Providence Rotary - International Service - Dominican Republic Water Project

The Rotary Clubs of Providence and Woonsocket have combined forces in a $12,000 International Service project to bring clean water to hundreds of families in the village of Esperanza, Dominican Republic. [map] Funded by $3,000 from the Providence Rotary Charities Foundation, $3,000 from the Woonsocket club and a $6,000 Matching Grant from The Rotary Foundation, the project will provide ceramic water filters to 600 homes in the community.

How was Esperanza chosen? In the words of the grant application:

"We feel that such a clean water project, while having an enormous impact on the lives of the residents of Esperanza, will also be a vehicle to introduce more members of the Providence Hispanic community to the Rotary Club and to build better friendships and new memberships respectively."

The Rotary Club of Esperanza was selected as host partner because of the many family ties between Esperanza and local Dominicans working and residing in Providence. Currently the residents of Esperanza have sufficient water but it is impure and drinking it causes illness. Providence Rotarian Kathy Swann traveled to Esperanza in October, 2009 and met with the President and other members of the Esperanza Rotary Club and found the club to be small but responsible.

The filters are manufactured in the Dominican Republic by a non-profit company that has supplied Rotary projects in the past. In addition to installation in hundreds of homes, the project includes education for the families on maintenance and proper use. Members of the Providence and Woonsocket clubs will travel to Esperanza in mid-May to take part in the education program and initiate what is hoped to be an ongoing relationship.

Photos and reports from the visit will be posted at the Providence Rotary page on Facebook.

Leading the effort from our club were Tony Mendez, Barbara Harris, Kris David, Kathy Swann, Anthony Hollingshead, Richard Applebaum, Wendy Marcus and Jim Alexander.