2023 Timor Rotary Consortium WASH Project

PICTURED: The Timor Rotary Consortium WASH Project will provide water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) training, new toilet blocks and wash basins in four locations, and 5,500 litre galvanised water tanks at nine schools and villages in three districts in northeast Timor-Leste.

By Steven Sundstrom, Regional Grants Officer

Global grant GG2456718 was approved this past April for a project titled ‘2023 Timor Rotary Consortium WASH Project’, hosted by the Rotary Club of Dili, Timor Lorosa’e, and co-sponsored by District 9800.

The project sets out to provide water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) training, new toilet blocks and wash basins in four locations, and install 5,500 litre galvanised water tanks at nine schools and villages in three districts in northeast Timor-Leste.

The ‘consortium’ referred to in the project title is a nod to the more than 20 clubs, districts and personal donors that came together to fund these efforts.

When I began reviewing the application, I found over 76 pages of community assessment notes detailing the 12 communities they visited, including the names and signatures of community assessment meeting attendees, lots of photos and captions. This exemplified the face-to-face, grassroots planning we hope for, although it did require a follow-up call when I was unable to read some of the handwriting!

With US$10,000 matched from the World Fund added to the District Designated Funds and cash contributions raised, the project is now underway.