assembly meeting at Union College in Schenectady, New York, and viewing a video of the widespread illness and prolific loss of life due to water-borne diseases in Honduras and Haiti, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Rotarian Mark Gasparovic was deeply moved to get involved.

The Club and District had established pure water for the world as one of it's highest priorities. After learning of the widespread suffering of innocent people from bad water, Mark resolved to do something personal, however small, to help alleviate this terrible problem.

Choosing to build on his love for biking, Mark asked his fellow Rotary club members to pledge just "pennies per mile" for pure water.  Now 56th year of community and humanitarian service to  Saratoga County, New York, the Burnt hills - Ballston Lake Rotary Club quickly and willingly supported Mark's efforts.Mark who is a cartographer for the State of New York, set to work charting the course for his extensive bike route, formulated a mileage log, and purchased a new bike to take him the distance which was over six thousand miles.  Mark's epic fund raising ride raised two thousand dollars to provide Pure Water filters to alleviate the suffering of the Honduran and Nicaraguan people."Great oaks from tiny acorns grow" attests Mark, as the seemingly minuscule pledges (from less than 1/2 cent per mile to 5 cents per mile) added up to a  grand total of two thousand dollars. Through Rotary Club Partnerships and District and International Matching Humanitarian Grants, Mark is seeking to provide enough slow-sand pure water filters for an entire village for a lifetime.

Burlington, VT Rotary Donation

On Monday, August 27, at their weekly noontime meeting, members of the Burlington Rotary Club presented two $3,000.00 checks to Pure Water for the World projects in Haiti and Honduras. 

The goal of Pure Water for the World, Inc. is to prevent children from dying and suffering from contaminated water that causes pain and misery associated with intestinal parasites and illness.  Pure Water does this by providing sustainable clean, safe drinking water systems to families and communities in developing countries. In the past, the Burlington Rotary Club has donated to Pure Water's Honduras project and this year the club decided to continue funding the Honduras project and to also be the first to help fund Pure Water's newest effort, providing clean drinking water for the Western Hemisphere's poorest country, Haiti.

Also at the meeting, Dr. Patti Fisher, a Burlington family practice doctor will give a presentation entitled "Haiti - A Doctor's Perspective," along with introducing special guest Pastor Pierre Vaugelas.  Roughly 25 years ago, Pastor Pierre Vaugelas started ministering to several small villages near LaCroix, Haiti.  Out of nothing, he, with the help of several volunteer organizations, has built several schools, a health clinic, a birthing clinic, a dental clinic, housing, reforestation program and much more. During the past seven years, Dr. Fisher has traveled throughout Haiti and has worked with Vaugelas to bring medical services and medicines to LaCroix.  The Burlington Rotary Club's donation will aid Vaugelas in bringing clean drinking water to over 15, 000 people in Haiti.

The Burlington Rotary Club is the state's largest Rotary Club with approximately 85 members.  The club meets on Mondays at 12:00 at the Hilton hotel in Burlington.  Reggie Greene is club president.

Westfield High School Interact Club

Thanks to the hard work and commitment of the Westfield High School Interact Club, 20 families in Leon, Nicaragua, will be able to drink their water without fear of disease, even death. On May 30, the WHS Interact Club donated a check for $2042 to Pure Water for the World, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing sustainable safe drinking water to the world’s rural poor.  

As Director of Pure Water for the World, Byron Miller gratefully accepted the donation and acknowledged that it is the largest contribution from any Interact club, which is a teen community service club associated with Rotary. Mr. Miller met these students at the beginning of the year when he was invited to talk to them about Pure Water for the World. When he mentioned that 6,000 children around the world die each day from the lack of safe water, they knew they wanted to help. These remarkable teens held bake sales, sold sweat suits, hosted a pancake breakfast, and sold refreshments at various events to raise money.

At the check presentation ceremony, President Nathaniel Roquette, Vice President Kristen Koepler and the rest of the Interact members thanked all those who supported their fund-raising efforts. Miller praised these students: “Jonas Salk said that ‘Hope lives in dreams, in imagination, in the courage of those who make dreams a reality.’ You are dream makers. You are providing the means necessary for twenty families, more than 120 people, to break the cycle of poverty in which have been mired for generations.”

Rotary District Governor Dr. Michael Hart awarded the club the prestigious District Governor’s Citation for exemplifying the Rotary motto of putting service above self.

This donation supports Rotary’s global initiative to help provide sustainable sources of safe drinking water for the 1.1 billion people—roughly one-sixth of the world’s population–who live without this basic human necessity. More can be learned at www.purewaterfortheworld.org.

The Westfield High School Interact club presents a check for the record-setting amount of $2042 to Pure Water for the World. This donation will ensure safe drinking water for 20 families near Leon, Nicaragua.

(Left to right) Pure Water for the World Director Byron Miller; Interact Liaison James Moriority; WHS Principal Dennis Fyffe; Interact Vice President Kristen Koepfler; Interact Members Stephen Koepfler, Elizabeth Shannon, Liane Sullivan, Arielle Wegbreit, and Kelli Sullivan; Interact President Nathaniel Roquette; Superintendent of Schools Dr. William Foley; and Rotary District Governor Dr. Michael Hart