Bulletin of Rotary India WASH In Schools Program. P.T. Prabhakar Vice chair, Rotary India WinS

Transcription

1 For private circulation only Bulletin of Rotary India WASH In Schools Program Editor: PDG Ramesh Aggarwal TRF Trustee & Chair RI WASH in Schools Committee PRID Sushil Gupta RI Director ( ) C. Basker ISSUE 10 - Sep-Oct 2017 PRID Sushil Gupta Trustee, The Rotary Foundation, Chair RI WASH in Schools Committee Dear Fellow Rotarians, I am pleased to note that Rotary India WASH in Schools (WinS) is coming up with the tenth issue of WinS Newsletter. Rotary India WASH in Schools Committee had joined hands with the Government of India (Ministries of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and Human Resource Development) to promote Swachhta (cleanliness) in schools. Swachhta Pakhwada was celebrated across India on September 1-15, 2017, which was a great success. Global Handwashing Day is celebrated on October 15th every year schools celebrated the same on 17th October 17 all over Kerela with the support of State Government and Importance of Handwashing message reached 52 lakhs students. I convey my best wishes to all the WASH in Schools team to have more and more success in the Rotary Year and do share your stories. P.T. Prabhakar Vice chair, Rotary India WinS The Rotary Foundation s invitation to clubs in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya & India, to apply for a wash in school competitive grant, had received overwhelming response. It is gratifying to note, that, out of 13 applications selected by TRF, for a community assessment grant of US $ 10,000, 5 are from clubs in India. These clubs have to submit their detailed proposal to TRF for a wash in school competitive grant of value between US$ 1,50,000 to US $ 5,00,000 before December 15, TRF will select 3 to 5 of the best proposals and award funds for the project implementation. It was encouraging to note the large scale participation of Rotary clubs from all over India, in the Swachhta Pakwada, cleanliness fortnight, organized by the Government of India under the inspired leadership of our PM, Shri Narendra Modiji. Hundreds of club across India, also celebrated the Global Handwashing Day on October 15, 2017 by organizing demonstration of proper hand washing techniques in schools. By all accounts, it is a great time to be a WinS warrior! If your club has not yet started a WinS project, the time to start one is NOW! Basker Chockalingam RI Director The WASH in Schools Target Challenge is a much talked about program in Rotary today across India. It is a matter of great satisfaction that many districts are giving highest priority to this over any other program in Rotary. But other districts need to follow suit and adopt WinS as the focused program in their districts. We must know that improved WASH in Schools is precursor to conducive learning environment in schools. It improves health, fosters learning and enables children to participate as agents of change for their siblings, their parents and the community at large. As Rotarians, we all have a role in making sure that every child receives the benefits of WASH in Schools. I am happy to note that Rotary clubs across India actively participated in Swachhta Pakhwada launched by the Government of India and Global Handwashing Day Celebrations. Participation of Rotarians in such initiatives trigger enthusiasm to engage in RI WASH in Schools Target Challenge with much vigor and zeal, and be a part of the success of the program. Given the importance of the program, there is going to be session on WinS during the DG Mid-Year Review Seminar at the Kuala Lumpur Institute in December to be moderated by PDG Ramesh Aggarwal. I look forward to updates from the Districts on WinS during this Rotary year. (1-15 September, 2017) Rotary India WASH in Schools Committee joined hands with the Government of India (Ministries of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and Human Resource Development) in organizing Swachhta Pakhwada (Cleanliness Fortnight) across India on September 1-15, 2017 to promote Swachhta (cleanliness) in schools and to engage young minds. PDG Ramesh Aggarwal Member Secretary, Rotary India WinS We are happy to note that there was an overwhelming response from districts and clubs for Swachhta Pakhwada. A large number of Rotary clubs from across India actively participated in this initiative launched by the Government of India and organized a series of events to mark the Swachhta Pakhwada. District 3054 deserves a pat on its back for mobilizing almost every club to participate in the