AI Corner with Stew:

As you consider whether and how to do a WASH project, or improve a program:

 - What tools and indicators actually measure success and impact of a project?

 - When do you need to measure them to see if the Outcomes actually happen?

 - How long will you need to measure to assure long-term sustainable Impact is achieved?

Here are some "Standard Rotary Indicators" (see WASH Guidelines):

Water and treatment:

- People gaining access to basic drinking water services (and safely managed services)

- Schools or health care facilities gaining access to basic drinking water services (and safely managed services)

- People receiving improved service quality from an existing drinking-water service

- Water quality compared with national standards for microbial and priority chemical contaminants

Sanitation:

- People gaining access to basic sanitation services  (and safely managed services)

- Schools or health care facilities gaining access to basic sanitation services (and safely managed services)

- Communities verified as open-defecation-free

- People receiving improved sanitation service quality from an existing limited or basic service

Hygiene and Handwashing:

- Households with soap and water at a commonly used handwashing station

Q: Are these indicators (measures of success) sufficient for your project, or program?
What indicators will you add, so you can determine success?

Take, for instance, a middle school in Madagascar, or Honduras:

 - what did your Community Assessment show as important?

 - what are the concerns of the teachers, parents?  the students?  the health officer, education officer? 

 - how about girls in puberty? disabled students?

To become successful, what behavior change will need to happen:

 - in the teachers and headmaster, so they care about WASH, and ensure good clean practices are followed?

 - in the health or education officer, so they inspect regularly, insist a school be safe, do WASH well?

 - in the county/district school budget, so the school has enough funds for a janitor, plumber, replacement parts?

What indicators will measure whether your theory of change is accurate, and your Inputs and Outputs actually achieve sustainable long-term Impact?

AI Suggestion:  Feed your community assessment, map, goals, risks, list of concerns, standard measures, some custom indicators, everything on this topic - - into your favorite AI platform. Ask AI to determine a) a set of custom indicators, b) how often they should be measured, and for how many years until you can be assured that a permanent change has been achieved.

You may be pleasantly surprised!

Then, discuss the indicators and methods of measuring them with a Cadre member in your district or region - ask them for specific advice based on their experience. If you can't find one, write to Cadre@Rotary.org.

Note: Rotary has issued new AI Guidelines (link here) and, among other things, asks you to remove PII (personally identifiable information) and sensitive data from your input to AI. You can do it manually, have an AI programmer help you, or use a Windows program called CamoText.
 

Projects and Programs 

Introduction: 

The Projects and Programs team has been working hard during the past couple of months on a variety of projects. We are glad to inform the readers that the Rotary Foundation has approved seven WASH  Projects. The projects that were approved are from the following countries: Peru, Paraguay, and Costa  Rica located in Central and South America, and Kenya, Ghana, and South Sudan located in Africa.  Further, three Global Grant Applications are being reviewed, and $600 was awarded to the RC of  Ratna Nagar, Nepal, for preliminary engineering studies. Finally, as part of providing technical advice,  the team provided a hydrologic memorandum to the Rotary Club of Mount Shasta, CA, and a note for a water treatment approach to remove iron from groundwater to the Rotary Club of Paducah, KY. Figure  1 shows the locations of the various countries where the projects are ongoing. 

We also had our team meeting on May 9^th where we discussed the role of reviewers and quality assurance in the reviews. Stew Martin, Technical Officer and Cadre, made a presentation entitled  “Professional Rotary WASH Global Grant Review” to the attendees. Further, Projects and Programs Vice Chair, Richard Chinn, presented a draft Flow Chart that described the Global Grant Review by the Projects and Programs Team. We hope to upload the flowchart on the website so that the  members know WASHRAG’s Global Grant Review Process 

In the following pages, we have summarized the various WASH Projects that have been approved by the Rotary Foundation. 

Ghana: GG2686335: Mpintsin Ghana Water Project

The Mpintsin community in Ghana’s Western Region will gain reliable access to safe drinking water through a connection to a nearby treatment facility supplied by the Pra River. The project will install  HDPE pipelines, standpipes, and smart meters serving two hundred households, a school, and a market. With more than 10,000 residents currently dependent on limited and often unsafe water sources, the project will improve public health, reduce water collection burdens on women and children, enhance safety, and provide lasting social and economic benefits. 

Colombia: GG2575183 – Water Source of Light

This project will improve access to safe drinking water for schools in the rural communities of Laurel,  La Camelia, Pueblo Rico, El Jardín, La Morelia Baja, and La Sagrada Familia in Quimbaya, Colombia.  Water treatment plants will be installed to convert untreated agricultural water into potable water,  complemented by storage tank upgrades, civil works, and hygiene education. Benefiting approximately eight hundred people, the project will promote healthier learning environments,  sustainable water use, and improved community well-being. 

