Rotary chips in for clean water

Chico Sunrise Rotary recently made a $2,000 contribution to a project that will provide potable water for residents of Ipetí Emberá, Panama, who have been struggling to find clean water since they suffered a severe flood more than two years ago, according to a Rotary press release.

The Panama-Ipetí-Choco Water Project will install 5,000 feet of pipes that will deliver clean water to several fixed locations in the village of 525 people. Since the flood, residents have been carrying buckets long distances—often from stagnant pools—to collect water for cooking, cleaning and drinking. The Rotary Club of Panama Sur will use Chico Rotary’s donation to buy materials, and the local Emberá Indian community will provide labor.

“We are very excited to be able to contribute to a system that will not only provide safe, potable water, but also lessen the daily burden of everyday life for this community,” said Chico Sunrise Rotary project coordinator Carl Ochsner.