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Herald Reporter
The Rotary Club of Msasa has raised almost US$45 000 to attend to water supply problems at Marymount Mission in Rushinga, Mashonaland Central province, an area that is usually dry, affecting the efficiency of service provision to school children, hospital and the community.
The club has also come to the rescue of Harare Children’s Home by mobilising funds to buy uniforms after a fire recently destroyed hostels at the institution, leaving 40 children stranded.
In the Marymount Mission water project, the Rotary Club of Msasa is working in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Coppell (Texas, US), and has started borehole drilling and construction of storage tanks to provide a constant supply of water at the mission.
“Following cash and District Designated Funds (DDF) contributions amounting to US$31,200, an application for maximum possible funding match from the World Fund amounting to US$12,000 was then submitted and approved,” said the club in a statement.
“Being a community-based project, the local community has taken great ownership of the project, making it viable and feasible. The Rotary Club of Msasa provides oversight in terms of monitoring, managing and administering the funds.”
The project has seen two boreholes drilled at the mission, which are 90 metres deep each, with a very good yield of water.
The club is now installing a solar system for pumping the water.
There has also been the construction of 200 000-litre concrete reservoirs to provide sufficient storage to sustain both the mission and the community’s water supplies.
“It is anticipated that the project will be completed before the end of 2023, thus providing Marymount Mission high school students, patients and the surrounding communities access to potable water,” said the club.
“This, therefore, contributes to the Rotary Foundation’s efforts of aligning with Goal 6 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals i.e. “To ensure the availability of and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.”
At Harare Children’s Home, the Rotary Club of Msasa consulted the children’s home management on what were the outstanding needs of the children after it was recently gutted by fire which destroyed almost all the property.
“It was identified that school uniforms were needed, seeing as schools were opening soon for the third term of the school calendar,” said the Rotary Club.
“An appeal was made to Rotarians to donate towards the noble cause, to which Rotarians responded by pledging a total amount of US$526. The Rotary Club of Msasa then matched the pledges with an additional US$300, bringing the total to US$826.
“A visit to Harare Children’s Home by some Rotarians from Rotary Club Msasa revealed the extent of the damage caused by the fire. A handover of the uniforms that had been bought by the funds mobilised through the club was held.”
The Rotary Club said while more resources and work needed to be done to provide shelter for the children and provide the necessary psychosocial support, the uniforms would go a long way in providing the children with an opportunity to continue with their education.
“Through such acts of service, the Rotary Club of Msasa continues to contribute towards Rotary’s goal of strengthening the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy. Rotary supports education for all children and literacy for children and adults,” said the Rotary Club.
Online Reporter