Kenya: GG 2688239 -Kasule Community Health Facility Integrated Solar and Water Project

This project will provide clean, dependable, and affordable water to the Kasule Community Health  Clinic and surrounding village, benefiting women and children most affected by water scarcity. The initiative includes upgrading the clinic’s solar power system to support water pumping,  maternity services, laboratory operations, vaccine storage, and lighting. Improved sanitation facilities and community hygiene training will also be provided. Together, these improvements will enhance health services and benefit more than 2,500 patients and community members each month. Figure 2 is a schematic of the project.

Peru: GG 2687157 – Tomacaya Peru Water Distribution System Project

The Tomacaya Water Distribution System Project will provide the rural Andean community of  Tomacaya, Peru, with reliable access to safe drinking water through a sustainable gravity-fed distribution network. The project will replace aging infrastructure, construct new water intake and storage facilities, and improve service to homes and community buildings. Benefiting six hundred– 

seven hundred residents, the initiative will enhance public health, reduce the burden of water collection, and support local agriculture, small businesses, and long-term community development. 

South Sudan: GG2460746 - Enhancing Water and Agriculture (WAG) Initiatives in  Mangalla IDPs Camp, South Sudan. 

Severe malnutrition continues to threaten children under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women in South Sudan. This project will improve food security, water access, and livelihoods for  50,000 internally displaced people in Mangalla, while benefiting more than 150,000 host community members. The initiative includes upgrading a community well with a new submersible pump, constructing a water storage tank, establishing a greenhouse, and launching a fish-farming program. Together, these efforts will strengthen nutrition, increase food production, and enhance community resilience.

Costa Rica: GG 2684768 - Improving 7 Communal Aqueducts' infrastructure in the  Province of Guanacaste Phase 3, USD 64,673 

This project will modernize aging water infrastructure in the Guanacaste communities of Nicoya,  Carrillo, Hojancha, and Santa Cruz, Costa Rica. Much of the existing system is 35 to 50 years old and no longer meets current water demands. The project will repair, replace, and expand key water facilities to improve reliability and address population growth and changing water availability. Damaged hydrants, affected by repeated earthquakes, will also be replaced, strengthening community resilience and ensuring a more sustainable water supply. 

Paraguay: GG 2577162 -Agua Segura, Comunidad Viva, (Safe Water, Long Life) 

This project will provide safe drinking water to the rural communities of Fracción Aromita I, María  Alejandra, and La Esperanza in Encarnación, Paraguay. The initiative includes drilling a 150- meter-deep groundwater well, installing a submersible pump, constructing a 30,000-liter elevated water tank, and developing a community water distribution network. In addition, residents will receive water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) training to promote proper resource management,  improve public health, and ensure the long-term sustainability of the system. 

(Note: Illustrations were created with AI assistance; they do not represent any individual or  individuals, and some editorial assistance was used but verified by a human reviewer.)

Congratulations to everyone for an outstanding Rotary Year! This was the busiest and most productive year for WASHRAG, thanks to all your efforts in bringing a better life to so many. 

Being awarded the first-ever WASH Programs of Scale grant says it all. Congratulations to the Haiti HANWASH team for all you do and will continue doing for the people of Haiti. It is an honor serving as your Project Support Advisor. 

This will be my last article as the Chair of the WASHRAG Operations Team, and I wish to thank my Team for going above and beyond the call of duty in helping so many clubs, communities, and Rotarians make a brighter future for our global family. It was an honor to serve as the Chair of the Operations Team, and I plan to continue doing WASH projects through my role as a Cadre leader. 

My passion for WASH started in 2006, with my very first project in Mexico, and I plan on continuing my quest to bring water to those in need around the world. I will also continue as a contributing writer for the newsletter and as an advisor for Global Grants. 

My last word of advice is to give as many as you can the opportunity to experience their Rotary moment, as there is no greater gift in Rotary. 

Photo 1. Receiving the National Flag of Haiti for my work in HANWASH

Photo 2. My first ever Rotary Project

Joining the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Rotary Action Group (WASH-RAG) empowers Rotarians, Rotaractors, and professionals with expert guidance, global partnerships, and practical resources to deliver sustainable, high-impact WASH projects. From strengthening Global Grant success and funding opportunities to improving long-term community health, education, and safety, WASH-RAG helps members move beyond infrastructure to lasting change. Read the full article to learn how WASH-RAG can amplify your impact worldwide.

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