THE DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE ROTARY & TEDI WORK TOGETHER FOR CLEAN WATER

    Water is a vital resource, necessary for all aspects of human and ecosystem survival and health. All of sub-Saharan Africa suffers from a lack of clean, safe drinking water. More than 50% of the total population and over 80% of the rural population must walk great distances each day in search of safe, clean drinking water.
    The Rumuli Convent and the adjoining 600 pupil school on the shores of Lake Victoria in Bukoba, Tanzania are looking forward to clean drinking water as the Milwaukee Rotary, Bukoba Rotary and TEDI work together with the convent on a $30,000 water purification project.
    The Convent and school water supply are delivered through a very old and difficult to maintain municipal water system that suffers from contamination infiltration during the two rainy seasons.
    In November of 2004 TEDI Board members, representing TEDI-TZ and TEDI-US and the Rotary visited the Convent and school with members of the Bukoba Rotary to review the current pure water needs and to determine a process for moving forward.
    The Milwaukee Rotary, in its sister relationship with the Bukoba Rotary, graciously provided a $3,000.00 grant for the preliminary testing of the current water system and for the system design phase for a new system. These steps are nearing completion.
    Once completed, the water purification system will produce safe, clean water for the Convent and the school. TEDI is working with the Bukoba Rotary and TEDI Chapter to define several economic development possibilities including a possible small scale bottling facility that would help provide for safe water distribution to many more Tanzanians.