...Two 7890 Rotary Clubs to Support Projects in Africa

The President of Kwakwaduam Association, Mr. Kumi Gyan has announced the collaboration between Kwakwaduam and the Rotary Club International in the provision of water at Akropong. Below is an article appearing in the Rotary International District 7890 Newsletter.

?The Rotary Club of Bristol Connecticut is at it again! The president of the local club, Ms. Linda McGurn, recently announced that the club would be responding to a need in the community of Akropong in the Eastern Region of Ghana, in West Africa. The community of 50,000 people has for decades, relied on the Ademi River, which flows through the Town, as major source of domestic water. Over time, due to the unsanitary human activities up stream, the river basin has become subject to heavy flooding bringing in tons of pollutants. The water is thus not safe for drinking, especially during the raining season. The Bristol Rotary Club, along with Rotary Clubs in Plainville, Southington, Guilford, and the E Club of Rotary District 789 are raising funds to help meet this need.

The two Rotary Districts with Clubs involved in this project and Rotary International will also be contributing to this project. In addition, a Ghanaian non-Rotary club, Kwakwaduam Association INC, based in New York will also be providing financial assistance by pledging $3,000. Once started, the project is expected to take 7-8 months to complete .The plan is to drill a borehole at the basin of the river. The water from that bore hole will be filtered, and then pumped uphill for a distance of about 50 meters to an overhead 10,000 gallons steel holding tank at the height of5.0m for distribution (by gravity) into the community. The Rotary Clubs will pay for use and or purchase of drilling equipment; steel holding tanks, water filtration elements, plumbing and retention valves, etc.

The community community of Akropong will provide labor in the form of digging the 50-metre trench for the pipes. They will also provide labor for the concrete works.

A committee of the local Chief and his elders will oversee the project. The Rotary Club of Accra West, based in Ghana, will assume primary responsibility for coordinating and providing progress reports to the funding entities and Rotary International. McGurn stated that the members of the local Club are really excited about this project, and anxious to get it completed?.

(Article from Donald Radcliffe - Modified)