Hole mis Amigos!

The GSE TEam headed to Jarabacoa on April 24th, where we met with Maritza, the GSE TEam Leader from Dominican Republic. She showed us some amazing sights, and treated us to a lunch attended by some Rotarians. We were presented with gifts and banners, and then met with the Mayor of Jarabacoa as part of a formal presentation. We were on the local TV news, and Team Leader John Hammond received a plaque on behalf of the team.

Currently the team is in Puerto Plata, where we have been welcomed by Bob Hildreth. Bob showed us some Rotary Projects currently blossoming in Puerto Plata: - a slow sand and gravel water filtration system. This design was developed in Calgary, and costs families here $60 for fifty years to have a system in theor homes. The system effectively removes all harmful particles in the ?water and families can wash and cook and drink clean water. Rotary has developed a trainging course to train a community manager for each small town/settlement. Once qualified, these trainers are able to develop understanding and wareness within the community about water-borne disease.

On these projects, Rotary will send, say, twenty or so of these filtration units to a community to install, and have trained facilitators in place in the communities that have the filters.

Some communities have recorded a reduction in skin problems associated with washing in contaminated water, and consumption of medical supplies has reduced by up to 70 percent. The project has been running for six years, and has been a District program for four years.

We are off to Sosua today before heading back here tomorrow. On Saturday we travel to Santiago. As we continue our journey through the Dominican Republic, there are many times we are reminded that Rotary is a body in this country that, to use an ancient analogy, is a carrier of the flame for those who do not know how to make fire. The projects here are practical, rewarding and life-giving.

Kindly,

Simon Goss

Simon Goss
GSE Team Member
in the Dominican Republic.