Water of Life From Rotary

The Rotary Club of Mataram had an opportunity to show off the results of its labours last week when senior member of the Rotary Club of Calgary, Alberta, Lloyd Flood, visited Lombok.

Lloyd was instrumental in helping Lombok’s Club start the highly successful “Clean Water Project” which has seen the charity organisation install more than 1100 water filters in villages throughout Lombok since 2007.

After Rotary Mataram member, Len, visited the Calgary Rotary Club while researching ways to provide clean water to villagers, the Canadian Club decided to fund the Lombok Club for the first stage of their project… and thus the Calgary-Mataram connection was formed.

Rotary Mataram used those funds to manufacture the first water filters in Lombok and installed them in the village of Kebun Talo. They have since installed more water filters in Penujak, Mangsit, Bungati and other villages in Lombok, bringing clean, germ-free water to over 11 000 local people.

Lloyd, who is an active 82 year old Rotary member, lived and worked in Indonesia from 1970 until his return to Canada and has a deep love of the country. “I’ve lived and worked in Indonesia for a long time and the country was always good to me… now it’s time to give back,” he said.

During his visit, Lloyd and members of the Lombok Club visited villages where the water filters are installed and spent time in North Lombok, where Rotary is carrying out a major project in the Gondang and Gangga regions. Over 100 new water filters have been installed, and a new well built, in the villages of Karang Jurang and Lendang Bagian, where they will provide clean water to between 300 and 400 people.

At the nearby school, SDN 3 Genggelang in Gangga, Rotary has built a new toilet block for the children, with four toilets. The North Lombok projects are presently around 75% complete. Lloyd and the Rotary team visited the school and joked with the students who are obviously excited about all the attention their school is getting.

“The work being done by this Rotary Club is fantastic,” Lloyd said, “There are only 10 people doing all this! They have courage and continuity… and they have heart. Without them this wouldn’t be possible.”

The Calgary Rotary Club is the largest club in Canada and even has a teen branch, which carries out projects close to the teenagers’ hearts. It is an important way of preserving the tradition of Rotary and involving younger generations to work in the spirit of Rotary. The Rotary Club of Mataram, Lombokwas established in 1987 to find ways for the more fortunate members of our community, expatriate and Indonesian, to help those less fortunate. One of the most successful activities in recent years has been the cleft lip operations, which funds life-changing operations for Lombok children, in addition to the “Clean Water Project”.

Pausing to consider the ten members of Rotary Mataram who work so hard to complete the many projects in Lombok, Lloyd said, “Hopefully, when I’m gone, there will be an understanding that this infrastructure is so necessary…”

Members meet on Wednesdays, 5.00 pm at The Office Bar and Restaurant in Senggigi. Meetings are not too formal and all interested people are welcome to attend.

[Source : the lombok gide]