Rotary Club representatives will be in the community of San Mateo from August 4-6, to train residents and provide Sawyer water filters to those who need them. A donation of BZ$5 is required for each filter. If you live in San Mateo and your drinking water is contaminated, you will be able to get a filter on Monday or Tuesday of next week, (August 5 or 6). There are only about 40 filters left. If you still need one, please ask Miss Glenda to add your name and contact info to the list. (She is the nurse who lives in San Mateo.) People on this list will be the first to receive filters.

Belize Rotary Club helps address water challenges affecting San Mateo

After learning of the water contamination and the challenges faced by the San Mateo residents, Kuffner engaged the Rotarians in Belize and together, they worked to introduce the first phase of a Rotary Club filter program.

Belize Rotary Club committed to 200 water filter buckets for San Mateo residents. Over the last 16 months, Rotary Club filters have been distributed in the San Mateo community. With the help of local students and community member Glenda Rancharan, they have been busy training residents how to use the Sawyer water filtered bucket. According to Kuffner, much needed help came from Park Scholars of North Carolina State University, USA. Park Scholars are selected based upon their scholastic achievements, leadership qualities, and commitment to community work. Local San Mateo resident and high school student, Lionel Cornejo also assisted and was instrumental in translating for the group when necessary. By the last day of training, Lionel was aiding with hands-on training. With 200 water filters given out, this completes the first phase of the program and hopefully there will be more help in the near future.

Click here to read the rest of the article and see more photos in the San Pedro Sun