Pakhwada. Similar spirit was visible during the Global Handwashing Day Celebrations on 15th October. This event also witnessed participation from a large number of clubs across India. The overwhelming participation of our clubs and Rotarians in both these events truly indicates that there is huge enthusiasm amongst Rotarians for the WASH in Schools Target Challenge Pilot. Participation in such campaigns sets the tone for Rotarians to achieve the desired success. Under the guidance of RI Director Basker and TRF Trustee & RI WASH in Schools Chair Sushil Gupta, the WASH in Schools Target Challenge is in full swing in India. For better committee governance and improved quality assurance, the district recognition committees have been replaced with a single national level committee comprising of 12 senior Rotarians from across India who are knowledgeable and passionate about WinS. This new structure is designed to streamline communication and provide better support to Rotary clubs interested in the Target Challenge. We request all Rotary clubs engaged in the program to work alongside the national committee to enable greater success and achieve desired results from the Pilot. In Rotary, WASH in Schools is the buzz word today. There is a huge momentum for WASH in Schools but the best times are yet to come. Let us make this happen! Continued on page 2... Not on Our Mailing List? Share this newsletter with other Rotarians and those interested in WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) in Schools. Keep up-to-date for water, sanitation and hygiene in Schools information and opportunities. Learn about what Rotary is doing in India and around the planet to improve the quality of education through WASH in Schools. To subscribe to this newsletter please apcorama@gmail.com with "Subscribe to WinS Times" as subject line. Join our mailing list 1

2 ...continued from page 1 Rotary Participates in Swachhta Pakhwada (1-15 September 2017) Rotary clubs across India actively participated in daily themes with focused activities designated by the Govt. of India. Rotary clubs also organized essay writing and painting competitions in their adopted schools on 5th September 2017 designated as the Swachhta participation day coinciding with Teacher s Day. A painting competition was held for students of classes from I to V on the theme ßesjs liuksa dk LoPN HkkjrÞ (Clean India of my Dreams). An Essay Writing Competition was on the theme ßeSa LoPN Hkkjr ds fy, D;k d: xk / d:axhþ (What will I do to make India Clean). Clubs also uploaded photos and videos of these activities on the MHRD website. All 38 Rotary districts in India took part in the Swachhta Pakhwada but the prominent districts included 3000, 3011, 3012, 3053, 3054, 3110, 3202, 3211, 3212, 3240, 3250, 3261, 3262 and District 3054 emerged as the best performing district with 65 of its 128 clubs taking part in different activities, and over children from over 500 schools were reached during the fortnight. Rotary District 3202 was the second best performing district with 25 of its clubs engaged in various cleanliness activities covering 105 schools spread over 5 revenue districts in Tamil Nadu. Doordarshan National TV covered the essay and painting competitions organized by Rotary Club of Delhi Ashoka, District 3012 at Govt. Primary School at Gejha, Noida. 2

3 Rotary districts, in India, comprising of over 35,000 Rotary clubs with over 1,50,000 members, actively participated in Global Handwashing Day on 15th October A large number of Rotary districts along with the clubs organized various activities to create awareness about the importance of handwashing at critical times and handwashing techniques. Rotary District 3211 emerged as the leading district where the Global Handwashing Day was celebrated on 17th October under the direct supervision of Rotary clubs, in 1150 schools in five revenue districts of Kerala with the support of the State Government. The message of handwashing at critical times reached lakhs of children. Other districts which actively participated in the celebrations and organized handwashing events in schools across India through their clubs included 3000, 3012, 3054, 3150, 3202, 3212, 3261, 3262 and The activities included taking out rallies involving children in communities, essay and painting competitions on cleanliness, inauguration of group handwashing facilities in schools, cultural programs and donation of soaps to schools to name a few. Rotary District 3261, under the leadership of District Governor Harjit Singh Hura, put up huge hoardings at several prominent locations in the city of Raipur highlighting the importance of handwashing with soap. Kudos to him for also turning this event to a public image initiative for Rotary. Rotary Celebrates Global Handwashing Day on 15th October

