Kingwood Rotarians were proud to contribute to this Rotary Foundation Global Grant to empower girls by staying in school. When you work with Rotarians, you're working with family. When they tell you about their life-saving and/or life-changing project, you know you want to be involved.
That's the story of the Elukholweni Farm School "Project in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and our friend, Lawrence Barris with the Rotary Club of Memorial-Spring Branch in Houston. Born in South Africa, Lawrence and his wife, Sharlene, travel back each year and knows the needs first hand.
This school has 400-students, but only one, yes one, restroom. Students couldn't wash their hands. When a girl started menstruating, they can't attend school because there are no restrooms so she misses school for 7-10 days. Eventually, they'll leave school.
Eventually they'll marry, but if she can read, she'll make sure her children can read and that changes the family, community, a society, and a country!
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Rotary projects usually start because on Rotarian sees something that is needed, they tell fellow Rotarians, and they work together to develop a project to solve the problem. Rotarian's school friend, a cousin, plus Rotarians in Houston, Port Elizabeth South Africa, and Rotary International staff in Evanston, IL did just that for this project They find a solution to a problem thanks to a Rotary Foundation Global Grant: "Barris Ablution Block" Project" (toilet facilities).
The Elukholweni Farm School now has 14-restrooms with running water, handwashing, and flush toilets. While this is a water & sanitation project, it is also a literacy & education project.
As Kingwood Rotarians, Charlie and I were so proud to personally contribute to this Rotary Foundation Global Grant project that honored Len Barris, the late father of our friend, Lawrence Barris. Len was a Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Memorial-Spring Branch in Houston, and so is Lawrence. Len was a member of the Rotary Club of Algoa Bay Club for decades prior immigrating to Houston.
Since 2014, Rotary clubs have carried out more than 2,100 global grants related to water, sanitation and hygiene by using $154 million in Rotary Foundation funding, impacting people worldwide by improving access to safe water, addressing water and sanitation needs in schools, treating water at countless households, and so much more.
While nearly 2 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water and half the world’s population does not have access to toilets and sanitation, Rotarians know that when people have access to clean water and sanitation, waterborne diseases decrease, children stay healthier and attend school more regularly, and mothers can spend less time carrying water and more time helping their families.