India Bio-Sand Water Filter Project Update 06-25-2009
Dear Friends,
South Asia Pure Water Initiative, Inc. is placing more and more filters in villages and schools in and around Kolar District, Karnataka. Our success, however, comes with a price. Rotary district 3190, which encompasses most of Karnataka and some districts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, is limited to a certain number of matching grants at one time. They are maxed out with the grants and many of them have to do with bio-sand filter projects supplied by our workshop in Kolar. We were informed that we would not be receiving any matching grant funds next year to allow other Rotary projects in the district to benefit from international partnerships.
After three and one half years and nearly 6,000 bio-sand water filters later, experience has led us in different directions to expand our project. Our focus now is to form partnerships with other not-for- profit agencies working in India.
UNICEF is providing funding for rainwater harvesting systems for 23,000 rural schools in south India to provide storage for clean, mineral free drinking water to the school children. These systems are plastic roof eave gutters and downspouts that collect water in 10,000 liter cisterns fitted with taps. We see these systems in villages where we distribute our bio-sand filters. Most of the systems are in disrepair and the water is contaminated with bacteria and mosquito larvae. We want to form a partnership in this venture to bring our filters to these schools so even contaminated water can be filtered and used. We also want to train our staff to make minor repairs to the rain water harvesting systems to make them function properly.
Another NGO that does terrific work in India is Akshaya Patra, the world's largest school meal program currently feeding over one million school children across seven States in India. We have met with this group in Bangalore where they have an ultra-modern industrial kitchen and delivery vehicles. We are now doing a pilot program with them providing 500 filters in schools where they have feeding programs. Good food and clean water, what's better than that!
Myrada is a large NGO in India that was formed in the 1950's to help resettle Tibetan refugees when China invaded that country. The agency has morphed through the years and is active in various development projects in India. One of the areas they have become experts in is HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Typically, a family with an HIV/AIDS victim in it is severely disadvantaged due to the treatment regimen involved and the inability of the patient to work to capacity. We have developed a program with Myrada to supply 500 of these families with bio-sand water filters. Cathy's cousin, Sue Holway, in Rotary district 7890 encompassing northern Connecticut and southern Massachusetts is spearheading the fundraising effort for this partnership project.
To truly spread the bio-sand filter technology throughout India, we need other groups to establish workshops like ours. Our ultimate vision is to replicate our program in other States in India. To that end we are currently trying to find and hire an Indian executive director to take our program to the next level. We have a great deal of momentum and goodwill in the Bangalore area but most of all we have a device that delivers up to 240 liters of clean water a day that costs $32 to manufacture and install and lasts for 25 years without additional costs! We want these filters everywhere they are needed.
Mike & Cathy
South Asia Pure Water Initiative, Inc.
2832 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, CT 06518
www.sapwii.org
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