Nigeria WASH in Schools Global Grant Update:
Our Global Grant to provide water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, and training in their use and maintenance, to five rural schools in Nigeria passed a landmark in September, by transferring $23,370 to the “Implementing Partner” on the project, Partnership for Initiatives in the Nigerian Delta, otherwise known as PIND.
These funds represent the contributions of nineteen Rotary Clubs (local and as far away as Tampa, Florida) and the non-profit, H2O for Life. By wiring the funds directly to PIND, we avoided $1,157 in “processing fees” that RI would otherwise have charged us for doing essentially the same thing.
This does not, however, mean that the project can now move forward in Nigeria, as the five Nigerian clubs with whom we are partnering have not as yet raised their share of the funding for the project. While the Covid-19 pandemic has curtailed our local activities, the situation is even worse in Nigeria, and it is apparently the custom to wait until the US clubs have assembled their funding before starting the process in Africa.
So now we wait, while encouraging the leadership of our Nigerian partners to complete their task. We can only be thankful for the cooperation and generosity of our US clubs. Meanwhile, the first progress report to RI is due on January 1st. Fingers crossed.