Carson City Rotarians help bring safe drinking water access to Panama
Providing safe drinking water to communities around the globe is a high priority for Rotary International. The Rotary Club of Carson City is helping fulfill that goal with a project in Panama.
Local Rotarian John Copoulos just returned from the project site in Sofre, Panama where residents and Rotarians celebrated the project’s completion.
He will share his experience at the club’s meeting on April 11th. The public is invited to attend to learn more about the international initiative.
The Rotary Club of Carson City, along with the Reno Centennial Sunset Rotary and the Penonome Rotary Club in Panama worked together to provide funding and planning for the project. Copoulos says his visit was an eye-opening experience.
“This was a great opportunity to see a Rotary collaboration in action,” he said. “The people of Sofre were so welcoming, appreciative and hospitable. Despite some language barriers we were still able to share information as well as Rotary experiences.”
This project is part of Rotary International’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Program (WASH).
WASH believes that when people have access to clean water and sanitation, waterborne diseases decrease, children stay healthier and attend school more regularly, and mothers can spend less time carrying water and more time helping their families.
Copoulos explains that an important aspect of these projects is sustainability.
“Rotary projects aspire to simplicity, keeping them as simple as feasible. This project does just that having no moving parts, but instead using an all-gravity feed from source to consumption.”
The meeting takes place April 11 at noon in the Brewery Arts Center’s Grand Ballroom. Anyone interesting in attending should email carsoncitynvrotary@gmail.com. To learn more about Rotary International’s Clean Water Initiative visit https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes/providing-clean-water.