The funds will be used to dig hand dug wells, drill deep wells, repair wells, educate people about water borne illnesses, and provide basic medical care. The work will be managed by the Rotary Club of Sunyani Central, Ghana. We will be targeting communities with a high occurance of Buruli Ulcer disease. Buruli Ulcer is a flesh eating disease that is found in West Africa.
This is a major grant and it will be combined with ongoing and new grants from the Rotary Foundation. Matching Grant 71926 is now fully funded for over $104,800. We will also apply for a new grant from the Rotary Foundation that may be close to $200,000. All of these funds will be used to make a major impact on waterborne diseases. We are excited that there are only eight cases of Guinea Worm Disease in Ghana. It is our hope Guinea Worm Disease will be eliminated by the end of the year in Ghana. The last remaining country is the Sudan.
Georg Fischer AG with the Jubilee Clean Water Foundation has been involved in projects to improve water supply in developing countries and disaster areas. Since 2002, Georg Fischer has donated over $4.6 million to the Clean Water Foundation and has thus funded the implementation of more than 70 projects in 40 countries on four continents.
In 2009, seven projects were completed. Five new projects in Indonesia, Brazil, Tajikistan, southern Sudan and Bangladesh received around $300,000 in grants. In all projects, the aim is for experienced partners to support the local population in its efforts to sustainably improve its supply of drinking water.
In May 2010, six projects more were approved by the Jubilee Clean Water Foundation Council, composed by the CEO as chairman and two members of the Executive Committee. The projects will be executed in India, the Philippines, China (Tibet) Ecuador, Kenya and Ghana. Project partners were well known NGOs and local partners, for these projects among others the Swiss Red Cross and the Rotary Club of Rocky Mount, Virginia and our other partnering Rotary Clubs.
Walter Hughes, Jr., President of the Rotary Club of Rocky Mount, VA said "We are very honored and excited to be partnering with such a fine corporation and charitable foundation. We hope to continue this relationship for a very long time. We have Rotarians in eighty Rotary Clubs in twelve U.S. states, two Canadian provinces, Switzerland, and Ghana involved in raising money to provide clean water in West Africa."
More information about Georg Fischer AG can be found at http://www.georgfischer.com/ .
About Georg Fischer: Georg Fischer is focused on three key core business: GF Piping Systems, GF Automotive and GF AgieCharmilles. Founded in 1802, the company is headquartered in Switzerland and has some 130 companies, 50 of them production facilities, in 30 countries. Its 12,000 employees generated sales of $2.7 Billion in 2009.
