International Projects

Callander Rotary has a long history of helping local charities and causes where it can, but as part of a worldwide organisation, we also get invokved in projects which provide much needed aid in poorer countries as well as donating to the work of aid bodies in the event of an international disaster.

This page provides a little information on some of these projects.

Sand Dams

Since 2012, Callander Rotary has been involved, along with other Rotary Clubs, in bringing water relief to the area of Makueni County in Kenya.  This has been achieved through a revolutionary technique called Sand Dams.  Through the use of this technique, this area has not only been able to gain year round access to water, but has become self sufficient thanks to the ability to grow crops and husband cattle that was not an option in pre Sand Dam days.

A couple of Quotes from Locals .....

Josephine Musyoka ..... "Before construction of the sand dam, we really struggled to get water for both household use and watering our livestock."

Ndululu Muteti ...... "My cattles no longer travel long distances in search of drinking water"

So what are sand dams?

A sand dam is a reinforced stone masonry wall built across a seasonal sandy river.  They have no maintenance costs and can last upwards from 60 years.  Water behind a sand dam raises the water table in the surrounding area which improves the soil, creating better conditions for crops and grazing.  More trees can be planted which ensures that more water infiltrates the ground and less soil is washed away - creating a virtuous cycle of soil and water conservation.

During the rainy season, the sand dam fills with sediment-laden water.  Within one to four rainy seasons the the dam fills with sand, but, up to 40 million litres of water is stored in the pores between sand particles - enough to provide over 1,000 people with year-round access to clean water.

For more information about sand dams, click here.

Mary's Meals

Through an initiative introduced by Past President Peter Ireland, our club now supports Beh-Sao School in Liberia.  We do this in collaboration with a Scottish organisation called Mary's Meals, whose mission is to provide schools in poorer nations, with the means to fee their school children.  This achieves two things: firstly it encourages children to go to school and receive an education that will stand them in good stead in later life; and scecondly, it ensures threse children get at least on nutritious meal a day, where under other circumstances they might go hungry.

For more information on Mary's Meals, click here.

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