Subject: Celebrating World Water Day💦

March 2024

Monthly Newsletter

 

March 22 is World Water Day!

Leveraging Water for Peace

A new Rainwater Catchment Tank (RCT) is dedicated at

Luanda Primary School in Vihiga County, Kenya.

March 22 marks the United Nations' (UN) observance of World Water Day, celebrating water and increasing awareness of the global water crisis. According to the UN, despite the progress that has been made, 2.2 billion people still live without access to safe water today.


For 2024, the United Nations has selected the theme Leveraging Water for Peace. They write "Water can be a tool for peace when communities and countries cooperate over this precious shared resource. But, water can also spark and intensify conflict when access is denied and usage unfairly shared. World Water Day 2024 is about working together to balance everyone’s needs, with a dedication to ensure no one is left behind, to make water a catalyst for a more peaceful world."


Friendly Water's mission is rooted in water security. In 2023 alone, we helped villagers secure over 1,000,000 Liters of water. On this World Water Day, will you support our work through a donation? Gifts can be made at You Can Help - Friendly Water for the World.


 

Rainwater Catchment Tanks

Why do we build tanks instead of digging wells?

Rainwater Catchment Tank (RCT) at Bulovi Primary School in Kambiri, Ileho, Kenya.

Friendly Water's strategy for Water Security is to harvest rainwater in Rainwater Catchment Tanks. Sometimes we are asked why we don't just drill wells instead.


Bore-hole wells frequently fail without regular expert care. When they do function, they can be contaminated by untreated waste or risk bringing up fluoride and arsenic as they are drilled deeper into receding water tables.


The typical school in Kenya has a 300 sq meter roof. With an average rainfall of 1500mm that school could harvest up to 450,000 liters-per-year of contaminant free rainwater! Rainwater Catchment Tanks create water security for communities without electricity, pumps, or skilled maintenance.


In short, rainwater collection provides a higher degree of water independence than well water. While wells sometimes run dry, you can never run out of safe drinking water with a sufficiently sized rainwater catchment system.

 

Dr. Angela Omondi
Chebwai Dispensary Hospital
Kakamega County, Kenya

"My name is Doctor Angela Omondi. I am the "In-Charge" of Chebwai Dispensary Hospital. I have been serving here for the last seven years.

When I joined here, the first thing I was concerned with was water because in any given facility, water is very key. Yes, there is drilled water and pump installed, but sometimes, when there is drought, water levels go down and the wells would go dry. 


We are glad as we now have a 25,000 liter Rainwater Catchment Tank that will serve us well. Together with our neighbors, and even our church next to us, we will use this water.


Thank you very much Matsakha Development Group and your partner Friendly Water for thinking about us. Our patients, mothers, support staff, church and entire community will get water comfortably from our facility. And this water will sustain us fully even in our garden behind these buildings when we will start our permaculture farming."

 

Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from IRAs boost Friendly Water's Monthly Giving Program


Required minimum distributions (RMDs) are withdrawals you have to make annually from most retirement plans (excluding Roth accounts). The age for withdrawing from retirement accounts was increased in 2020 to age 72. Once you reach this milestone, you generally must take an RMD each year by December 31.


Many of our supporters meet their RMD requirements by pledging monthly gifts to Friendly Water for the World. You can "set it and forget it" when you make a monthly gift pledge, knowing that your contribution will help create opportunities for those living on the frontline of climate change.


To sign up for monthly giving, go to You Can Help - Friendly Water for the World or contact Curt Andino at curt@friendlywater.org.

 

 

First School-Based Permagarden Created at

Bulovi Secondary School

Water from the Rainwater Catchment Tanks (RCTs) at Bulovi Secondary School will flow directly into the new permagarden that has been created to provide a year-round source of fresh vegetables.

In 2022, Friendly Water worked with Thurston County Rotaries in Washington State (District 5020) to build two Rainwater Catchment Tanks at Bulovi Secondary School. This marked the beginning of water security for these students.


Unfortunately, students at the school were still experiencing food insecurity. The school reported that students failed to return to school due to a lack of food. Friendly Water's local organization - the Kambiri Community Development Group (KCDG) - stepped in to help. KCDG members made a large donation of food and supplies to the school earlier this year.


Friendly Water's programs do not stop at Water Security. Once we learned of the food shortage at Bulovi Secondary School, we applied our Sustainable Food program, and decided that this would be the first school location to receive a permagarden. Thanks to the RCTs, water flows directly from the tanks to the new permagarden, ensuring it will provide food even during the driest times of the year. Next year at this time, they will be harvesting their own vegetables, rather than receiving donated items of food from KCDG!


 

Would you like to be a part of our work?

 Click the link below to make a gift today!

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Friendly Water for the World, 900 Jefferson St. SE, Unit 6070, Olympia, WA 98501, United States

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