Carpinteria’s Morning Rotary Club is starting work on a second drinking water project in the southern African country of Malawi.
The effort will begin in June to provide safe drinking water to eight remote villages in the center of the country. Malawi is considered one of the poorest countries in the world, with an average daily income of $1 per person.
The previous morning Rotary effort provided clean drinking water to AIDS patients in Malawi through rainwater collection and water sand filters. Funding for both projects comes from the Morning Rotary Club, other local Rotary clubs and the Rotary Foundation, which helps fund 700 drinking water projects throughout the world each year.
Carpinteria Rotarian Larry Siegel will spend much of June at work in Malawi. Siegel said the earlier drinking water work has helped identify effective solutions.
“With the experience we have gained over the past two years,” Siegel said, “we believe we can provide clean drinking water to a remote Malawi village at a cost of $20 per family.”
Each village that participates in the Rotary project must pledge labor, materials and some funding to help with the cost of the program.
— Kevin Baird represents the Carpinteria Morning Rotary Club.