4 Rotary District 3250 organises WASH in Schools Seminar at Darbhanga Rotary District 3250, under the able leadership of District Governor Vivek Kumar,organized a District WASH in Schools Seminar at Darbhanga on 3rd September The seminar was hosted by the Rotary Club of Darbhanga under the aegis of Club President Gauri Shanker Jha. Speakers at the seminar included PDG Ramesh Aggarwal, Member Secretary of Rotary India WASH in Schools Committee, PDG Sanjay Khamka, Zonal WinS Coordinator (East), DGN Gopal Khemka District WinS Coordinator, PDG Bindu Singh - Dist WinS Coordinator for Namami Gange, and P.K. Anand & Manish Signh from UNICEF Bihar office. The seminar was attended by more than 200 club leaders from across Bihar and Jharkhand. District Governor Vivek Kumar in his Inaugural Address said that WASH in Schools is the focused program of the District and is being given the highest priority. He urged all clubs to adopt atleast 3 schools for WinS during the year. He also assured full support to the clubs from the District in this regard. PDG Ramesh Aggarwal in his keynote address provided an overview of the WASH in Schools Target Challenge Pilot launched by The Rotary Foundation and its Three Star approach. He said that WASH in Schools is a structured program of Rotary and RI Director Basker has urged all districts to give it the highest priority over any other program. He also said that this program perfectly aligns with our country s national mission of Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya. He shared the key benefits of the program, such as open defecation free communities, gender equity, improved attendance, less dropout rate etc. He applauded the District for being a front runner in implementing WinS. PDG Sanjay Khemka in his opening remarks highlighted the importance of implementing WinS in the District and the change the program can bring to the lives of children in Bihar and Jharkhand. DGN Gopal Khemka, who also serves as District WinS Coordinator, spoke on the way forward for WASH in Schools in the District. PDG Bindu Singh, District WinS Coordinator for Namami Gange, shared the key features of the Rotary s partnership with National Mission for Clean Ganga and the action plan for the District. P.K. Anand and Manish Singh from UNICEF shared the status of WASH in Schools coverage & challenges and interventions required in the state of Bihar. They also extended full support from UNICEF to Rotary clubs in the District for implementing WinS projects. District WASH in Schools Seminar at Kodaikanal District 3000 organized a WASH in Schools Target Challenge Seminar on Sunday 10th September 2017 at the beautiful Germanus Springs Resort in Kodaikanal Hills to motivate Rotarians in the District to plan and execute WinS projects under the Target Challenge. The seminar was hosted by Rotary Club of Thuraiyur Perumalmalai, under the chairmanship T. R. Madhavan. The Seminar began with the lighting of lamp by dignitaries. The event Cochairman presented the welcome address. In his inaugural address the District Governor P. Gopala Krishnan said that clubs should undertake projects which bring change in communities and improve the image of Rotary as a premier service organization. He mentioned that District leaders are there to guide clubs, but to make real change happen in communities, clubs need to perform to the best of their abilities, so that we are able show case to the world Rotary: Making a Difference Past District Governor and Member Secretary of Rotary India WinS Committee Ramesh Aggarwal graced the occasion as Chief Guest. Addressing the delegates, he stressed on the importance of better hygiene and good sanitation facilities in all government schools across the country. He said that lack of water and inadequate annual maintenance funds are the main hurdles in achieving good hygienic and sanitation conditions. He called upon Rotarians of the District to rise to the occasion and accept the challenge of changing the lives of poor children studying in government schools through the WASH in Schools Target Challenge. He also provided an overview of the Target Challenge Pilot and its Three Star Approach, including the qualification criteria for Star One, Two and Three Schools. S. P. Manickanda Ananth, District Chairman for WinS projects, outline the district's plans for implementation of WinS in government and