$1.1m for foundation’s projects
ABOUT $1.1 million has been set aside to help the Rotary Pacific Water for Life Foundation carry out its projects this year.
Foundation executive officer Neil Maharaj said they had already completed 320 water projects in the past 16 years in Fiji, which were valued at $10 million.
He said this reached about 100,000 Fijians directly.
“This year alone, Rotary has $1.1 million budget, with that we hope to construct
18 water systems, 60 sanitation units, and we are also going to be running 22 water sanitation, hygiene and operation management training,” he said.
Mr Maharaj said the project sites would be in Cakaudrove, Namosi, Nadroga, Serua and Macuata.
He stated that there were a lot of challenges faced in their line of work, in particular helping communities to wade through the numerous difficulties faced by them.
This, he said, already created a chain of challenges – including hygiene and sanitation – that communities had to deal with.
Mr Maharaj said this meant that a lot of families — often times did not have access to water to wash clothes or cook. Women and girls also often had a difficult time maintaining hygiene during their menstruation.
“Also, when you don’t have water, obviously you will not have sanitation.
“So we find that in many communities where we surveyed, for example, 100 houses, only 60 houses will have washrooms, the rest don’t.”
He said it was vital to inform and educate communities on water and the important role it played in hygiene and sanitation, and how communities could continue to maintain safe living practices.