JO RO NEWS–April 20, 2012

JO RO NEWS

JONESVILLE ROTARY CLUB

JONESVILLE, MICHIGAN

APRIL 20, 2012

COMING EVENTS:

APRIL 25TH: POTTS—FRANKLIN BECK WILL BE OUR GUEST (S)

AND WILL BRING OVER TWO CHEVY VOLTS—DON’T MISS

THIS ONE!

MAY 2ND: SCHAERER

MAY 9th or MAY 16th: WE ARE TRYING TO ARRANGE OUR

MEETING AT THE MEDICAL CARE FACILITY WHERE

DISTRICT GOVERNOR PAUL MCNAMARA WILL

PRESENT WALT WITH A DISTRICT CITATION–

MORE ON THIS LATER

SEE DISTRICT FINANCIAL REPORT BELOW

Dear Club President Mike,

We want to share with you an update of the Rotary International/USAgency for International Development Collaborative Grant that is bringing clean water and better health to thousands of people in the Dominican Republic. While in the DR in early February, we met with our partners and we have summarized our discussion below.

More interestingly, Rossy [pronounced "Rosie”] Agramonte, the grant technician responsible for overseeing installation and training, has sent us pictures which "tell the story" of what our investment is doing to change many, many lives. (These are attached for your use.)

Thanks to the careful use and management of grant funds by David Crow and his partners in District 4060, we have an opportunity to provide additional filters to help families live healthier lives. Please see more about that opportunity below and consider helping.

Yours in Rotary Service,

The Water Boys of District 6360

PDG Bill Dimond Charles Jespersen DGN Terry Allen

RI/USAID Collaborative Grant Update

… from our February 4, 2012 meeting in Santiago.

David Crow [Santiago Gurabito
Rotarian managing the 3-H Grant in the DR] reported that we had distributed 5,000 Filters to date and have filters in the warehouse for pickup. They are approaching a repurchase point for the next order. This week he received an offer from the U.S. Navy to bring Filters to the DR. Therefore, he has decided to order the rest of the filters to be shipped in mid-April, which will save $2,000.

He reported everything is going very smoothly. They are on schedule or ahead of schedule and should be completed by year-end. Regarding the budget, numbers should come together by the end of March and he believes they will be right on target. Currently it appears they will have $60,000 of unused grant funds.

Work continues regarding laboratory testing that Bob Hildreth [Puerto Plata Isabel de Torres Rotarian], Rossy Agramonte [Grant technician overseeing all installations and training], and David are working on. Rossy has been doing beneficiary visits after filter installations, using a 37-question survey. She will finish this soon. Sara Lucena [former implementer and installer of filters in DR], from Boston, is randomly sampling 250 installations. Different organizations are working with her. Sara will submit a report within 15 days after leaving the DR. It will show us the difference of internal and external monitoring. This activity will not impact meeting the final reporting deadline.

David reported they work thru Community Organizations who request to have members of a community trained to be Community Women Facilitators. They have monthly training sessions of 12 people for 3 days. Training is on all aspects of the filter. This is for hygiene, installation, maintenance, and basic community skills. The facilitators then go back to the community and get people interested. The application process is: Apply, Approval, Installation, Post-Installation Review … and if they pass, they can ask for more Filters.

USAID is involved in 6 Bateys [Haitian settlements in the D.R.] where they have done latrines, water storage systems, wells with solar panels, and sanitation. Bob reported that of the projects we visit … "you would be proud to be associated with them”. They (USAID) have completed all their projects.

EXCITING OPPORTUNITY!

With an estimated $60,000 of funds unused, David has suggested we explore the possibility of adding $75,000 (+/-) to bring a fifth container of filters to the Project.

Upon returning, we talked with Amanda Robinson, Project Manager at The Rotary Foundation for RI/USAID Collaboration, and learned that it was OK to provide more funds to purchase a fifth container of filters. These funds will go directly for purchase of filters, and no recognition or credit from TRF will be involved.

In our District 6360 Foundation account for our District Safe Water Project, we have $50,000 that could be applied to support the purchase and installation of a fifth container – 2250 more filters! We only need $25,000 more!

Funds will be needed by July 1, 2012 … Can your club help?

Individual member contributions?

A couple of weeks of Happy Bucks?

Make checks payable to … Rotary District 6360 Foundation/BSF

Send to: Nan Thompson, Treasurer

7171 Stadium Drive

Kalamazoo MI49009

For more information, please contact …

Bill Dimond … bill3127

Charles Jespersen … czj1270

Terry Allen … talloaks

EDITOR: WALT

PUBLISHER: DAVE

WEBSITE: WWW.JONESVILLEROTARY.WORDPRESS.COM

Rossy Testimonial Document1.pdf

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