government aided schools. He also shared that the District has joined hands with Hindustan Unilever for providing soap and paste for the WinS project in schools. Past District Governor G. Olivannan from District 3230 also graced the occasion and spoke on Making A Difference. He shared that service is an act of self defense and urged Rotarians to make this world a better place for the future generations. Representatives of UNICEF, Mr. Krishna Moorthy and Mr. Basker spoke on the role of UNICEF under the Swachh Bharat: Swachh Vidyalaya program launched by Government of India. They assured full support to Rotarians and Clubs in the District towards achieving their goals. They also outlined the minimum specifications for group handwashing stations and toilets. The seminar concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Seminar Secretary V. Senthi Kumar. DGE. RVN Kannan and PDG. Y. Kumanan were also present to motive the delegates. The seminar was attended by more than 500 delegates, including club presidents, secretaries, other club leaders and members of the district team. Contributed by: Neela Vathi, District First Lady ( ) Dist

5 Rotary District 3201 WASH in Schools Seminar at Coimbatore Rotary District 3201, under the leadership of District Governor Vinod Kutty, organized a WASH in Schools Seminar hosted by Rotary club of Coimbatore Galaxy on September 24, 2017 in Coimbatore. The Seminar was attended by a large number of Club and District leaders, including District WinS Team. PDG Sam/Sambasiva Rao Patibandla, Zonal WinS Coordinator for Zone 5 was the keynote speaker at the seminar. PDG Sam explained in detail the key features of the WASH in Schools Target Challenge launched by The Rotary Foundation as a pilot in five countries including India. He shared the Three Star Approach of the pilot and explained the criteria for qualifying for the recognition. He also shared the message from the RI Director Basker and TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta that the highest priority is to be given to the WinS program over any other program by the clubs in the District as WinS happens to be the structured program of TRF. He extended his support to the District in achieving their targets and goals. He also emphasized on the importance of group hand washing and behavioral change, and training and motivating children to be the agents of change. The District Governor, in his Opening Address, highlighted the importance of undertaking WASH in Schools projects. He also announced that the District will organize a mega Hand Washing Event on January 26, 2018 in all the cities of District 3201 to create awareness about the importance of handwashing at critical times. PDG Ajay Kumar, District WinS Coordinator elaborated on the ongoing WASH in Schools projects and promised to do much more during this Rotary Year. Updates on Rotary - Namami Gange Partnership In the month of March 2017, the Rotary India WASH in Schools Committee signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Govt. of India. The main objective of this collaboration was to implement Rotary's WASH in Schools program in over 500 Government schools located in the Ganga basin in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and West Bengal's Nadia District, and extend it further to promote the cause of Ganga rejuvenation. As a part of this collaboration, Rotary District 3250, under the leadership of District Governor Vivek Kumar, District WinS Coordinator (District 3250) for Namami Gange PDG Bindu Singh convened a meeting of club presidents in the Bihar region to take the partnership forward by putting in place a plan of action. She shared the list of Government schools located in Bihar for adoption by Rotary clubs in the region. There was an overwhelming response from club leaders to actively engage in partnership with Namami Gange and undertake WinS projects in schools located along the river Ganga as they hold the river in very high esteem. Each club president agreed to adopt two to three schools under this mission. It was also decided that Rotary clubs would actively engage their respective club members in educating the community about Ganga rejuvenation through mass activities and campaigns involving students in targeted schools. As a first step to sensitize children about Namami Ganga, a pledge to keep the holy river clean was administered to the students in various schools located along the bank of Ganga. In several schools, a minimum of five senior children have been appointed to serve as a Ganga Mitra (friend). These children will be trained by