Wasrag is delighted to introduce Rotarian Margaret Mungherera, Wasrag Regional Team leader in Uganda. Margaret, a medical doctor, is Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, Mulago Hospital and President, Uganda Medical Association. She is past president, Rotary Club of Kampala West and current Country Chair for Uganda Rotary - the first woman in this position since Rotary came to Uganda more than 40 years ago. She welcomes Regional Team members: PDG Chris Mutalya, PDG Sam Owori, PDG Stephen Mwange, Xavier Sentamu (Vice Country Chair), Patrick Kahangire, Sam Mutono, George Sizoomu, Grace Kamuhanda, and Michael Ojok.   

The Regional Team will provide support to clubs in their WASH work including rigorous planning and educational support. Congratulations Margaret!   

Want to make a really big difference in Rotary's WASH program?  Then step-up to assist Stew Martin, our Regional Team Coordinator.  Stew needs a part time volunteer to gather data, communicate with district leaders, and help organize the whole effort. If you have some computer savvy (Excel, email, web searching), good language skills and tact, plus a desire to help - click here to apply.  You'll get to see the inner workings of our WASH program, help form teams, and make an invaluable contribution.  Plus, Stew's an energetic and nice guy to work with ;-).  

Food for thought: Christian Science Monitor correspondent Scott Baldauf writes about his impressions as he prepares to leave Africa. "Matt Damon, listen up: After five years of covering Africa, our departing correspondent tells how his perceptions have changed about a complex continent, including why some Africans resent celebrity visits."  Read full article... 

As the leading publicly funded school of public health in the US, the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health attracts top students from around the world. As part of UNC's growing partnership with Wasrag, they are offering the opportunity for programs and country offices to host students for their summer 2012 practicum. Read More... 

To address the interconnected challenges of improving rural sanitation at large scale, WSP (Water and Sanitation Program - World Bank) has tested an approach that combines Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) and sanitation marketing, which draws on social and commercial marketing approaches. Read More... 

September 5 - 22, 2011:   the Wasrag Project Planning & Performance Team visited sites in the Niger Delta to evaluate water, sanitation and hygiene education needs in three communities in the Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa State. Local Rotarians provided key support and are looking forward with keen anticipation to the completion of the PPP Team report and recommendations. The Niger Delta is a complex and challenging region with a high water table, pollution, large population - many rural with no access to the power grid. Read entries from the team on the Wasrag blog... 

Amongst many topics covered in the highly successful UNC "Where Science Meets Policy" conference held Oct. 3 - 7, 2011, various options and needs for water testing were discussed. One presentation, at the conference, and the Rotary reception held Oct. 2, was for an inexpensive test for E. coli soon to be available for field use. Initial cost for the kit is estimated to be about $50 and per use cost about $5. Read More...