CLEAN WATER INITIATIVE PROJECT  

Memorandum

Date: Thursday, October 04, 2007

To: CWIP Supporters

From:   PDG John Nelson – Project Coordinator
PDG Ross White, Chair

Subject: Clean Water Initiative Project (CWIP) Phase Out

With the creation of the new Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG), this is an opportune time to consider the viability of CWIP.  Over a period of six years, CWIP has fulfilled a need for clubs and districts.  As the leaders of CWIP we feel that the time to change course has arrived, particularly with the formation of WASRAG.  When asked, sponsor offers will be referred to the WASRAG group with our best wishes.
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CWIP performed a clearinghouse role of connecting Rotary Club sponsors with service providers to fund clean water and sanitation projects in developing countries.  It fulfilled a need when matching grants were difficult to obtain and many clubs were seeking a means of supporting a world service project and a water project.  CWIP met that need.

Considering that the CWIP administrative core staff had no professional or technical background in developing water and sanitation projects, its facilitation in completing 200 projects by 7 providers in 14 countries exceeded its expectations.

The types of projects were: wells, gravity feed systems, water filtration systems, wash stations, latrines, health and hygiene programs. rainwater collection jars, and maintenance and repair projects.

Past RI Director Floyd Olson established CWIP in 2001 as a low project cost alternative way for clubs to finance water and sanitation projects without using Rotary Foundation funds. Initially available to Rotary Clubs in Zones 23 and 24, CWIP expanded to Zone 22 in 2004. CWIP accepted sponsorship offers outside those zones in response to the Rotarian Magazine Articles on Clean Water in 2005. Because of its broker role, CWIP did not directly manage any projects and since no Rotary Foundation funds were used, it had no matching grant projects to monitor or manage.

During CWIP’s seven years of operation, the most prevalent expectation of sponsoring Rotary Clubs was to receive timely and documented feedback on the projects they funded. Of the approximate 200 projects completed, very few were funded in the past year because most of the providers had either completed their available projects in the host countries or were significantly impacted by political instability, personnel and policy changes or financial accountability and security issues and thus were unable to provide the documentation requested by most Rotary club sponsors.

CWIP has no transferable assets having mailed the remaining $3500 in its bank account to Rotarian Pat Crossley who arranges for the construction of wells in Kenya, and its program files were duplicate copies of the project applications retained by both sponsors and providers.

CWIP was not a budgeted zone program and in recent years, District 5020 financed its website expenses.

CWIP has begun to refer Rotary Clubs to the new Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group that has established the following five task forces.
Sustainability, Rainwater harvesting, Slow Sand Filters, Wells-bore and dug, and Toilets and Latrines.

CWIP is grateful to everyone who promoted and supported it during its seven years of operations.  There are too many to mention by name and some that we would overlook or not even know about their efforts to bring clean water to people in need in developing countries.

The CWIP Administrative Core Staff follows:
Chairman-PDG Bob Lovely                                                                 2001-2003
PDG Ross White                                                     2003-2007
Project Coordinator- PDG John Nelson                                                2001-2007
Public Information- Donna Powers-Past Pres. Temecula Rotary      2003-2005
Treasurer PDG Nancy Schmidt                                                 2001-2003
Ken Goddard-Past Pres. San Bernadino Rotary                    2003-2007
Website: Harriet Schloer                                                                       2001-2004
Randy White                                                             2004-2007

CWIP and sponsor clubs have undoubtedly improved the lifestyle of many individuals in areas of need.  We will never meet these people individually.  However, with the creation of WASRAG and the continuing emphasis of Rotary International on health and sanitation, we feel confident that the goals of CWIP will continue.

Yours in Rotary service

PDG John Nelson (D5030)                                         PDG Ross White (D5020)
Project Coordinator                                                   CWIP Chair