I attended our Rotary District 7980 conference this past weekend that was held in Cape Cod Massachusetts (about a 3 hour drive from where we live).  It was a fabulous weekend and the water filter project got some incredible recognition.

I set up a display table with pictures of the workshop and the filters and had some flyers and brochures that people could take away with them.  The display was available for people to see all weekend long (Thursday through Sunday).  On Saturday morning I was given 20 minutes to speak to the group about the project and I brought a power point presentation with me so people could see pictures of India and the workshop operations.  I was incredibly moved when the group as a whole stood up and clapped after I was finished.  There were several more presentations made after mine that all dealt with projects in countries outside of the United States.  At the end of that series of presentations they gave out an award for the best International project in the district this year and the Bio-Sand Water Filter Project in Kolar won that distinction.  I was called to the podium where a youth exchange student from Bombay (who attends boarding school in Bangalore) thanked us for helping people in her country and helped to present the award.  Once again the Rotarians stood and clapped and I was moved to tears.  It was very emotional for me and an experience I will never forget.  I just wish you and Mike had been there to share that with me.

On Tuesday we visited a village called Kyasamballi, which is home to the Rotary Club of Kolar president Venkatesh.  We were hosted by a village leader named Ranga Reddy whose father was the first chief minister of Karnataka, the state’s highest office.  The family home was built around 1880.  It had 6 inch carved teak doors and an inner courtyard.  At one time more than 40 extended family members lived in the house.  We toured the village schools and water supply.

There is a section of the village that is very poor, populated by “scheduled castes”, who are people that are on the lowest rung of the social ladder.  Their huts had burned down in a fire about five years ago and the government built them concrete replacement homes. We toured the area and Venkatesh has agreed to purchase 15 filters for some of the villagers from this section.  We agreed to donate 10 filters using contributions we received that were designated for that purpose.  The village is hosting a health “camp” or awareness day on Monday and we will attend and bring the 25 filters at that time.