CLOSE to 350 villagers, students and teachers at Veivatuloa Village in Namosi now have safe and clean drinking water.

This was possible through Rotary Pacific Water for Life Foundation and the students of the Fiji School of Medicine.

Rotary Pacific Water for Life Foundation Manager Joel Sahai said the scope of works included sourcing water from natural spring catchments located on a mountain pumped into two 10,000 litre water tanks and piped to the school. He said the $13,000 project also included teachers' quarters and individual homes.

"The facility was commissioned at the weekend by the visiting Rotary District Governor Nicolas Spillman and witnessed by close to 80 villagers, parents, teachers and students," he said.

Mr Sahai said each year students of FSM make a financial contribution towards a community in need as part of their Fiji Village project and this was the second water project undertaken in partnership with the Rotary Water Foundation.

He said Vodafone ATH Fiji Foundation together with Fiji Water Foundation, Westpac Banking Corporation and Punja & Sons of Lautoka were the four local donors which provide annual funding to the Rotary Water Foundation.

"Offshore funding is received from the Rotary International Foundation," he said.

He said the provision of funding for much needed clean and safe drinking water to disadvantaged and impoverished settlements and schools was a demonstration of their corporate social responsibility policy.

Established in October 2007, the Foundation has been helping rural communities throughout Fiji and to date has completed 109 projects costing just over $1.2 million.

It has benefitted around 48,950 people with 250 more pending projects on Viti Levu, Lomaiviti, Lau, Taveuni, Yasawas, Kadavu, Vanua Levu and other islands.

By: Riteshni Singh
Source: Fiji Times
Tuesday, August 17, 2010