1. Rotary and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
A presentation to the D-9370 Conference.
Nicholas Mancus, Chairman, Operations
Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group
November 2017 – Champagne Sports Resort,
Central Drakensburg, KZN, SA

2. Personal Background Nicholas Mancus
Rotary Classification: Public Health
Member: Rotary Club of Abidjan Golf, Cote d’Ivoire, D 9101
Chairman of Operations, WASRAG

3. What is WASRAG?
For those who may not already be familiar with WASRAG, WASRAG is the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group. We are a group of Rotarians from all over the world, just like you, who believe that water and sanitation is important. Our mission is to help Rotary clubs and districts achieve better, more sustainable WASH projects and programs. We provide technical support to Rotary clubs, districts and the Rotary Foundation. We also organize educational events, such as webinars, an annual Summit, and in some districts, we organize speakers bureaus to talk to clubs about the water and sanitation area of focus. We are a resource available for all Rotary clubs and districts, and I hope that many of you consider joining WASRAG.

4. The Background:
663 million people (one in ten) lack access to safe water.

10. The Background:
2.4 billion have no sanitation.

13. Open defecation pollutes our environments and maintains a cycle of poverty that decreases our collective dignity.

15. The consequences are critical:
8,000 people, mostly children, die unnecessarily every day.
Women and children, usually girls, spend up to six hours per day hauling water.
Young girls miss classes, drop out of school.
40 billion hours spent annually hauling water.
Families pass away for lack of water.

16. But Rotarians are liberating women, children and families from hauling water:
Bore holes
Dug wells

17. 251 water and sanitation projects in Africa
Total investment of around $19.5 Million USD over past five years
You are all certainly asking yourselves what are we, as Rotarians, doing about this? And the answer is: Quite a lot. In fact, over the past five years, we’ve invested about USD$19.5 million in 251 water and sanitation area of focus projects in Africa through the Rotary Foundation.

18. TRF has provided funding:
734 Global Grants approved since 2013
302 Grants in 2015 alone.
Over $50 million granted for WASH since 2013
In 2015 $6 million Global Grants for Africa.
WASH in Schools, US AID collaboration focus.

19. Rainwater harvesting
Household filters and purification

20. SODIS (Solar Water Disinfection)

21. Pipelines and distribution systems
Sand, earth and concrete dams

22. Toilet blocks
Latrines

23. Sustainability requires:
Appropriate technology
Community “ownership”
Capacity building
Behavior change
Funding for operations and maintenance

24. Scaling up calls for: Collaboration between clubs
Effective relationships with NGOs and CBOs
Robust linkages with local authorities
Advocacy and innovation
Professional management

25. Every one of us can address these challenges:
Get your club involved in a WASH project
Donate to the WAS*MGI (Water & Sanitation Major Gifts Initiative)
Personally get involved with WASRAG

26. WASRAG gives tangible support to clubs:
Technology and sustainability guidelines
Professional project/program management
Leadership in training and capacity building
Linking clubs and NGOs
Enabling business enterprise
Project fund-raising
WASRAG Fund (new initiative)

27. Three new Rotary Foundation initiatives:
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools pilot program, or “WinS”.
Rotary International (RI)/United States Agency for International Development (USAID) partnership program.
Water and Sanitation Major Giving Initiative (WaS MGI).
These are exciting times for growth of the water and sanitation area of focus at the Rotary Foundation, and I would like to briefly mention three new initiatives.
The first is the WASH in Schools pilot program, or “WinS”. This pilot, currently being undertaken in Kenya, India, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize, sets minimum standards for Rotary Clubs interested in improving the water, sanitation and hygiene status of schools in their communities. Rotarians are encouraged to act in partnership with their local governments and other stakeholders such as local community leaders, school administrators, NGOs and the school’s parent-teacher associations, in order to consistently deliver high-quality, sustainable programs to the schools and children being served. As the schools being helped by Rotary clubs move up to a higher step on the ladder, the Rotary Foundation recognizes those clubs responsible with a certificate for each level the school is able to achieve. Schools move first from a one-star level, to a two-star level, and then finally to a three-star level. The Rotary Foundation has developed these “three-star” standards in partnership with UNICEF, and committees of Rotarians in the pilot countries are working to identify appropriate implementing partners to help meet the rigorous standards of the Foundation’s program.
The second major initiative is a partnership between Rotary and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in three pilot countries here in Africa. The first is right here in Ghana, the second is Uganda, and then finally Madagascar. Rotarians in those three countries are being tasked to develop large scale WASH programs that are professionally planned and implemented. In each of the three countries, the Rotary Foundation will invest USD$2 Million and USAID will match that with USD$2 Million. Rotarians are expected to deliver a much larger, more professional WASH programs in those countries than ever been done before.
The third major initiative is the Rotary Foundation’s new area of focus giving initiative being launched this Rotary year. You may hear more about this exciting new giving initiative at this Institute. The Rotary Foundation is starting with the water and sanitation area of focus, and hopes to raise $25 million dollars in new funding. This support will go to endow and increase the amount of water and sanitation programs being undertaken by Rotary clubs. This fund will seek donations from individual Rotarians and also from corporations and other organizations interested in supporting Rotary’s water and sanitation work. In future years, major giving initiatives for the other areas of focus will be launched. I hope you will all consider donating to this fund, and please, please let Rotarians in your respective countries know about it.

28. WAS*MGI will kick-start new funding:
Goal of $25 million over 3 years
A Rotary Foundation program for major donors
Endowed and Term Gifts
Spendable earnings for Global Grants in AoF
Working with WASRAG

29. WASRAG World Water Summit
10th annual 
WASRAG World Water Summit
on Friday June 22th, am pm
This year's theme will focus on WASH and Health
Location:  Delta Toronto Hotel, 75 Lower Simcoe St, Toronto, ON M5J 3A6, Canada

30. WASRAG's Annual General Meeting Saturday June 23, 4.30 - 7.00 pm
Toronto Convention Centre

31. WASRAG is more than your resource for WASH.
It’s helping Rotarians to transform communities:
Go to:
Click on “Sign Up”