Rotary clubs to for create awareness among people residing along the river Ganga about the importance of keeping the holy river clean. Rotary clubs have also installed Group Handwashing Stations in several schools, and teachers are being trained on good hygiene habits. During the recently held Chath festival in the month of October, clubs actively participated in creating awareness about keeping the Ganga clean. In several Ghats along the river Ganga, pits were dug by the Rotary clubs and were named Puja Samagri Visarjan Kund. Rotarians urged people assembled at the Ghats to dispose their worship materials in these pits and not in the river Ganga. The efforts of Rotarians yielded tangible results and a large number of people used the pits to dispose the worship material and even encouraged other people to do the same. Lal Darwaza Ghat at Munger which was in shambles has now been completely renovated by the Rotary Club of Munger, and the project was inaugurated by Padma Bhushan Swami Niranjanand Jee. This club has also adopted four schools for WASH in Schools to create awareness about the Ganga river and to sensitize children on healthy hygiene habits. The District has plans to implement WinS in a large number of schools and extend the program further to create awareness about keeping the holy river Ganga clean and free from all kinds of pollution. 5

6 Multi District WASH in Schools Seminar of Rotary Districts 3150, 3160 and 3132 at Bidar, Karnataka A multi district WASH in Schools Seminar jointly organized by Rotary Districts 3160, 3132 and 3150 was held at Bidar in Karnataka on 8th October The seminar was hosted by the Rotary clubs of Kalyan zone in Rotary District 3160, under the guidance of District Governor Madhu Prasad and Assistant Governor of the Zone Baswaraj Dhannur. This unprecedented event was attended by more than 700 delegates including club and district leaders from all three organizing Districts, a galaxy of past district governors, government officials and head masters from the govt. schools in Bidar District. The presence of Rotarians from Hyderabad, Secundrabad, Warangal, Sangareddy, Khammam, Gudur, Prodattur, Dharmawaram, Nellore and Karnool from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states; Rotarians from Solapur, Latur, Omerga, Udgir from Maharashtra state and Rotarians from Banglore, Chitradurga, Davangere, Hiriyur, Hospet, Raichur, Gulbarga, in addition to entire Kalyan zone of Bidar District in Karnataka, made it a truly multi district event. Shri Eshwar Khandre, Hon ble Minister for Municipal Administration and Public Enterprise, Govt. of Karnataka, graced the occasion as Chief Guest. In his Inaugural Address, the Hon ble Minister highlighted the severe water, sanitation and hygiene conditions in govt. schools across Karnataka, and the immediate need for intervention. Appreciating the WASH in Schools initiative by Rotary International, he extended his full support and promised to collaborate with Rotary clubs in Kalyan Zone to take up WinS projects in 100 schools in Bidar District. The keynote speaker at the seminar, PDG Ramesh Aggarwal, Rotary WinS India Member Secretary, provided an overview of the WinS Target Challenge, and shared that WinS is now the most focused and most talked about program not only in India but across the Rotary world. Rotary clubs internationally are now coming forth to support this initiative through TRF s Global Grants in the five pilot countries, including India. He urged the clubs to focus on undertaking WinS projects with the support of Global Grants and assured that there will be no difficulty in finding international partners for the projects. He also shared that there is a dedicated WASH in Schools Team at the Rotary Headquarters to provide all kinds of support for WinS. Clubs and schools achieving Star One status will be recognized by the District Governor whereas The Rotary Foundation will provide recognition for achieving Star Two and Star Three status after thorough a validation process as per the terms of the Target Challenge.. PDG Dr. Mahesh Kotbagi from Rotary District 3131 spoke on the topic Service is the Image of Rotary and effectively connected his topic with the WinS initiative. PDG Ravi Vadlamani from Rotary District 3150 inspired the gathering on the topic How to move forward for WinS. Mr. Salatheil Nalli, UNICEF WASH Specialist for Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, shared in detail the key challenges facing WinS, status of coverage, policy, program and support from UNICEF. District Governors - J Abraham from Rotary District 3150, Madhu Prasad from District 3160 and Vyankatesh Channa from District 3132, updated the delegates about the progress and status of WinS projects in their respective districts. 6

