The fifty water bores provided through a Rotary Global Grant means families do not have to relocate in the dry season and healthy children are now attending school again.

Article by PDG Julie Mason, Assistant Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator

Visiting Cambodia was a life changing experience for Paul Rake from Chadstone East Malvern Rotary. He certainly is a person of action and when he saw that villagers had to shift to another location during the dry season because they had no water, or drink contaminated water to survive, he simply had to help. Contacting NGO Build Your Future Today {BFT} was the beginning of a conversation that led to Rotary Clubs in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Seattle collaborating with World of Difference and an anonymous doner based in the United Kingdom to secure a Global Grant. This donor had faith in both Build Your Future Today and previous work done by Rotary.

Paul stated that The Rotary Foundation makes all the difference between a project happening or not happening. He appreciates funds provided from Clubs, Districts and the World fund and recognises the benefits of the framework that Foundation provided for project themes, the needs assessment, support and advice to achieve project goals. His team is grateful for the fifty bores that our now in place as a result of this grant. Healthy children are now attending school again.

Maximising the use of social media, club web pages and print media, both through Rotary and Build Your Future Today, Paul is pleased to note that general awareness of the outcome of this project has seen more than 150 people ready to attend a fund-raising Gala Dinner in October and for the first time a concurrent event will occur in Shepparton. Two non-Rotarians are now engaged in other Rotary projects, and when Paul told his story at three Rotary Clubs all have signed up for a new Global Grant again to help Cambodia! Others have expressed interest in assisting with the work of World of Difference.

A project specific Facebook page (11) GG2232355 - Cambodian Villages Water Project | Facebook shows what can be done through an idea, a conversation, collaboration, an outcome to share and importantly, The Rotary Foundation.

https://mailchi.mp/faff2ce06037/bft-cambodia-report-6528488

https://mailchi.mp/3ea9cc9dc571/bft-cambodia-report-13491272

But stay tuned as there’s more to come in 2023.