A glass half full
After joining Rotary, you never look at a glass of water the same way again.
Holding it, you are humbled by the privilege of access to drinkable water. Then, you recall how Rotary brings communities and water experts together to deliver safe drinking water to places in need of it, transforming lives.
According to the United Nations, 2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water, and 3.6 billion lack safely managed sanitation. During March, we focus on our commitment to addressing water, sanitation, and hygiene challenges through our clubs and The Rotary Foundation.
District and global grants, made possible by the Foundation, provide a direct way for members to engage in water and sanitation projects. My wife, Gay, and I have seen the transformative power of these grants. Our clubs, the Rotary Clubs of Decatur and Decatur Daybreak, Alabama, partnered with the Rotary Club of Ecatepec, Mexico, to sanitise cisterns and tanks for about 300 schools.
We are also launching a new global grant to provide rainwater collection systems for 50 Indigenous families in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Chihuahua, in partnership with five organisations.
Globally, Rotary employs comprehensive approaches to these initiatives. In Mexico, the global grant-funded programme Niñas Sabias, or Wise Girls, empowers girls by providing education on menstruation, building self-esteem, and purchasing reusable menstrual products.
Our partnership with USAID in Uganda has shown how small-scale piped water systems can deliver cost-effective, sustainable solutions. By investing in local governance and technical capacity, this initiative ensures long-term access to clean water for entire regions.
Rotary’s Programs of Scale also demonstrate the power of interdisciplinary strategies. In India’s water-scarce regions, Rotary promotes solutions such as rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge, integrating water management with agricultural productivity to enhance sustainability and resilience.
Moving forward, we will continue improving how we deliver water and boost sanitation, focusing on regional planning, strengthening delivery systems and fostering partnerships.
Be proud to be part of this meaningful work — and please consider supporting it.
When you give to The Rotary Foundation, you not only help us reach our 2024–25 fundraising goal of $500 million, you also play a role in ensuring Rotary can make clean water, effective sanitation and hygiene accessible for generations.
Mark Daniel Maloney
TRF Trustee Chair
