Vanessa Lavender and fellow Dalhousie University student Gabriela Greggain visited the village of Las Marias, Honduras in 2024 as part of the Global Brigades program. (Supplied Photo)
Globally, Rotary International recognizes March as Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Month. The service group promotes the importance of clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education for a healthy environment and productive life, especially for children.
To that end, the Club is joining other clubs from across North America to distribute water filtration units to villages around Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It is also supporting a local engineering student, Vanessa Lavender, in her efforts to aid underdeveloped communities in need of water infrastructure development.
Finally, Rotarians are ramping up their popular waterfall for Easter weekend. Once again, Jackson’s Falls and Cape Vessey will be open to the public on Easter Weekend April 19 and 20. Members of the Picton club are on hand to collect donations to support domestic and international clean water initiatives.
Picton Rotarian Rick Jones is on the ground in Mexico, where the Puerto Vallarta Sur Rotary Club sees an annual influx of northerners escaping the cold clutches of winter.
Every third Saturday in the months of January, February and March, visiting Rotarians from all over the United States and Canada head into the small towns and villages to distribute a $50 water filter apparatus. The West Chester/Liberty, Ohio Rotary Club launched the intiative ten years ago.
Regular donations supporting the distribution efforts come in from North American Rotary Clubs including Picton. “Most of the people have to buy water or drink or wash with unfiltered water,” Mr. Jones said. “If properly maintained on a regular basis, they last 10 years.”
Meanwhile, second-year Dalhousie University student — and native Wellingtonian — Vanessa Lavender is off to Guatemala this spring to develop a clean water solution for a remote community there.
Ms. Lavender is the President of Dalhousie’s Global Brigades Society chapter. Global Brigades is a student-led, non profit aiding underdeveloped communities in need of water infrastructure.
In 2024, Ms. Lavender made a visit to Las Marias, Honduras, a rural community in the south of the country near the Gulf of Fonseca.
“It was a life-changing experience for me. I fell in love with the work we were doing and the hope we were inspiring,” Ms. Lavender said. “These experiences solidified that I have a place and a passion for engineering and gave me a unique perspective of how I can use my profession to help others.”
She has a course of action for her visit, which includes meeting with the community, analyzing how they source water, and testing its quality.
She will survey each household to determine their water needs as well as map pipeline elevations with GPS technology.
“I will then compile all the data into models in a software program, and then investigate how to make the pipeline efficient, environmentally friendly and affordable.”
“On the last day, I create a budget and present it to the community.”
The annual Rotary Waterfall Tour is an Easter tradition for Prince Edward County. Thanks to the generosity of landowners, stunning waterfalls in North and South Marysburgh are open to the public April 19 and 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, and donations are gratefully accepted, to be put toward the new Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital and local and international Rotary projects.
Hiking attire and waterproof footwear are recommended. For Information contact the Picton Rotary Club.
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