Water Is Life

In the 2009-2010 Rotary year, the Rotary Club of Mandurah City, in partnership with District 9460 and the Kota Kinabalu club, funded and supervised the provision of fresh water to 3 villages in the Sabah Province of Malaysia.

Vernon Stanford of the Mandurah City Club has recently returned from the finalisation of this water project. At his own expense, Vernon has travelled to Malaysia ten times in the last two years to work on health, education and water projects.

In Mandurah, Vernon has his own water reticulation business, and he has used his skills in Sabah to supervise the installation of clean water supplies to villages. The water projects gravity-feed fresh spring water from inland hills to tanks and communal standpipes and taps in villages. Local villagers work under Vernon’s supervision to construct the water systems, and the villagers then maintain their own supply. The water is used for drinking and food preparation, washing and bathing.

This year, our club plans to contribute $2000 to a $6000 project to construct a Learning Centre in the village of Teringai Laut in Sabah. The centre will be utilised by approximately 330 people throughout the day for English classes, sewing and textile classes and adult computer classes.

The project funding is for materials only, and the centre will be built between December and March by local volunteer labour in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu.

The Rotary Club of Mandurah City is keen to continue to partner with local clubs, district and the Kota Kinabalu club on further water, education and health projects in the Sabah Province.
If your club is interested in learning more about these projects or (better still) contributing, please contact Vernon Stanford or Ian Bond via the club contact form - Please Click Here.