A water solution project sponsored by the Rotary Club of Barbados, Rotary District 6960 (Florida), Rotary District 7030 (Southern Caribbean and South America) and The Rotary Foundation.
This partnership with the Education Technical Management Unit of the Ministry of Education Technological and Vocational Training is seeing six secondary schools, in the rural parishes of St Lucy, St Peter, St Andrew, St Joseph and St George, furnished with water tanks and pumps to assist with a consistent supply of water.
This initiative, inspired by the vision of President Robin Ford, President of the Rotary Club of Barbados, has resulted in the provision of 12 water tanks and associated equipment to the Alleyne, Alexandra, Coleridge and Parry, Daryll Jordan (now commissioned as a COVID-19 Isolation Centre), Grantley Adams Secondary and St George Secondary Schools.
The main need addressed by this project is access to safe and adequate supply of drinking water, both during the term and when schools are also used as emergency shelters for the neighboring community. An additional need is in the maintenance of sanitation and hygiene standards. This is a critical concern when there is only non-potable water available due to low water pressure or water outages.
In speaking with President Ford, he shared that the project’s “primary goal, access to safe and adequate supply of drinking water in the rural schools of Barbados, was determined through ongoing discussions and collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training and the rural school communities. Nine of the eleven parishes in Barbados are home to geographically-dispersed rural communities, supported by eleven (11) of the island’s twenty-one (21) secondary schools.”
“As we know”, he continued, “education is a pillar on which our community, social and economic development and growth is based. Since Independence in 1966, education has been a key strategic lever in building our nation.”
Additionally, one of the key areas of focus for Rotary is to provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene hence this is a major project for our club this year. This would not be possible without the continuous support of corporate Barbados as well as the general public through their contributions to our annual fundraiser event – Carols by Candlelight.
The impact of this project is far-reaching. Principal of the Alleyne School, as Julia Beckles, shared in her letter of appreciation: “I write to express my profound gratitude to you and the Rotary Club of Barbados, The Rotary Foundation and the Rotary District 6960 (Florida), on behalf of the staff and students at Alleyne School for your wonderful gift of water…. In the past when our water supply was disrupted, the business of our organization ground to a halt because the critical sanitization and hydration processes were compromised.”
Principal Beckles further explained: “The negative impact transcended the school and reached other organizations like the Transport Board whose service was necessary to transport the students from Belleplaine to St. Michael and St. Thomas where majority reside. Additionally, there were anxious parents who would not have made plans to have their children at home before the end of the school day.”
The funding for this Bds$125,000 project (which commenced on 04 August, 2021) was the result of a collaboration between the Rotary Club of Barbados and Rotary Districts 7030 (Southern Caribbean and South America) and 6960 (Florida), supported by benefactor Chuck Howey. Rotary Club of Barbados raised its funding contribution from “Carols by Candlelight”. Once core funding was identified, the group successfully approached The Rotary Foundation for a matching Global Grant.
Following approval by The Rotary Foundation, the project required significant due diligence and collaboration. Barbara Trieloff-Deane, Project Chair, along with Deputy Chair Nigel Pierre, worked closely with Suzanne Ward, Assistant Director of ETMU, Ministry of Education, to create an implementation plan. The Education Technical Management Unit (ETMU) has direct responsibility for the maintenance and preservation of public primary and nursery school plants, as well as the provision of guidance and oversight for maintenance and other capital works projects for public secondary schools.
The Media Resource Department of The Ministry of Education (Gale Gooding, Media Resource Officer and graphic artist Kendra Haynes) developed the associated programme for building awareness and education on handwashing hygiene best practices and water conservation, building on tips provided by the Barbados Water Authority Marketing Department, Yvette Harris-Griffith, Marketing Officer.
The host Rotarian team is comprised of President Robin Ford, David Edwards (Past District Governor), Ron Davis (Past President), Barbara Trieloff-Deane (Chair), Nigel Pierre (Deputy Chair), David Antrobus (Past President), Anton Nicholls (Director Community Service), Ermine Darroux (Secretary), Algernon Leacock (Past President), Elvin Sealy (Past President) and Rotarian Shakeela Boodhoo. The team is directly responsible for project leadership, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the main components of the project, including finance and reporting to The Rotary Foundation.
The Honourable Santia Bradshaw M.P., Minister of Education, Technology and Vocational Training and the management team of the Ministry would like to express sincere appreciation to the Rotary Club of Barbados, The Rotary Foundation, Rotary Districts 6960 (Florida) and 7030 (Southern Caribbean and South America) and key stakeholders for their participation in this project.
About Rotary Club of Barbados
The Rotary Club of Barbados, chartered in 1962 is the first and the largest Rotary Club in Barbados and currently in our District 7030. We are part of a global network of 1.2 million individuals serving in 200 countries with more than 35, 000 clubs in a cohesive force for good. Rotarians see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. The most notable example at the global level is the three-decade fight to eradicate polio. Rotary is a unifying force, promoting peace, diversity, and inclusion, while helping to eradicate diseases such as polio and continuously supporting global vaccination programs including the distribution of covid19 vaccine. Providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; saving mothers and children; supporting education and growing local economies are all part of our causes. Our Motto – ‘Service Above Self’. Rotary gives hope. Rotarians are People of Action.
The Rotary Club of Barbados, chartered in 1962 is the first and the largest Rotary Club in Barbados and currently in our District 7030. We are part of a global network of 1.2 million individuals serving in 200 countries with more than 35, 000 clubs in a cohesive force for good. Rotarians see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. The most notable example at the global level is the three-decade fight to eradicate polio. Rotary is a unifying force, promoting peace, diversity, and inclusion, while helping to eradicate diseases such as polio and continuously supporting global vaccination programs including the distribution of covid19 vaccine. Providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; saving mothers and children; supporting education and growing local economies are all part of our causes. Our Motto – ‘Service Above Self’. Rotary gives hope. Rotarians are People of Action.