Rotary Club of Metro Kalibo (D3850) embarks this year to commit and respond to the on-going global call for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
Last year, the club provided a water tank, toilet and water pumps with potable water to some barangay and villages in Buruanga, Tangalan as well as some random places. It was made possible by their international partners and sister clubs.
WASH is one of the Areas of Focus of Rotary International since its early years. In fact, the very first Rotary service project implemented in 1907 in Chicago was the construction of public toilets (often referred to as comfort stations during that time). With COVID-19 lingering and polio eradication still a mission, sanitation, hygiene provision and education are just as important today and onwards. As of 2019-2020 data from the Association of Municipal Health Officers in the Philippines (AMHOP) Aklan chapter, the Province of Aklan alone has 7, 069 households with Open Defecation.
The club’s volunteer community worker and ASU College Red Cross Youth member Arje Andrade, a pre-Med student from Dongon West, Numancia, Aklan helped the members last July 20, 2021 to assess a few houses for provisions of Toilet Bowl. The team also secured the commitment from the recipient to build their toilet and practice personal hygiene.
A day after, the toilet bowl was delivered.
Representing life-changing Pres. Loida Enero was Past President Megs Lunn who is the current club secretary. She was joined by the Philippine Red Cross Aklan Chapter Administrator Mary Joe B. Galeon and Red Cross Youth volunteer Arje Lans Cichon-Andrade during the quick turnover to Household #1 of Ronnel Cawaling at Sitio Katibyugan, Dongon West with a family of 5 and Household #2 of Jay Pee B. Ureta at Brgy. Tabangka also with a family of 5, both in the town of Numancia, Aklan.
Project TOILET is the Flagship Project this year under the WASH focus to “Serve and Change Lives” by helping in the global campaign of community sanitation and hygiene.
This project is in collaboration with Philippine Red Cross Aklan.
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