Harborough Rotary Club helps create clean water supply for Tanzanian village

The village of Oldonywas, in northern Tanzania, lies on the slopes of Mount Meru and is about 35km from the city of Arusha and although it had access to water, this had a very high fluoride content and was not suitable for drinking.

Market Harborough Rotary Club worked with its twin club in Bjerringbro, Denmark, and the Rotary Club of Arusha Mount Meru in Tanzania, to raise money and apply for a grant from Rotary International which paid for 32km of pipes, three water tanks and the digging of an 18km trench which keeps elephants away from the new water supply.

The project cost about $88,325 (about £66,000) in total.

At the opening celebration ceremony for the new water system, in Oldonywas, councillors, school pupils and residents thanked the Rotary clubs involved, the project supervisors and volunteers.

Ceremonial blanket cloaks were given to the supervisors Jesper Land Gregersen and the president of the Bjerringbro Rotary club Hans Homgaard, in appreciation of their contributions. A troupe of Maasai people performed a welcome dance at the ceremony.

The Rotary clubs of Market Harborough and Bjerringbro have been twinned for more than 45 years. Members visit each other every two years.

A memorial has now been painted on one of the water tanks which shows the names of the three Rotary clubs who took part including Harborough’s.

A spokesman for the Harborough Rotary Club said: “Rotarians in Market Harborough are proud and delighted that the project has been successful.

“This is just one of many projects which Rotarians all over the world accomplish by working together.

“The Market Harborough club also has its name on memorial plaques in four other places: classrooms in Qua Zulu Natal, a solar powered water pump in Malawi, dormitories in Gil Gil orphanage, Kenya ,and a girls’ residential school in Chennai, India.”

To find out more about how to join Rotary phone the Market Harborough club secretary on 01858 432370.