The Rotary Club of Middleton is
involved in a number International Service projects, three
of which are in partnership with the Rotary Club of Meru in Kenya. For
the last twelve years Rtn John Brooker and his wife Yvonne have
built up a charity supporting a school called Mikoroshoni Primary
near Mombasa, Kenya. This
was before John joined Rotary.
On one their early trips, whilst on safari, they saw two women
digging in dry river bed with their hands searching for water. All
the group on the safari were moved to see such tasks carried out
by women and also children.
 John saw a BBC Blue Peter Christmas special about water project
in Kenya that involved a young boy called Elliot Inglis. Elliot
wanted to help families and especially children in Africa and the
programme took him to Kajuki, 75 miles from Nairobi. It
showed people drinking the filthy river water, which was the only
water to which they had access. John was put in contact with
the Inglis family by Blue Peter programme. He now has a close
working relationship with the family, who have helped our Rotary
club raise over £28,000 for the water projects in Kenya.
(WaterAid pulled out of Kenya some time ago.)
John contacted the President of the Rotary club of Bahari in Mombasa
who advised that a new club was being formed in Meru and gave contact
details. Since then our club donated £600 towards a
Matching Grant with Salt Lake City Rotary Club for a Rain Catchment
project, which involved the construction of a 100m3 covered water
storage tank in the Tharaka District. This region is extremely
dry for 8 months of the year. Wells and bore holes cannot
be used as the water contains minerals, which make it unfit to
drink.
 The Chairman of the District 1280 Foundation Committee, Rtn. David
Wilkinson, gained the financial support of 7 Rotary clubs in District
1280 so that an application for a Matching Grant could be submitted
to construct a 225m3 covered water storage tank for another Rain
Catchment project in Tharaka. The tank will be sited on a
hill and gravity will supply clean water for drinking and irrigation.
The Middleton club has also been successful in applying for a
Matching Grant to build a bridge over the River Nithi. The
construction of the bridge commenced this April and, when it is
completed, will not only save about 50 lives a year but also a
journey of 30 km to reach the town of Kajuki. Many people
swam across the river rather than walk 30km and consequently when
the river was in full flood many drowned.
Peter Hayward
International Service Committee Chairman
The Rotary Club of Middleton
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