By JESSE GRAHAM
A HEALESVILLE Rotarian is campaigning for fresh drinking water for Kenyan children, setting up along the main street selling raffle tickets over the coming month.
Rotarian, Wilma Best, has been set up along Healesville’s main street, selling raffle tickets to raise money for the Kariakomo Primary School and Orphanage in Meru, Kenya.
Ms Best said the project, when finished, would provide water to students at Kariakomo, for drinking, sanitation via flushing toilets and hygiene through plumbing and drainage.
She said the school was part of the Milking Cow and Goat Project, and the water would also allow for land to be irrigated to grow food for both the students and the animals.
Ms Best said work was soon to begin on one part of the compound, with $25,000 raised for the first part of the project, and added that she was hoping to raise $16,000 for the second part.
Sitting outside of the Healesville post office, she said the project had been well-supported by the community thus far.
“They’re very good with this project – they love this project, they say to me ‘thank you for doing this’,” she said.
“They don’t know how to give, and they trust Rotary.
“Money goes from here to the Rotary Club of Meru in Kenya.”
She said the water project would help to make the work at Kariakomo sustainable, with food grown on-site, rather than having to be purchased every three weeks.
It will also help keep the children healthy, by doing away with ‘bush toilets’ and adding septic tanks, as well as having facilities for hand-washing.
A water purification system will also be installed as part of the project.
Ms Best said she would be based on Healesville’s main street with banners, raffle tickets and a donation jar, every day.
Raffle prizes include a Rover 800 push-mower, a box of Christmas fare, a tray of meat and hair care and skin products – tickets are $3 each or two for $5.
About 300 children attend the Kariakomo Primary School and Orphanage, and the infrastructure for the cow and goat farm was funded by many donors, including those partnering with the Rotary Club of Healesville and Rotary’s District 9810 clubs.
For more information, visit www.cowsandgoatsproject.org.au.
