Rotary clubs from District 1080 in the East of England have been keen supporters of Village Water since 2 members from the Diss Rotary Club Norfolk joined the summer field trip in 2006. Since then many other Rotarians have travelled to the Western Province to see for themselves what a difference their money can make and to assist with the Village Water work.

Their visits have sparked an interest in Rotary in the remote provincial capital of Mongu and so thanks to encouragment from East Anglia a new Rotary club was formed in May of 2009.  Rotarians Richard Pither and John Baines travelled to be guests of honour at the Charter Ceremony and were also invited to an audience with the Litunga who is the king of  the ancient Lozi nation who occupy what was originally Barotseland.

The Rotary movement supports all manner of humanitarian project throughout the world and their Polio Plus campaign to help eliminate polio worldwide is perhaps the biggest and best known of their initiatives.  However the provision of clean safe water is always one of the top priorities.  Village Water has won support from many different Rotary clubs and has also attracted matched funding from The Rotary Foundation.  The Rotary Foundation is Rotary's own charity. It is supported by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation and generous donations from the general public who share its vision of a better world. The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

In 3 years the total funding for the work of Village Water provided by Rotary clubs and The Rotary Foundation has reached almost US$200,000.

Rotarians have said the key points that have assured continuing support for Village Water against other aid agencies are:

• Village Water encourages inspection visits and thereby has fostered a long term relationship between donor and the implementing organisation.
   
•  Village Water accepts funds that go in entirety to the point of need without any deduction for UK administration.
   
•  Village Water welcomes sponsorship of specific communities – this forms links between UK towns and Zambian villages.
   
•  Village Water encourages sponsors’ plaques on the completed pumps.
   
•  Village Water requires commitment and participation from each community that they assist.
   
•  Village Water will only install a new well after the Community has demonstrated a commitment to improved sanitation and hygiene.
   
• Village Water ensures that the community can maintain their pump and continue the improved hygiene.
   
• Village Water monitors continued sustainability of all of their completed installations.
   
• Village Water are small enough to care and to be flexible in their dealings with donors.

See a full library of Rotary/Village Water project pictures. For further details about the Rotary programme contact Richard Pither.