The Rotary Club of Wellington North Inc
VIETNAM WELLS
Rural Water Supplies for Kien Giang Province, Vietnam, a project in partnership with the Christina Noble Foundation
Wellington North’s relationship with CNCF began in 2002 through Belinda Gorman, daughter of a club member who was a project manager for that organisation in Vietnam for three years. This relationship led to the club raising funds to support the CNCF rural water supplies initiative.
The population of Kien Giang has traditionally relied on canals for water supply. Through drought, fertilizers and insecticides the canals have become increasingly contaminated. The Christina Noble Children’s Foundation has been providing wells for fresh water since 1998 to a population of 320,000.
In 2003 Wellington North made a commitment to fund 30 wells using hand lever water pumps and successfully applied for and obtained a 2:1 matching grant from NZAID through the Voluntary Agencies Support Scheme with the support of Rotary NZ World Community Service Ltd. The project is under way and, when completed, will remove 3,000 more people from the daily sickness trap of drinking contaminated water.
An essential part of the project is the training of local people in the safe operation and maintenance of the wells. The outcome of the project will be measured in the health improvements and the lessening of the burden of water collection.
For an update on progress to 3 October 2005, Click here.