Steamboat Rotarian to Lead VTT Team to Kenya in July

Rotarian Paul Hebert of our club will lead a team of five water, sanitation, and hygiene experts on a four-week trip to provide practical training to Kenyan water professionals.  Other team members include Rotarian Steve Werner from the Southeast Denver Rotary Club and non-Rotarians Dr. Mayling Simpson, from Steamboat Springs, Richard Fisher, Fort Collins and Reza Kazeminan, Denver.  The team will be in Kenya from July 8th to August 2nd.  Three Kenyan experts will visit Colorado and Wyoming in September as part of the project. 

This initiative is the first Vocational Training Team Global Grant funded by District 5440. Rotary International, Districts 5450 (Denver area) and 9200 (Kenya and East Africa) are also funding the $70,000 project. The overall goal will be to understand current water and sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices in Kenya and apply them in training and in developing a master plan for implementation in District 9200 in Rotary partnerships. A unique feature of the program will be developing ways that unemployed youth can find employment or entrepreneurial opportunities in water and sanitation projects.  Ron Hammel of District 5440 has been working with District 5450 (Denver Area) and District 9200 (re-designated as of 1 July as District 9212 – Kenya and East Africa) to develop this project. 

The team will make field visits to Kibera slum in Nairobi and then to rural areas in Turkana, Kajaido and Kitui districts to study bore-holes, rainwater harvesting, other technologies and sanitation practices.  Development of employment of young people will involve the African Alliance of YMCAs (AAY), which will help lay the groundwork for economic programs leading to increased youth employment. One of the Kenyan team members will be a representative from AAY.

In the fall, members of the Kenya VTT team will participate in a three-week training program conducted by members of the USA team and others from local universities, municipalities, non-profits and government agencies.

Karibu!   See you in August!