7 DISTRICT 3011 DISTRICTS IN ACTION DISTRICT 3012 DISTRICT 3080 Inauguration of 2nd WinS Project of Rotary club of Delhi South Central with drinking water and group handwashing facilities at SDMC Primary School on 25th Sep DISTRICT 3100 Inauguration of WinS Project at Govt. Girls School at Sultanpur under CSR by TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta in the presence of DG Sattish Singhal, PDG Ramesh Aggarwal and other Dist. Dignitaries on 16th Oct DISTRICT 3110 Rotary Club of Industrial Area Ambala organized WinS awareness program at B.S. Memorial School at Ambala. DISTRICT 3150 Inauguration of WASH in Schools Project at a school at Mohan Puri, Meerut by Rotary Club of Meerut Stars on 2nd Oct DISTRICT 3170 Teachers Day Celebrations with focus on WASH in Schools at Nagar Nigam Vidyalaya Basai Khurd, Tajganj Agra by Rotary Club of Agra on 5th Sept DISTRICT 3202 Imparted training to students, teachers, SMC and Rotarians by the District conducted by ASCI, Hyderabad under a GG Project for WinS covering 10 Schools. DISTRICT 3240 Rotary Club of Dharwad Central celebrated Global Hand Washing Day at a government school. DISTRICT 3250 Inauguration of group handwashing station by Rotary Club of Dharapuram at the NCP Municipal Higher Secondary School Dharapuram, Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu on 24th October 2017 by DG Siva DISTRICT 3261 Rotary Club of Siliguri Central implemented a WASH in Schools Project at Buddha Bharti Bhuban Mohan Vidya Mandir, Siliguri, West Bengal. DISTRICT 3291 Inauguration of WASH in Schools Project at M. L. Academy, Dharbhanga, Bihar installed by Rotary Club of Darbhanga by DDC- Darbhanga, Sri Vivekanand Jha on 2nd Oct Handwashing with soap awareness program conducted at Govt. Mandher School art Raipur by Rotary Club of Raipur Greater Inauguration of group handwashing station at Nibaran Roy Primary School, Tarakeshwar by Rotary Central Calcutta on Global Handwashing Day. 7

8 District WASH in Schools Seminar by District 3011 WASRAG announces new resource for Rotarians working in WASH- WASRAG Ambassadors District seminar on WASH in Schools was held on Tuesday 3rd October 2017 in New Delhi. The seminar was attended by a large number of Club and District leaders from across the District from Delhi, Rohtak, Rewari, Faridabad and Gurgaon. PDG Ramesh Aggarwal, National Member Secretary Rotary India WinS Committee, graced the occasion as keynote speaker. District Governor Ravi Choudhary, in his opening remarks said that like Polio, WASH in Schools has now become a global program of Rotary and a thrust area of the District. PDG Dr. Subramanian, District WinS Coordinator in his presentation highlighted the importance of WASH in Schools. He shared compelling statistics relating to poor WASH conditions. He mentioned that stunting in children, diarrhea morbidity resulting in children deaths, open defecation, child marriages, etc. are the consequences of poor WASH facilities. He also shared the procedure for implementing WinS projects,right from selecting the school to the completion of the project. He emphasized that clubs first need to focus on to achieving Star One level and then build upon that to achieve the Star Two and Star Three levels. PDG Ramesh Aggarwal, in his keynote address, said that WASH in Schools is the most talked about program in the Rotary World today. He applauded the commitment of the clubs in the District 3011 towards WinS. He said that WinS is a unique program of Rotary where success can be measured with tangible outcomes, such as increase in enrollment and attendance, decreased dropout rate, a healthy generation of children, gender equity, and open defecation free communities, to name a few. He said that the WASH in Schools program perfectly aligns with Govt. of India s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Rotary in India is actively supporting the Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya Mission, an integral part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, by undertaking WinS projects in thousands of schools across India with the technical support of UNICEF. He said that WASH in Schools involves two types of components- hardware and software. Hardware components include providing clean water, building or making existing gender segregated toilets functional, group handwashing facilities, menstrual hygiene management etc. Software components