One of the most pressing issues for the Eenchokay Birchstick School has been the lack of fresh water for the students.  There is a permanent boil water advisory in the community.  90% of homes do not have running water and many families fetch water in pails from the lake.  The school has often been closed to students because there was no potable water for them to drink.  The lack of fresh water has been by the District Health Unit as a cause of disease within the community.

   The provision of an inexpensive water purification system for the school was seen as one way to provide support for the school, for the students, and for the families and the larger community.  The Rotary grant enabled the Eenchokay Birchstick Schoolto purchase a Dyna-Pro Ultra Pure Reverse Osmosis Water Purification System.  This system provides for up to 20 - 19 litre (5 gal) jugs of purified water per day.  The system was delivered and installed in February 2007.  It is now being used, not only by the school, but it has also been set up so that families in the community also have access to fresh water there.

   Project funding was received by Tikinagan Child and Family Services from the Wellington South Rotary Club, and disbursed in accordance with directions received from Maurice Brubacher, who had made the arrangement for the project between Kurt Macrae, Eenchokay Birchstick School and the Wellington South Rotary Club.  Total income for the project was $12,000  - this represented $6,000 of funding raised locally in Guelph by the Wellington South Rotary Club, and a matching grant of $6,000 from the Rotary District.

Our Rotary Club was pleased to partner with Rotary District 7080 and the Friends of Tikinagan in order to provide this school with potable water..,.and especially to see the smiles that resulted as in this photo!