Rotary/CAWST Partnership
In 2017, the Rotary Club of Calgary, Downtown completed its second three year RCC/CAWST partnership focused on Wet Centres. Our total contribution for this period is $150,000 spread over three years. Our contribution contributes to the amount of $2,000,000 that Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST) required to qualify for a $6,000,000 from the Canadian government through CIDA.
About 6 years ago our club approved $225,000 seed money for a three year program to create Wet Centres. The idea was to create mini CAWSTS overseas to provide clean water to many more people more quickly. Our $225,000 seed money was multiplied 8 times. 645 organizations and over 1,900 individuals were trained to provide clean water. This was our International Signature Legacy project, and the second phase of our partnership with CAWST. It followed a multiyear clean water program in three countries led by our club and assisted by CAWST.
This current $8,000,000 three year project will establish and/or develop eight Water Expertise Training (WET) Centres. There is also now a virtual Wet Centre that is being very well used. These independent Centres of expertise will do locally what CAWST does globally; provide leadership, training, technical consulting, educational resources and networking services to government agencies, NGOs, community groups and local entrepreneurs to increase access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
We are fortunate that our club has been able to work directly with CAWST, the Rotary Club of Pursat, Sustainable Cambodia , and CWS (Church World Services) and the new Wet Centre in Cambodia to produce a test village required by CIDA. Current plans call for us to work together again on a WASH project in Uganda headed by John Ridge. In addition CAWST and WASRAG, the Rotary water action group, are working on forming a more robust ongoing relationship.