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03/03/2010 11:00 PMAs longtime Guilford Rotarian Bob Shepard
explained, we have it pretty good in the United States. Each morning, we rise and shine and use a bathroom with a toilet. We have clean, hot and cold running water in our sinks, bathtubs, and showers. Next, we walk to a nearby room and turn on the faucet for fresh water for our morning coffee or tea.
"Billions of people worldwide don't have this," said Shepard, who was on a two-month stay in the Dominican Republic teamed with Wisconsin Rotarian Bob Hildreth.
Together, they used the technology Skype to connect with their Rotarians back home at a meeting held at Anthony's of Guilford. They spoke of how Rotarian dollars are being used in the Dominican Republic and other countries to provide fresh, clean water to those who need it most.
The Rotary effort, called Children's Safe Water Alliance, has provided 20,000 bio-sand filters in the Dominican Republic, reaching an estimated 100,000 people, said Hildreth. Other areas have benefited, as well, including Africa, India, and Central and Latin America.
"Through bio-sand filters, we have the power to change the health of a nation," said Shepard.
The bio-sand filter, which is about the size of a large plastic bucket, contains sand, gravel, and beneficial bacteria. When you pour unclean water in it, clean drinking water comes out. The good bacteria, located at the top of the filter, kill harmful micro-organisms. The layers of sand and gravel help filter out parasites and other contaminants. The last step is adding a drop of chlorine to the filtered water. The goal is for each family to have its own bio-sand filter in its home.
The filters, which cost $60 each and have been financed by Rotarians worldwide, are proven to reduce waterborne pathogens by more than 90 percent.
"The bio-sand filter is an economical and effective way to produce clean water," noted Shepard, saying that the product lasts indefinitely.
"We are helping to improve these people's livelihood by eliminating the needlessness of their suffering," said Hildreth. "We are helping people create their own drinking water in their house."
Most of the poor residents of the Dominican Republic live with three to nine people in a tiny structure on $60 to $100 a month, said Hildreth.
According to the Rotary website, more than 3.5 million people die from water-related diseases each year and more than 40 percent of those deaths are due to diarrhea. It's sad, said Shepard, that some people will never have a glass of water better than what we in the U.S. use to water our lawns.
Shepard and Hildreth are working with Dominican Republic Rotarians who have set up a committee to provide hands-on assistance to Haitian victims of the earthquake. The program will be long-term, according to Rotarian Donald Baechler, with each dollar donated going directly to provide relief without any administrative costs. The district to which Guilford Rotary belongs recently raised $20,000 for the Haitian relief effort, $5,000 of which came from Guilford.
To support the bio-sand filter effort or any Rotary cause, visit www.rotary.org.