Clean water project transforms life in Africa
By Andrew Fruch, Special to the Beaver
News
Aug 11, 2007
The difference made in the lives of South African residents a year ago by Oakville Rotarians is still being felt
today.
One year ago, a project started by local Rotarians to bring clean water to Tzaneen, South Africa, was
completed.
Recently, members of the club had the chance to reflect and look back on the project, which is part of the
Water for Humanity campaign.
Gwenn van Schalkwy, former president of the Rotary Club of Tzaneen, made a presentation detailing the
project at various stages and on its current status at a breakfast meeting at the Quality Inn on Bronte Road.
"Rotary Clubs from around the world came together and helped with making this a reality," van Schalkwy told
those who had gathered for her presentation.
"The initiative stimulated the municipality to take it a step further," said van Schalkwy, referring to plans to
reroute some of the pipeline to help service more villages with clean water.
The beginnings of the project started four years ago, in 2003 when the Oakville, Oakville Trafalgar, Oakville
West and Oakville North Rotary Clubs decided to have a joint project for their hundredth anniversary.
The clubs decided to focus on a project to provide clean drinking water in an area in need overseas, and they
approached the Zenon Corporation, a leader in water purification technology to see if they would be willing to
help with the project.
After searching for a suitable location, The Oakville clubs partnered with the Rotary Club of Tzaneen in South
Africa and planned to install a new water purification plant that would serve the area with clean water.
Although approximately 10,000 people in the area required clean water, the original plant could only provide
enough water for a total of 600.
After careful planning and preparation, the water purification plant was shipped in late 2005. A group of four
Rotarians from Oakville traveled to Tzaneen in January of 2006 to help the plan along and get the plant online.
The project was a major collaboration between the Oakville clubs, the Rotary Club of Tzaneen, Zenon, the
local South African government and a multitude of people and business in the Tzaneen area who all worked
together to make clean water for thousands of people a reality.
"It's very beneficial," said Ralf Soeder, Chair of the Water for Humanity Committee and one of the four
Rotarians who traveled to Tzaneen. "It's essentially life changing especially for the women who collect water for
the household. With access to clean water, it allows them to go to school and spend more time with their family."
The total value of the project is estimated to be around $750,000, with a total of $125,000 thousand included
matched funding raised by the Rotary clubs.
"It has really been a joint effort among all the clubs," said Soeder.
With the success of their first project in the Water for Humanity campaign. The clubs and their partners are
now looking to continue the work and they have gained the support of the Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA).
At the breakfast, the presidents of the four Rotary clubs signed a three-year agreement with the Canadian
Rotary Collaboration for International Development, who are representing CIDA, which will see any funds
raised by the Rotary clubs matched by the CIDA up to $200,000 for their next project.
The new project will see the Rotarians traveling to Ghana, where they will be rehabilitating an existing sand
filter in Damongo, West Gonja.
So far they have a total of $97,000 for their new project.
As the Rotarians gear up for their next initiative, thousands of people, half a world away are still grateful for
their many good deeds.
By Andrew Fruch, Special to the Beaver
News
Aug 11, 2007
The difference made in the lives of South African residents a year ago by Oakville Rotarians is still being felt
today.
One year ago, a project started by local Rotarians to bring clean water to Tzaneen, South Africa, was
completed.
Recently, members of the club had the chance to reflect and look back on the project, which is part of the
Water for Humanity campaign.
Gwenn van Schalkwy, former president of the Rotary Club of Tzaneen, made a presentation detailing the
project at various stages and on its current status at a breakfast meeting at the Quality Inn on Bronte Road.
"Rotary Clubs from around the world came together and helped with making this a reality," van Schalkwy told
those who had gathered for her presentation.
"The initiative stimulated the municipality to take it a step further," said van Schalkwy, referring to plans to
reroute some of the pipeline to help service more villages with clean water.
The beginnings of the project started four years ago, in 2003 when the Oakville, Oakville Trafalgar, Oakville
West and Oakville North Rotary Clubs decided to have a joint project for their hundredth anniversary.
The clubs decided to focus on a project to provide clean drinking water in an area in need overseas, and they
approached the Zenon Corporation, a leader in water purification technology to see if they would be willing to
help with the project.
After searching for a suitable location, The Oakville clubs partnered with the Rotary Club of Tzaneen in South
Africa and planned to install a new water purification plant that would serve the area with clean water.
Although approximately 10,000 people in the area required clean water, the original plant could only provide
enough water for a total of 600.
After careful planning and preparation, the water purification plant was shipped in late 2005. A group of four
Rotarians from Oakville traveled to Tzaneen in January of 2006 to help the plan along and get the plant online.
The project was a major collaboration between the Oakville clubs, the Rotary Club of Tzaneen, Zenon, the
local South African government and a multitude of people and business in the Tzaneen area who all worked
together to make clean water for thousands of people a reality.
"It's very beneficial," said Ralf Soeder, Chair of the Water for Humanity Committee and one of the four
Rotarians who traveled to Tzaneen. "It's essentially life changing especially for the women who collect water for
the household. With access to clean water, it allows them to go to school and spend more time with their family."
The total value of the project is estimated to be around $750,000, with a total of $125,000 thousand included
matched funding raised by the Rotary clubs.
"It has really been a joint effort among all the clubs," said Soeder.
With the success of their first project in the Water for Humanity campaign. The clubs and their partners are
now looking to continue the work and they have gained the support of the Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA).
At the breakfast, the presidents of the four Rotary clubs signed a three-year agreement with the Canadian
Rotary Collaboration for International Development, who are representing CIDA, which will see any funds
raised by the Rotary clubs matched by the CIDA up to $200,000 for their next project.
The new project will see the Rotarians traveling to Ghana, where they will be rehabilitating an existing sand
filter in Damongo, West Gonja.
So far they have a total of $97,000 for their new project.
As the Rotarians gear up for their next initiative, thousands of people, half a world away are still grateful for
their many good deeds.
Riziero Vertolli, Beaver photographer
ROTARY CLEANS UP Gwenn van Schalkwy, pictured, and Nik van
Schalkwy from Tzaneen, South Africa visited a recent local Rotary
Club meeting to share a bit of the success of a Water For
Humanity project in Tzaneen.
ROTARY CLEANS UP Gwenn van Schalkwy, pictured, and Nik van
Schalkwy from Tzaneen, South Africa visited a recent local Rotary
Club meeting to share a bit of the success of a Water For
Humanity project in Tzaneen.