Hoedspruit Rotary Club has been rewarded a Rotary Foundation Global Grant to replace the existing pit latrines at Faith Burlington Crèche in Acornhoek with waterless toilets. Congratulations to Rotarian Michael Henderson and Rotary Clubs, Boco Ratan in Florida, USA and Torquay, UK for securing the generous grant of € 34 965.
Michael says “the beneficiaries will be principally the children and staff of the Faith Burlington Crèche which looks after about 140 children, under the age of five, whilst their parents are at work. Also benefitting will be the greater community by virtue of increased security of the children and healthier children. The grant further includes an education programme around health, hygiene and water conservation and use, as well as a maintenance component.”
“We selected this particular crèche as it is established and has been running well for 20 plus years, survived the COVID lockdown and it is embedded in the local community.”
The new toilets consist of one block specially designed for small children and one for the staff. The project ensures that adequate servicing and maintenance of the waterless toilets is carried out into the future without the use of dangerous chemicals.
In addition, adequate hand washing facilities will be built as part of the project provides for rainwater storage tanks which will feed water to the basins and the ‘grey’ waste water, be used in the crèche’s vegetable garden.
Rotary Foundation insists that the whole project is reinforced with an on-going education campaign on the importance of sanitisation, hygiene and water conservation which the children in turn will take back to their community. This will be aided by an NGO and the supplier of the toilets. Hlokomela has been enlisted for the on-going health and hygiene education, and Enviro Loo for the supply and on-going maintenance of the installation. Both will work with the local community and crèche staff for a period of five years following commissioning.
Mid-August a meeting was held on site. Rotarians, staff, parents, carers, a social worker, members of the board of governors, the Induna and others were present. President Hazel Partington informed those present about the progress of the grant and that building funds were on the way. Within days the funds were received and the laying of the foundations and construction of the toilet blocks started.
This is the second Rotary Foundation Grant that the Hoedspruit club has received. The first was
€ 58 000 for Hlokomlela, in partnership with Rotary Club Sausalito in California, USA.
