Welcome
Engadine's Involvement with RAWCS Projects
This Clubs earlier involvement in overseas aid goes back to 1973/74 ,when we commenced to support young students in third world countries through World Vision and later Foster Parents Plan ( World Vision ). This program was designed to improve the well-being of people ( particularly children ) in third world countries throughout the Asian and SE Asian regions. We continued to support the program until 1993/94 when due communication difficulties we discontinued our involvement with World Vision.
Engadine Rotary has initiated and supported RAWCS Projects over a number of years, be it by way of financial support, initiating Rotary Grants with other clubs or initiating grants and coordinating materials for other clubs to action. In 1997/98 our International Service Director , Jeff Parker reported that Neville Palmer had volunteered his services as a member of a FAIM team to the Solomon Islands. Faim ( Fourth Avenue In Motion , the forerunner to RAWCS )
Our first RAWCS project involved the funding of water tanks for the Rotahomes project in Fiji. This was our first use of matching grants through the Rotary Foundation through which we were able to fund the supply of 11 waters, funds being provide by this club and our Rotary District and matched by a Matching Grant from the Rotary Foundation.
We assisted the Rotary Club of Salamanca Bay ( Wendy Stein ) with funding for the Mando Water project . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiYBqdrdnHA
the Oro Province PNG Water tanks Project
Oro Province PNG , the Almost Forgotten Disaster.
This disaster missed the headlines in November 2007 but Cyclone Guba didn’t miss the Oro Province in PNG —it wrecked considerable damage on the population, infrastructure, native gardens and water supplies. Some 200 people were lost in the flooding and tidal surges . Schools and community buildings have been destroyed ; as a consequence schooling has stopped in many areas.
Supplies of clean water from flowing creeks have become polluted and ceased to exist — old water tanks were washed away or rendered useless, but worst still, old army dumps from WWII had been uncovered and are leaching toxic waste into the rivers and creeks Villagers are collecting rain water in pots or whatever is available.
Acute diarrhea was prevalent, while cases of dysentery and cholera had been reported - Clean water for drinking and cooking water is urgently required.
Bridges destroyed Kumusi River Bridge missing
And another
Villages were inundated and made un-inhabitable
Devastation on the Kumusi River , during the flood the Kumusi River became 10 times wider than normal, wiping out many villages
Beama village covered in debris
from the flooding and tidal surges
Once a clean flowing creek now a A free flowing creek but badly polluted
stagnate polluted pool
The Sory
In 2008, the District 9750 RAWCS Committee set up a matching grant to commence the Oro Water Tanks project to provide some 60 water tanks over three phases . With donations from the Rotary Clubs of Camden , Corrimal, Engadine, Fairy Meadow , Kiama , Kings Cross, Minnamurra and Sutherland and DDF ( Share ) from the District Grants Committee, the RAWCS Oro Water Tanks Committee secured a matching grant from The Rotary Foundation ( MG69855 ).This gave the committee sufficient funds to provide 18 tanks to 14 villages.
Being a matching grant project, we needed to secure a host club in the field - This was admirably filled by the Rotary Club of Goroka, with supervision of the project in the Oro province was undertaken by Surrogan Bishop Denys Ririka of the Anglican Church, (there being no Rotary Club in Oro province). Bishop Ririka had initially surveyed the damage immediately after the Cyclone and provided extensive reports on what was required.
The tanks were purchased in Lae and then transported by coaster from Lae to Oro Bay where they were uncrated and distributed by a team of Village Volunteers. The villagers were required to set up the new bases and arrange guttering and downpipes. This imposed a level of responsibility and ownership on the Villagers.
Below are some photos from the recently completed Phase I.
The tanks were unpacked from their pallets &
freight packages at Oro Bay
Ladders are handy when it comes to transport the tanks
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Most villages were only accessible by boat and involved crossing
some very wide rivers
Off- loading a tank at its destination
Just up the beach a bit more and around the corner
A very satisfied customer
now connected to clean rain
water .