The Rotary Club of South Haven is supporting a development project in Kenya, thanks to support from the Rotary International Foundation. The South Haven Rotary has released the following:
The motto “Service Beyond Self” goes beyond the community for members of the Rotary Club of South Haven as evidenced by the recent award of a major financial grant by the Rotary International Foundation for a project in Kenya.
The South Haven Rotarians have supported the community of Ngoswani, Kenya in many ways over nearly two decades. A capstone project in recent years has been the construction of a maternal and child care hospital. An impediment has been the availability of a consistent supply of clean water.
A Global grant from the Rotary International Foundation, together with grants from the South Haven Rotarians, other clubs in Rotary District 6360 and individual Rotarians will provide $74,731 for the construction of a 600,000 liter (approx. 160,000 gallons) concrete water storage cistern for the Ngoswani Maternal and Child Hospital.
The South Haven Rotarians partnered with the Milimani Rotary Club of Nairobi, Kenya in pursuing the grant. Expertise was also provided by Lester Cooper, a Rotarian in Lake Chelan, Washington.
The cistern system will be able to take advantage of the solar power already being provided to the nearby hospital. It will have two filtering systems to provide safe drinking water. The grant also supports the construction of latrines outside the hospital, hand washing and drinking water stations.
Ngoswani is located 25 miles from the very popular Masai Mara Game Park in southwestern Kenya. It has grown from a few buildings to an evolving settlement, now having hundreds of houses and stores. Rotarians and members of Lions International have made possible the construction of a school and hospital.
Before the construction of the hospital the nearest health care was a three hour drive (two day walk) from Ngoswani.
The population served by the hospital numbers 300,000 Masai. Until recently, 95% of the births in the community were delivered by untrained members of the community in the traditional mud/dung homes of the Masai. The death rate of babies and children up to five years of age has been as high as 30%.
South Haven Rotarian Dr. Marty Graber has spent most of the past 40 years assisting people in East Africa by providing health care in remote areas. He has personally supported Kenyans seeking to become health professionals.
“Marty has been the inspiration for our club’s support of this project these many years,” said South Haven Rotarian Art Ayers who spearheaded the most recent funding pursuit along with fellow Rotarians Dan Thompson and Steve Larsen.
Dr. Graber’s work has also received support over the years from Lions Clubs International.
