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Our International Service Committee organises fundraising
and events to assist those less fortunate than us overseas.
Examples include the provision of Aquaboxes to countries
where no fresh drinkable water is available. This is especially
important during times of war or after natural disasters
such as earthquakes.
Each year Redditch Kingfisher supports the Aqua Box project,
a national Rotary scheme organised by the Wirksworth Rotary
Club. This year as part of Rotarys centenary project
the club is aiming to fill 100 aquaboxes.
One type of Aqua Box is a large plastic box, about the
size of a cold water tank in a normal house, which we
fill full of humanitarian aid. Not blankets or clothes
but more practical items such as bucket, small tools (such
as hammer, screwdriver, nails, candles, string), household
items (such as plates, cups, knives and forks, toilet
paper) and personal toiletries (such as soap, toothbrushes,
comb) - the aim being to help people to start to rebuild
after a natural - or other - disaster.
To this aid is added water purification tablets and tap
equipment so that the Aquabox can then be used to supply
clean drinking water, enough for a family of 4 each at
10 cups per day for 4 months). The Aquaboxes when filled
are then sent to a central collecting point, palletted
and dispatched to wherever in the world they are needed.
The Rotary Club not only fills and sends them itself
but also promotes the project in the community and encourages
schools, churches and other groups to buy and fill a box.
In addition there is another type of Aquabox which does
not contain the humanitarian aid but is filled totally
with water purification tablets sufficient to supply 33000
litres of purified water). Each box has a number and we
know where it has been sent.
Recently over 100 were sent to Liberia and a similar
contingent was sent to Iraq shortly before that.
Latest News
Following the Tsunami in December 2004 the people of Redditch responded magnificently and over £10,000 was raised in one day towards our Tsunami appeal. This has enabled us to fill over 120 aquaboxes to be sent to the disaster are. We have recently delivered a quantity of filled Aquaboxes
to the holding centre at Wirksworth. Here are rotarians
Keith Lea and David Saunders with the boxes in our delivery
van.
Here is a pallet of empty aquaboxes being moved to our
van to return to Redditch.
Read the latest on Aqua Boxes in our Club Newsletter
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