Newsletter  
August/September 2015



Appropriate Technology and WASH
Susan Davis, a presenter at WASRAG's recent World Water Summit in Brazil, authored an interesting article for Engineering for Change. It described a tool to improve decision making on which innovations and technologies will work best in developing country contexts. "Focusing on technology or infrastructure alone as a solution to water access issues has contributed to high failure rates. There is, however, a good way to use technology."  Read More...


PNG WASH Program Micro Grid is Powerful!
As a member of the St. Martin's Engineers Without Borders chapter, and as an engineering class project, Alexander, a student, helped Rotarians with the original WASH system hydraulics and planning. His proposal for a micro grid has now been shortlisted as a winning paper at a recent conference. Introducing other contributions like this, expands the reach of Rotary projects. The PNG WASH ROTARY project is also supporting a PNG literacy, disease prevention, child and maternal health care and  economic development program, and includes WASH in schools, and community outreach to foster Rainwater harvesting, composting toilets, and hand washing in their homes.  Read the paper...


Ndandini
What Follows the MDGs? SDGs!
The United Nations summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda will be held from 25 to 27 September 2015, in New York and convened as a high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly.  The Goals and targets will stimulate action over the next fifteen years in areas of critical importance for humanity and the planet.
The new goals include a number of WASH related targets. Although hygiene is included with sanitation in goal 6.2, there is currently no indicator for hygiene. To join others and ensure that hygiene is fully included in the goals and targets and measured as a mandatory global indicator, please visit this site:  GPPPHW and sign the petition.


Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) & WASH-in-Schools (WinS)
UNICEF along with Columbia University, will host the 4th Annual Virtual Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) in WASH in Schools (WinS) Conference on Thursday October 22nd 2015 from 9am to 5pm (Eastern Standard Time). The theme for the conference is 'Encouraging Countries to Champion MHM Through Evidence and Advocacy'. The virtual conference is intended to share lessons learned and experiences in MHM in WinS through advocacy conducted at the national level, research findings from studies conducted on the impact of MHM interventions in schools, and efforts to build stakeholders buy-in, and the use of evidence for policy and programming. Register to participate!


Rotary at work in Cameroon
(Co-authored by Dr. Isis E. Mejias, Process Engineering, Jacobs,  Houston, TX
In 1980, when Mbah Mbole Joseph first came to Limbe for a job with Cameroon's national oil company, he found a small coastal town that was home to 40,000 villagers, the country's main oil refinery, and one of its most important commercial ports. By the time Mbah Mbole retired in 2005, the population was approaching 100,000 and placing increasing strain on an antiquated sanitation system not built to accommodate the new arrivals. 
"The demand [for water] is five times more than supply," said Mbah Mbole. "We have water once in 3 days." Read More...


Notes from the Field...
(Submitted by Nancy Gilbert, newsletter editor and WASH consultant, currently working in Nigeria) 
Menstrual Hygiene Management or MHM
 is an area of growing interest - finally! An area that has, for too long, been taboo, MHM has come out of the closet, and into mainstream WASH planning. Lack of water and sanitation facilities in schools results in a marked decline in girls' attendance once they start menstruating. It's hard to imagine: no privacy, no place to wash, and no place to dispose of used products. At the WASRAG Summit in Brazil, I met a wonderful Rotarian... Read More...
 

New Projects...
We love hearing about your projects and are delighted to relay these great opportunities for Rotarians to get involved in WASH projects! When posting your projects on the Wasrag website, please remember to include the name of your Rotary club and District number. Contact us at [email protected] if you need help with your posting. 
We have writers ready to help tell your story!

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*The Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (Wasrag) is pleased to consider partnerships with any corporate supporter. Due to the unique attributes of water sources and water provision, acceptance of corporate support does not imply an endorsement of any particular water technology. Rotarians, Rotary clubs, and Rotary partners must evaluate any technology to determine if it is the best solution for the conditions where the program will be implemented. Wasrag can provide guidance about where different technologies work best, but Rotarians and Rotary clubs must make the final decision about how to implement their programs.

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The Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group is a group of Rotarians whose purpose is to support Rotary clubs to effectively plan, finance, implement, monitor and evaluate water, sanitation, and hygiene programs, where they are most needed in a collaborative, cost-effective, timely, and sustainable manner, true to the principles of Rotary International. Wasrag operates in accordance with Rotary International policy but is not an agency of, or controlled by, Rotary International.