include operation and maintenance of WASH facilities, behavioral change communication activities, teachers training, formation of child cabinets, strengthening of school management committees, capacity building etc. The software part is very critical for the success of the program and helps us make the project sustainable. He mentioned that Group Handwashing is a path breaking innovation that can potentially improve the education and health outcomes of 130 million children who have mid-day meal daily in schools across India. It ensures that all children wash hands in groups with soap, stand facing each other, exchange positive messages, make 'eye to eye' contact and enjoy the process. He emphasized that the program enables children to develop into powerful agents of behavioral change. Children take back home the lessons they learn at schools about healthy hygiene habits, and teach their parents, siblings and elders on good hygiene behaviors such as handwashing with soap. Presentations by the speakers were followed by a question and answer session moderated by PDG Dr. Subramanian, in which delegates sought clarifications from the learned speakers on various aspects of WinS. Contributed by PP Vimal Gupta, Rotary Club of New Delhi, District 3011 WASRAG is proud to announce a significant new resource for Rotarians working in the Water and Sanitation Area of Focus! WASRAG has convened a corps of WASRAG Ambassadors, all highly knowledgeable WASRAG members, devoted to supporting Rotarians in their WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) efforts. WASRAG's Ambassadors will link their home districts with the Rotary world to address the challenges of water and sanitation. WASRAG currently has Ambassadors in the South Pacific, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Europe available to assist Rotary clubs and their Rotarians. What do Ambassadors do in their home district? A WASRAG Ambassador can: Help find partners for local WASH projects; Assist in developing and submitting a grant; Facilitate translation of material into a local language; Update Rotarians on developments in the WASH world; and Provide speakers for club, district and other meetings. If a Rotary clubs or Rotarians need any help on WASH project and don't know where to go? They can contact the district's WASRAG Ambassador. The ambassador may not have all the answers, but will know where to find them. They are there to be a resource for the Rotarians, clubs, districts. How can Ambassadors in other districts help? Ambassadors located in districts where Rotary clubs/districts want to do a project can be invaluable in facilitating potential international partnerships. For example, The local ambassador can locate the most recent, comprehensive and reliable sources for needs assessment data for a grant. The WASRAG Ambassador can guide and support by providing contacts and introductions to advice regarding local concerns and resources. How can I find an Ambassador? WASRAG Ambassadors are ready to help WASRAG members as Rotary moves forward to more efficient and sustainable WASH projects. Membership in the corps is increasing steadily. To find an Ambassador go to: Are you interested in being a WASRAG Ambassador? Ambassadors are all volunteers. They must be: Rotarians; WASRAG members; Highly knowledgeable on WASH issues and have a passion for WASH programs. Able to communicate easily; Respected by Rotarians within their District. Ambassadors are appointed by WASRAG's Operations Team for a term of three years, with the option of a second term. They have to submit an annual report of their activities and achievements in the month of May each year. An annual meeting of Ambassadors will be held during the Rotary International Convention. If you are interested in being appointed as a WASRAG Ambassador, please submit a personal application form, which may be accessed using the address below: By this means, Rotarians can communicate to WASRAG their interest and the region (e.g. district, country) for which they could act as an Ambassador. Questions if any, may be directed to the Ambassador Project Manager, Ginny Ryan at Ginny@WASRAG.org. Edited and Published by PDG Ramesh Aggarwal for and on behalf of the Rotary India WinS Committee. The matter to be published in the Newsletter should reach PDG Ramesh Aggarwal at apcorama3010@gmail.com along with action photographs from the Rotary Districts in India, by 7th of every month. Editorial Team reserves the right to select, edit or omit any matter. Designed & Printed at : RaveIndia, New Delhi , T: E: info@raveindiapress.com 8